With defensive coordinator Steve Belichick still on medical leave, North Carolina coach Bill Belichick will take over defensive play-calling duties for the Tar Heels against TCU this weekend, according to On3. On Aug. 6, Bill Belichick announced that Steve was on medical leave but did not provide any more details or a timeline for his return.

During his press conference to kick off game week, Belichick said there was no update on Steve and declined to discuss the team’s plan for defensive play-calling.

“I’m not really gonna talk about that situation,” Belichick said. “We’ll work it out.”

In the weeks leading up to their neutral-site game against TCU in Dublin, the North Carolina staff has worked collectively on the game plan, and defensive line coach Bob Diaco has been leading the charge. However, when the game kicks off, Belichick will be holding the play sheet as he oversees that side of the ball for the Tar Heels.

Belichick began his coaching career in the 1970s and cut his teeth on defense and special teams. In 1985, Belchick became a defensive coordinator for the first time, working under Bill Parcells with the New York Giants. The team won two Super Bowls with Belichick leading the defense, and he parlayed that into a coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991.

In 1997, Belichick and Parcells would reunite on the New York Jets with Belichick working as a defensive coordinator once again. He spent three seasons in that role before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000.

In his 24 seasons with New England, Belichick took over play-calling duties here and there. Most recently, he called plays for the Patriots in 2019 after Brian Flores took a coaching job with the Miami Dolphins and Greg Schiano resigned suddenly in March.

Belichick has plenty of experience working on the defensive side of the ball, and there’s no doubt he was heavily involved with helping son Steve develop game plans each week last season. The question now is whether Belichick can help the Tar Heels take a step forward on that side of the ball after a frustrating 2025 campaign.

Belichick’s proven track record

No one can knock Belichick’s resume as a defensive coordinator — or even a defensive head coach. His defenses were regularly among the best in the NFL, and that was certainly the case in 2019, when he last called plays full-time.

That season, New England had a strong argument as the best defense in the league. The statistics certainly back up that claim with the Patriots landing at or near the top of the NFL in every category.

• Total yards allowed: 275.0 per game (1st)
• Passing yards allowed: 180.4 per game (2nd)
• Rushing yards allowed: 95.5 per game (6th)
• Scoring defense: 14.1 points per game (1st)

The Patriots would lose to the Tennessee Titans in the wild card round that season, which was Tom Brady’s last in New England, but the defense wasn’t to blame. New England surrendered just 272 yards and 14 points in that contest.

The difference between then and now is that the Patriots were playing with a talented roster, and North Carolina won’t be the more talented team on the field against TCU. That was an obstacle the Belichick father-son duo failed to overcome on multiple occasions last season, including the season-opener against the Horned Frogs.

UNC defense steadily improved in 2025

The Belichick era in Chapel Hill got off to an inauspicious start last fall as TCU rolled into Kenan Memorial Stadium and hung 48 points and 542 total yards on the Tar Heels.

The defense improved as the season went along, and in some ways, it rose into the realm of respectability. North Carolina ranked 66th nationally in points allowed per game (24.5), but it climbed to 38th nationally in yards allowed per game (336.9). By the end of the year, the defense was holding the Heels in games while the offense sputtered.

Still, there is room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball as North Carolina enters its second year under Belichick. That’s especially true in pass defense, where the Heels allowed 211.2 yards per game in 2025, which ranked just outside the top 50.

North Carolina brought in Michigan State transfer cornerback Ade Willie, who is expected to start across from senior Kaleb Cost. The Tar Heels also brought in linebackers Peyton Seelmann (Richmond) and Derek McDonald (Syracuse). The latter was very productive in his first three full seasons with the Orange before suffering a season-ending hip injury in the fourth game of the season.

Those new pieces will need to gel quickly, but fortunately for Belichick, he might be able to mask some questions in the secondary against TCU. That’s because this isn’t your older brother’s TCU team. With Josh Hoover off to Indiana and Kendal Briles off to South Carolina, the Horned Frogs’ offense may look very different this year.

Harvard transfer Jaden Craig is now at quarterback, and former UConn offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis is now in that same role at TCU. Between Craig’s skill set, Sammis’ scheme and a talented running back room, TCU might lean on the run more than it usually has under Sonny Dykes.