North Carolina football coach suspended in relation to illegal benefits investigation, per report
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North Carolina first-year cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins has been suspended amid an investigation into extra benefits allegations, according to a report from The Athletic on Tuesday.
The investigation stems from a report by Raleigh TV station WRAL regarding the tumultuous start to Bill Belichick‘s UNC tenure. Belichick took over as the head coach at North Carolina after the 2024 season.
Per The Athletic, the extra benefits allegations involve “providing a player’s family members with sideline passes for a game.”
Hawkins joined Belichick’s staff this season at North Carolina after working as a recruiting analyst and secondary coach at the University of Washington, where he worked with Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick, in 2024. Steve Belichick is now the defensive coordinator at North Carolina.
Bill Belichick’s first season at North Carolina is off to a disastrous start on the field as well, with the Tar Heels falling to 2-3 after last Saturday’s home blowout loss to Clemson. North Carolina has a bye in Week 7 before visiting California on Oct. 17.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
