North Carolina is dealing with a university investigation into the football program, and Michael Lombardi’s resignation on Thursday has only added fuel to the situation. WRAL News reported that lawyers hired by UNC are examining the culture inside the program and questioning current and former players, parents, and staff. And it may not turn out well for Bill Belichick, per report. 

North Carolina plays East Tennessee State on Sept. 12, then travels to Clemson for an ACC matchup on Sept. 19. But according to longtime UNC writer Art Chansky, Bill Belichick may not be on the sideline for either game.

“I don’t think he’s coaching it next week because the point is that he broke the rules,” the chapelboro.com writer said, according to WRAL. “The rules are clearly stated. I wrote about it in Chapel Hill today very clearly that the coach, as of 2023, they have to know. They can’t say I didn’t know anything. The rule sets they’re responsible whether they know it or not.”

That is Art Chansky’s assessment, not an announcement from North Carolina. Still, there is a reason the comment carries weight. The investigation has reportedly moved beyond Michael Lombardi. WRAL says attorneys are asking questions about Bill Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick. There have been allegations that the DC used drugs at work or provided them to at least one player.

Steve Belichick has been on medical leave since Aug. 6. Bill Belichick addressed his son’s absence last month, calling it a medical situation and declining to discuss it further.

“I really can’t make any further comment,” he said at the time.

Now, the questions are getting harder to avoid. The inquiry reportedly goes further. Lawyers are also examining allegations involving possible sexual relationships between a recruiting staff member and a player, along with possible relationships involving assistant coaches and recruiting personnel. Those are allegations, not established findings, and the investigation remains ongoing.

One important part of the situation is the NCAA’s head-coach responsibility rule. Bylaw 11.1.1.1 places responsibility on head coaches for staff members who report to them, while also requiring them to promote compliance and monitor their assistants.

That does not mean a head coach is automatically punished every time an assistant allegedly breaks a rule. The question is, what did Bill Belichick know? Did he see the red flags? And if he did, did he tell the right people? His contract only makes that messier. 

“Carolina has no choice but to relieve Belichick of his duties likely this week. The 2023 NCAA rules state — without a doubt — that the head coach is responsible for serious accusations and, more importantly, the damage it can cause to a school like UNC,” Chansky had further written in an article titled “Art’s Angle: No Other Choice“.

Bill Belichick signed a five-year, $50 million deal with UNC, and the agreement contains a provision allowing UNC to terminate him for cause. In simple terms, trouble involving someone on his staff could become a problem for Belichick if investigators determine that he knew about, participated in, condoned, or failed to properly report conduct covered by his contractual obligations.

So the issue for UNC may eventually become more about what Bill Belichick knew than about what an assistant allegedly did. There has been no announcement that UNC intends to fire him. There has been no public finding that he violated NCAA rules, either. But the pressure is clearly building.