UNC suspends assistant football coach on Bill Belichick’s staff for NCAA violation

North Carolina athletics officially announced Thursday night that assistant football coach Armond Hawkins has been suspended for violating NCAA rules related to extra benefits.

The university said Hawkins “will remain on leave as the Department of Athletics further investigates other potential actions detrimental to the team and University.”

The Athletic reported Tuesday night that the first-year cornerbacks coach had been suspended. UNC Athletics officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the N&O until releasing a statement confirming the suspension Thursday night.

Hawkins joined UNC’s coaching staff this spring. He previously served as the recruiting analyst and secondary coach at the University of Washington, where he worked under former Huskies and current North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick. Hawkins was extended an offer from UNC on March 26 and signed his contract on April 2. He was set to make $575,000 between January 2025 and 2027, per the contract.

According to section 1 of Hawkins’ contract, he’s obligated to comply with any relevant university, conference, NCAA, state and federal rules. Failure to do so, such as committing NCAA violations, may lead to “termination for cause,” per his contract.

Extra benefit allegations first came to light after WRAL’s report from Monday evening about the dysfunction within Bill Belichick’s program.

The alleged extra benefits involved providing a player’s family members sideline passes for a game, The Athletic reported. UNC has not yet specified what extra benefits Hawkins provided, only stating that they violated NCAA rules.

The NCAA defines an extra benefit as “any special arrangement by an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interest to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s family member or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.” Receipt of a benefit by student athletes, their family or friends isn’t a violation of NCAA legislation “if it is demonstrated the same benefit is generally available” to the institution’s students, their family and friends or to a particular segment of the student body “determined on a basis unrelated to athletic ability.”

WRAL also reported this week that some football players have been selling their tickets, and that athletes in ticket sports (such as football and men’s basketball) were sent a text on Tuesday to remind them that selling complimentary tickets to games could violate NCAA rules and impact their eligibility.

This is a developing story and will be updated

This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 6:33 PM.