Addressing rumors surrounding the defensive coordinator’s sudden departure, Jen Belichick emphasizes health over football as the Tar Heels navigate a coaching shakeup ahead of their clash with Clemson.
On Thursday morning, North Carolina revealed a couple of matters related to off-the-field issues.
The Tar Heels suspended wide receiver Keeyun Chapman for something related to an incident that happened on Tuesday night. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick resigned. He had been on medical leave since early August.
There had been several rumors and reports that surfaced about Belichick during his time on leave. In a statement from Jen Belichick, the wife of Steve, provided to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, she claimed there was a lot of "misinformation" and "speculation" about their "situation."
“Unfortunately, there is misinformation and speculation about our own situation, but we believe prioritizing health as the most important thing you can do in this life and is invaluable compared to anything else," Jen wrote.
"We strongly encourage anyone in need of support to utilize their resources in order to achieve the best version of themselves. We will always be Uncle Brian and Pop’s biggest supporters and have no doubt that the UNC defense is prepared to ball out. GO HEELS."
Steve was placed on medical leave not long after general manager Michael Lombardi was placed on paid administrative leave in July. Lombardi resigned earlier in the month.
Jen was thankful for the time the family spent at North Carolina.
“We are grateful for our time and our opportunity in Chapel Hill, and we are very proud of our influence on the positive direction of the program," she wrote. "Our priority will always be to show up with a healthy and strong mind for ourselves and our 5 children.
"We are humbled by the relationships that have been fostered here in North Carolina and would like to thank each and every person that has positively impacted our experience."
With Steve on medical leave, UNC head coach Bill Belichick and defensive line coach Bob Diaco were in charge of game planning. Bill served as the defensive playcaller against TCU and ETSU to start the season.
Through two games, North Carolina has surrendered just 13 points. The Tar Heels will face a Clemson offense on Saturday that struggled against LSU and GA Southern.
