Report: UNC football suspends assistant coach Armond Hawkins

Chapel Hill

UNC cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins has been suspended, The Athletic reported Tuesday night.

The same report stated the suspension of the first-year North Carolina football assistant is related to extra benefits allegations that came to light after a report from WRAL on Monday night about the dysfunction within Bill Belichick’s program.

Attempts by the News & Observer to confirm the reports with UNC officials Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

WRAL’s report stated some Belichick-recruited transfers have preferential parking and more tickets for games. Linebacker Khmori House and cornerback Thaddeus Dixon — transfers from Washington — were both named in the WRAL report. Hawkins was the former recruiting analyst and secondary coach at the University of Washington, where he worked under former Huskies and current UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.

Hawkins was offered employment by UNC on March 26 and signed his contract — worth $575,000 between January 2025 and January 2027 — on April 2. According to section 1 of his contract, Hawkins is obligated to comply with relevant university, conference, NCAA state and federal rules. Failure to do so may lead to “termination for cause.”

Alleged extra benefits, such as providing a player’s family members with sideline passes, would be a violation of NCAA rules.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.