(Photo credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

North Carolina cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins has been suspended for illegal recruiting benefits, according to a report by the Athletic.

Hawkins reportedly provided sideline passes for a North Carolina football game to a recruit's family members, which is an NCAA rule violation.

Hawkins is in his first season as an on-field coach in college football. He came to Chapel Hill with North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, who was previously defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies.

Hawkins has previously worked as a director of high school relations at USC (2020-21), assistant recruiting coordinator at Colorado (2022), assistant director of recruiting/defensive analyst at Arizona (2023) and defensive analyst at Washington (2024).

The report did not indicate if a length for the suspension has been assessed or if it's an indefinite suspension.

This is the latest misstep in what has been a snafu-laden debut season of NFL legend Bill Belichick's first season leading the Tar Heels, who fell to 2-3 after Saturday's 38-10 home loss to Clemson. North Carolina has lost its three games against Power Four competition by a combined score of 120-33.

On Monday, it was reported that Bill Belichick was not allowing staff members to share anything related to the New England Patriots, with whom he won six Super Bowls before a sour 2023 ending, on social media.

That meant that North Carolina's social media accounts did not share anything about former QB Drake Maye's stellar Sunday Night Football performance until after this was reported.

Belichick has also admitted publicly that Patriots scouts are not permitted to attend Tar Heel practices to scout his players.

North Carolina has a bye this weekend before it plays at Cal on Oct. 17.

--Field Level Media