The chatter surrounding Bill Belichick’s tenure at North Carolina has already been noteworthy. Since signing with the Tar Heels in December, the former New England Patriots head coach has been a magnet for headlines.
And none of it has had anything to do with what’s happening on the football field.
From recruiting to renovations at Kenan Stadium—it’s all been overshadowed. The focus has instead centered on Belichick’s odd relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.
The age gap alone sparked attention, but what followed only intensified the public scrutiny. Hudson has reportedly taken on a public relations role for Belichick, and the pair’s personal and professional relationship—whether exaggerated or not—has drawn widespread criticism. For Belichick, given his stature, the fallout has been especially significant.
The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel recently addressed the situation when asked whether Belichick might resign or be fired before ever coaching a game at UNC.
“There’s plenty of reason to be concerned,” Mandel said. “None of this is normal. It may be that Jordon Hudson made for good offseason fodder but will fade into the background once preseason camp starts and we become more focused on actual football. But none of this has eased my initial concerns.
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“One of which is: Is he really all that dedicated to his job? We know he spent a weekend in mid-May at the Miss Maine pageant. And my colleague Brendan Marks inadvertently and hilariously stumbled into him during a New England golfing weekend shortly after that. Nothing wrong with a little R&R, I suppose, except that May weekends are often when recruits take official visits. Most coaches in America were likely hosting at least a few.”
Mandel added that UNC may have structured recruiting visits around Belichick’s schedule but ultimately doesn’t believe the coach will step away.
“And to be clear, he’s not going to resign. He doesn’t need to resign. Anyone suggesting otherwise is going out of their way to manufacture a hot take.”
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt echoed that sentiment, saying he expects Belichick to be on the sidelines this season—and that he won’t be phased by the noise.
“I don’t think the pressure index is on Belichick,” Klatt wrote. “Let’s be honest, Belichick isn’t going to feel a lot of pressure at UNC. If this doesn’t go his way, he’s not going to lose a lot of sleep over this.
“Rather, the pressure is on the fan base. You can tell that the fan base is invested in this in a way that’s similar to Colorado and Deion Sanders. They hired possibly the best coach in NFL history, so maybe they’re just happy he’s in Chapel Hill.”
Whatever the outcome, one thing is clear: Once the season begins, Belichick will have the attention of the college football world—and UNC fans—every week.
