Concerns are mounting at the University of North Carolina over the role of Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of head football coach Bill Belichick The revelation has sparked unease within the UNC athletic department, highlighting potential challenges in Belichick’s tenure as he navigates his first college coaching role.
Belichick, the 73-year-old coaching legend who parted ways with the New England Patriots in January 2024 after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles, was officially named UNC’s head football coach on December 12, 2024, following Mack Brown’s dismissal after a 6-6 season. The hire, announced at a press conference in Chapel Hill, marked Belichick’s return to coaching after a year in the media, during which he made regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show and Inside the NFL. Belichick, who had previously turned down NFL opportunities with the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, and San Francisco 49ers, signed a five-year, $50 million contract with UNC, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. At his introductory press conference, Belichick called the role a “dream come true,” citing his father Steve Belichick’s history as an assistant at UNC in the 1950s and his own brief stint as a graduate assistant there in 1972.
Since taking over, Belichick has been working to reshape the Tar Heels’ program, implementing a “pro-style system” on both sides of the ball, as noted in a March 5, 2025, article from The Athletic. He brought in his son, Steve Belichick, as defensive coordinator—a move that raised some eyebrows due to nepotism concerns—and added 18 transfers to the roster, including former Michigan quarterback Jack Tuttle and Clemson linebacker Wade Woodaz, to bolster a team that went 3-5 in the ACC in 2024. Belichick’s first spring game on April 19, dubbed “Practice Like a Pro,” drew a crowd of 12,000 at Kenan Stadium and showcased his emphasis on NFL-style preparation, with players practicing without jersey numbers to focus on fundamentals, according to The News & Observer.
However, the spotlight has shifted to Hudson’s involvement in Belichick’s professional affairs. Hudson, a former cheerleader and philosophy student at Bridgewater State University, met Belichick in 2021 on a flight, and their relationship became public in June 2024 after his split from longtime partner Linda Holliday. Since then, Hudson has taken on a significant role, managing Belichick’s schedule, handling media requests, and even assisting with business ventures tied to his UNC tenure, as detailed in an April 17, 2025, article from The Athletic. Massachusetts business records show Hudson as the manager of several entities linked to Belichick, including Chapel Bill LLC, a media project, and Coach Show LLC, a video podcast production firm. She was also copied on emails between Belichick and UNC staff, including requests for recruiting videos featuring testimonials from Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, per The Athletic.
UNC officials are reportedly uneasy about Hudson’s influence, particularly given the age gap—49 years—between her and Belichick, and the unconventional dynamic of a 24-year-old managing a head coach’s operations at a major university. A UNC official, speaking anonymously to The Raleigh News & Observer, said, “We hired Bill to lead this program, not to have his girlfriend running the show behind the scenes. It’s starting to feel like a distraction.” The issue has been compounded by social media scrutiny, with the university blocking comments about Belichick and Hudson’s relationship on official accounts after some fans labeled Belichick a “predator,” a claim UNC’s communications director, Amy Pickeral Evans, called “incredibly inappropriate” in an email exchange obtained by The Assembly.
Belichick’s tenure at UNC has shown early promise—he secured a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Travis Jackson on April 22, 2025, the highest-rated recruit in UNC’s 2026 class, per 247Sports—but off-field dynamics are threatening to overshadow his efforts. The Tar Heels are preparing for their season opener against TCU on August 30, 2025, with a roster that includes 18 transfers and a new-look defense under Steve Belichick, who helped the Patriots rank 7th in NFL scoring defense in 2023 as their defensive play-caller. UNC’s defense, which allowed 28.5 points per game in 2024 (11th in the ACC), is a focal point, and Belichick’s track record—leading the Patriots to the NFL’s top defense in points allowed six times between 2001 and 2019—gives fans hope for a turnaround.
Still, the growing concern about Hudson’s role could complicate Belichick’s transition to college football, where NCAA regulations, booster expectations, and public scrutiny are far more intense than in the NFL. As UNC aims to compete in the ACC and chase its first conference title since 1980, the university and Belichick may need to address this unconventional arrangement to keep the focus on the field. For now, the Tar Heels’ new era under Belichick is off to a rocky start off the field, even as optimism builds for what he can achieve on it.
