UNC Says It Hasn’t Banned Belichick’s Girlfriend, but Maybe It Should

Bill Belichick, during 24 seasons as the head coach of the New England Patriots, worked to try to give the media little to talk about. Now, he seems to be headline news every other day.Social media erupted early Friday with a report that the University of North Carolina has banned Mr. Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, from the UNC football field and facility, and that family members fear the unconventional relationship is ruining his football legacy.The report was part of Friday’s episode of the podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” after the ESPN podcaster allegedly spoke to 11 sources who dealt directly with Ms. Hudson. “I don’t think you’ll be hearing much from Jordon moving forward,” one of the sources reportedly told the podcaster.UNC denied the report by stating, “While Jordon Hudson is not an employee of the University of Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities.” The statement added, “Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University.”Mr. Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner with the Patriots, signed a five-year, $50 million contract to be the Tar Heels’ head coach. Ms. Hudson’s relationship with the 73-year-old coach has been a topic of conversation since they went public last summer.Instead of staying in the background like most partners of football coaches and players, Ms. Hudson has been ever present, from playful pictures posted on Instagram to sharing the red carpet at high-profile events. Last month, a video of Ms. Hudson on the practice field at UNC went viral. A few weeks later, Ms. Hudson interrupted a “CBS Sunday Morning” interview with Mr. Belichick when the coach was asked how he and Ms. Hudson met. “We’re not talking about this,” Ms. Hudson said in another video that also went viral.The controversy caused during an interview meant to focus on Mr. Belichick’s new book, “The Art of Winning – Lessons from My Life in Football,” prompted the coach to issue a statement defending Ms. Hudson. He accused CBS of “selective editing” and clarified that he and Ms. Hudson have a personal and professional relationship, and that she was “simply doing her job.”CBS countered with a statement insisting “there were no preconditions or limitations” to the interview.Reports have surfaced that Ms. Hudson is acting as Mr. Belichick’s publicist, but that her efforts generally haven’t been appreciated. There are reports she played a role in HBO scrapping a “Hard Knocks” docuseries showing the Tar Heels’ behind-the-scenes preparations for the upcoming season. It was suggested the series was scrapped because Ms. Hudson demanded to be an executive producer and wanted to see dailies.There are additional reports that Ms. Hudson, through her company, Trouble Cub Enterprises, has filed for 14 trademarks for various phrases connected to Mr. Belichick, which are currently owned by the Patriots. Interestingly, the phrases include “Do Your Job” and “Ignore the Noise.”According to Pablo Torre’s investigation, a source from Mr. Belichick’s family said, “There is deep worry for how detrimental Jordon can be for not just North Carolina, but Bill’s legacy, reputation – everything.”A former Patriots wide receiver who won three Super Bowls under Mr. Belichick, Julian Edelman, said the coach should practice what he preaches. “The no. 1 thing we used to talk about all the time in New England was distractions,” Mr. Edelman said during a recent interview. “Let’s not make distractions. … This is becoming a distraction. We have got to practice as we preach here. We shouldn’t be talking about our girlfriend. And that’s how coach would say it to us.”Being a social media lightning rod is a complete contrast to Mr. Belichick’s tenure as head coach of the Patriots, when his mumbled answers and lack of personality made him come to be regarded as one of the worst interviews in sports. Since being fired by New England owner Robert Kraft after the 2023 season, Mr. Belichick has appeared on various media outlets to discuss football. He’s become even more visible through his relationship with Ms. Hudson.People magazine reported Mr. Belichick’s three children by his ex-wife Debby had “hesitations” about the relationship, but “want the best for their dad.”

UNC Says It Hasn’t Banned Belichick’s Girlfriend, but Maybe It Should

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