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Thamel: UNC still getting used to Belichick’s publicity (1:56)
Pete Thamel joins “SportsCenter” to break down the latest headlines surrounding North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick. (1:56)
David HaleMay 9, 2025, 11:33 AM ET
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- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN in 2012.
- Graduate of the University of Delaware.
The University of North Carolina issued a statement Friday saying Bill Belichick’s girlfriend is a welcome guest at football facilities after reports claimed she had been banned by the school.
Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of the Tar Heels’ coach, has gained notoriety for her assertive approach to Belichick’s media presence and branding, including a back-and-forth during an interview with CBS two weeks ago. But North Carolina made it clear her role as Belichick’s de facto publicist has not impacted her access to the football program.
“While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities,” the school said in the statement. “Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University.”
Sources later told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that because Belichick is such a high-profile coach, North Carolina has hired a public relations person to deal with issues related to him. That’s in addition to the PR person who handles the team.
On Friday, podcast host Pablo Torre revealed interviews with numerous sources “close to Belichick’s family” that detailed the controversial relationship between the 73-year-old UNC coach and Hudson, including claims she had been banned from university facilities.
On the podcast, Torre also said sources close to Belichick were “worried” Hudson would diminish the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach’s legacy.
After North Carolina’s statement came out, Torre issued a statement of his own, standing by his reporting:
“The University of North Carolina can choose to describe or change its position on Jordon Hudson’s involvement however it wishes, following the publication of our episode. We requested comment and filed dozens of FOIA requests that were not satisfied. And we stand by the specific reporting in our episode, which came from the highest levels of the football program.”
This saga ramped up after Belichick sat down for an April interview with “CBS Mornings” to promote his new book, “The Art of Winning. He was asked about how his relationship with Hudson began. Hudson, off camera, intervened, saying the coach would not be discussing personal matters.
After that exchange became public, Belichick released a statement chastising CBS for breaking an agreement that the interview would be only about football.
“Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview,” Belichick said in the statement. “I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book. After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point to help refocus the discussion.”
Belichick was hired as UNC’s head coach in December despite significant reservations by several members of UNC’s leadership. He’ll make $10 million this year, double what the Tar Heels’ previous coach, Mack Brown, earned in 2024.
