AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — When Bill Belichick turned the corner inside a ritzy hotel along the Atlantic Coast, conversations hushed and eyes diverted for a quick peek at possibly the greatest football coach of all time.
The attention is not new for the eight-time Super Bowl champion, who shocked the sports world when he was hired as North Carolina’s head coach in December. But football of course wasn’t the main topic among administrators and coaches whenever Belichick bounced to and fro between meetings and social gatherings Monday and Tuesday at the ACC’s annual spring meetings. No, they were more interested in his personal life.
As evidenced by one athletic director’s wife, who said she was halfway through a podcast detailing the Miss Maine pageant which Jordon Hudson, Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend, competed in over the weekend, the drama off the field remains the predominant storyline surrounding North Carolina football.
Hudson crashed into the national spotlight two weeks ago during a CBS News interview in which she was a constant presence. When Belichick was asked by Tony Dokoupil how he met Hudson, she interjected with the now-famous line: “We are not talking about this,” which sent the aggregators into a frenzy. Reporting by The Athletic detailed Hudson’s involvement in North Carolina football’s communications team and her possible role in a series with HBO’s Hard Knocks falling through.
Last week, Pablo Torre reported that Hudson had been banned from the North Carolina football facilities and, summing up the opinion of 11 independent sources, that there was “deep worry for how detrimental (she) can be for not just for North Carolina but for Bill’s legacy” and “reputation.”
North Carolina sent CBS Sports a statement last week clarifying that Hudson is not an employee for North Carolina, that she is welcome at the facilities and will continue to manage Belichick’s personal brand outside of his UNC duties, which includes a book tour.
On Tuesday, North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham — who CBS Sports previously reported was on the periphery of the school’s decision to hire Belichick — was grilled about the Belichick-Hudson dynamic.
“Bill’s been great to work with, and everything relative to football, is what we talk about,” Cunningham said.
When asked by CBS Sports on his thoughts about the tidal wave of press about Belichick’s personal life, Cunningham demurred.
“All the other stuff is for him.”
As to whether the press coverage has been a distraction, Cunningham acknowledged that Belichick is a “celebrity figure” but stuck to the talking points.
“Bill has been great to work with,” he said.
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The 74-year-old coach with the blank scowl and wide shoulders is an unmistakable presence in the football zeitgeist, but his public image has undoubtedly changed in recent weeks. The accomplishments of the six-time Super Bowl champion has been pushed into the background as a reality show transpiring in real time across social media and television screens transcends sports and weaves into pop culture.
However, a source told CBS Sports there was a recent conversation with UNC officials to significantly tamp down Hudson’s public involvement regarding Belichick’s official UNC activities. The conversation also included some concerns over additional attention that could come with other high-profile public appearances in the wake of the CBS News interview, including a discussion about attending the Kentucky Derby, sources added. The way the last couple days have played out show that is the approach UNC is trying to take.
Hudson did not accompany Belichick to ACC meetings in the swanky Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton, sources said, a trip that is usually enjoyed by the partners and families of many coaches and administrators. Her absence meant that he was not greeted by multiple photographers as he was when he arrived at a Holiday Inn in Portland, Maine, where the two-day pageant was held in which Hudson finished second runner-up.
Belichick was among the first coaches to arrive in the hallways outside the ACC’s meeting rooms in the mid-afternoon Monday. In a setting of dress slacks and polos, he donned navy khaki shorts with a dress shirt tucked into the waist, still wearing tennis shoes with no socks, a Belichick trademark. He quickly ducked into a side room, with the door closed, presumably working as he waited for the start of the conference’s opening session, which included dozens of coaches and administrators across most of the conference’s 28 sports. He emerged 59 minutes later at 3:20 p.m., 20 minutes late for the joint meeting, where NCAA president Charlie Baker was delivering remarks on the future of college athletics.
Unknown to Belichick at the time, his seat was 50 feet from the ballroom’s entrance, in the front row, stage left. He opted to not disrupt the proceedings, sitting in the back of the room, far away from the North Carolina contingent that included his boss and basketball coach Hubert Davis.
“Wouldn’t you do the same?” an ACC school administrator told CBS Sports.
For most of the day, Belichick was flanked by new communications staffer Brandon Faber, whose first official day of work was accompanying his new boss to league meetings in brand new Carolina Blue swag. Faber had been in talks for multiple months with Belichick after being connected by a mutual friend, but starts his new job in the wake of a rocky few weeks for Belichick off the field.
Behind closed doors, Belichick was vocal in meetings, particularly about NIL contracts, a source told CBS Sports. He explained the structure and logistics of NFL deals, comparing and contrasting the differences — and challenges — he and his new colleagues face every day in college athletics.
Belichick did two interviews with local North Carolina outlets on-site in Amelia Island on Tuesday, one in print with the Raleigh News & Observer and one on-camera with Raleigh-based TV station WRAL. Sources say that both came under the condition that only football questions were asked. He did two other interviews with ESPN, including one sitdown where he was together with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and another one-on-one on Sportscenter. Belichick also has an upcoming interview with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America Friday in New York City. No preconditions were in place for those, and Belichick was asked by host Christine Williamson about Hudson during the SportsCenter segment.
The ESPN interview stretched six minutes, and mostly focused on football and his background at North Carolina, though two questions were asked about Hudson and his players’ reaction on the UNC campus.
“It’s off to the side. It’s a personal relationship,” Belichick said. “She doesn’t have anything to do with UNC football. I’m excited to get back into coaches meetings and get ready for football.”
Hudson has not directly addressed the allegations from Torre’s podcast in public, but in audio shared by the Sports Gossip Show from the pageant, Hudson said the following when asked how she was doing upon being announced as a top-five finisher (Hudson finished third):
“I’m feeling an immense amount of pride right now. I’m hoping that anybody watching this finds the strength to push through whatever it is they’re going through and embodies that hate never wins.”
On any regular day, the storyline here in Amelia Island would be Belichick’s surprising jump to college and the influx of former NFL head coaches inn the league. Three former NFL head coaches now call the ACC home, including Boston College’s Bill O’Brien, who worked for Belichick for six seasons with the Patriots. O’Brien gushed about his former boss, whose late-game adjustments immediately came to mind as he discussed Belichick’s legendary career.
“He’s the best,” O’Brien said. “The recall he has in football is unmatched.”
Stanford interim coach Frank Reich faced Belichick twice in the NFL, going 1-2. Reich was fired by the Colts following a 26-3 loss to the Patriots in 2022. Stanford travels to North Carolina on Nov. 8.
“I thought I was done with him trying to out-scheme me,” said Reich, “and be tortured by him.”
What remains to be seen is if the firewall between the personal and professional for Belichick that appeared over the last two days will hold, or if the lines will again blur as the season approaches.
Matt Norlander contributed reporting for this story.
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