The Bill Belichick experiment at North Carolina was always going to be unconventional. But just months after his shocking decision to take the Tar Heels’ head coaching job, the storylines surrounding him have veered far from football — and the season hasn’t even kicked off yet.
Belichick’s relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson has drawn national attention since their CBS interview. The appearance — and the media firestorm that followed — turned what could have been a calculated return to college football into a full-blown offseason spectacle. Now, questions are mounting not just about Belichick’s personal life, but about how stable things are inside the program itself.
“I assume all parties will proceed to kickoff and hope the Hudson story falls to the wayside, as most offseason controversies do,” wrote The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel. “And it probably will — if the Tar Heels win. Any honeymoon Belichick might have been afforded if his first season goes like Deion Sanders’ did at Colorado has been taken off the table. People are questioning whether Belichick’s judgment might be a bit off now that he has reached the twilight of his career. I can only imagine the narrative if UNC starts 2-4.”
It’s a brutal but fair assessment. Belichick’s legacy is untouchable in the NFL, but he’s now coaching a college program that didn’t ask for headlines — at least this kind.
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“I’ve seen other comparisons to Deion, in that he brought a lot of attention to Colorado football that it had not previously enjoyed,” Mandel added. “But the situations aren’t remotely similar. Love him or hate him, Deion created excitement for a previously irrelevant program, to the tune of sellout crowds and record TV ratings. I don’t get the sense that even UNC fans are excited about the program right now. I’ve seen quite a few comments in our Belichick/Hudson stories from UNC fans saying they’re embarrassed about their coach.”
That perception may shift quickly if the Tar Heels win early. But if they don’t, the Hudson storyline — and the scrutiny around Belichick’s decision to take this job — will only grow louder.
At least the only baggage Deion Sanders brought to Colorado was Louis Vuitton. Belichick’s comes with tabloid headlines, viral videos, and a fan base already questioning whether he belongs.
MORE BILL BELICHICK & JORDON HUDSON
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- UNC tries to cool Bill Belichick-Jordon Hudson headlines with quiet reset that included Kentucky Derby no-show