There were conflicting reports Friday regarding the ongoing involvement of Jordon Hudson — the girlfriend, manager, and publicist of North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick.
According to a report from Pablo Torre, Hudson was said to be banned from UNC’s football facilities and field. However, Tar Heel Illustrated later refuted those claims.
“Of course she’s not banned from the facility,” a source told THI. The source added that Hudson is “in charge of personal branding for Belichick” but “is not a university employee.”
This is just the latest chapter in the ongoing Belichick-Hudson saga that continues to create complications for UNC — and for athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who reportedly didn’t want Belichick hired in the first place.
MORE: UNC’s Bill Belichick handed urgent plan to fix public image, including ditching Jordon Hudson
“The UNC AD preferred to go younger after he fired 73-year-old Mack Brown following a 44–33 record in six seasons in Chapel Hill,” CBS Sports’ John Talty wrote.
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Cunningham may not have to deal with the situation much longer.
Michigan State recently parted ways with athletic director Alan Haller, and according to The Detroit Free Press’ Chris Solari, Cunningham is considered a top candidate to replace him.
“A native of Flint and graduate of Notre Dame, Cunningham has been athletic director at North Carolina since late 2011 and worked alongside Guskiewicz when he was chancellor in Chapel Hill,” Solari wrote. “Having the ongoing saga with Bill Belichick as the Tar Heels’ new football coach foisted upon his leadership, Cunningham has a clause in his contract that runs through June 30, 2027, which allows him to give notice in writing with 120 days' notice to leave at any time without reason or financial penalty. Cunningham, the 2019–20 AD of the Year at UNC, also headed athletic programs at Ball State and Tulsa prior to his current job.”
Given everything that’s transpired since Belichick’s arrival in December, Cunningham may view this as an ideal opportunity to step away from a situation he never wanted in the first place.
What adds even more intrigue: Belichick’s contract buyout drops from $10 million to $1 million in less than a month. Given the circumstances, it’s not out of the question that either Belichick, Cunningham — or both — could be on their way out of Chapel Hill soon.