Are the Tar Heels in for another long season?
It was a tough first year for Bill Belichick at UNC, the first college coaching job of his legendary coaching career. The Tar Heels finished the 2025 season 4-8 amid reports of dysfunction and favoritism inside the program.
Then there was the Jordon Hudson situation.
Belichick has been in a relationship with 24-year-old former college cheerleader Jordon Hudson since 2023, but last year questions swirled after Hudson was spotted on the field with Belichick during UNC football practices, leaving many to wonder exactly what role she was playing with the team and whether she was on Belichick’s staff.
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It was also revealed that the coach had asked UNC staff to copy his Gen Z girlfriend on emails to him, and at one point there were even rumors that the school had banned Hudson from their facilities – forcing the university to issue a statement shooting down the reports.
Then of course came the disastrous CBS interview on his new book, The Art Of Winning: Lessons From My Life In Football.
Hudson was the only person who accompanied Belichick to the interview: No PR team, no other staff from UNC, nobody from the publisher of his upcoming book, which he was supposedly there to promote. At one point Hudson reportedly stormed off the set and delayed shooting by 30 minutes, forcing higher-ups at CBS to get involved. And she had apparently interrupted from off camera several times in addition to the one that was shown, forcing producers to try to figure out how to salvage the final product and edit the interview in a way that could be aired on television.
When reporter Tony Dokoupil asked about how the couple met (which has been widely reported as having happened while the two were on a flight together and he signed her college textbook), Hudson quickly jumped in and shut the question down in an awkward exchange:
The whole thing was bizarre, and led many to wonder whether Hudson was taking advantage of the legendary coach – or at the very least, tarnishing his legacy.
There are also reports that the relationship is causing issues within Belichick’s own family, after the New York Post reported that Belichick’s daughter-in-law – and the wife of his son and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick – went off on Hudson to the coach and called her controlling and “bats–t crazy.”
Well with an offseason to get things cleaned up, UNC fans are no doubt hoping to see a turnaround in year 2 under Belichick.
But there are already signs that things are still a mess…
Earlier this morning, former UNC quarterback Marquise Williams announced that he would be boycotting Tar Heels football games, and alluded to major problems with the football program:
Williams was at UNC from 2011 to 2015, starting for the Tar Heels in his final three years. He finished his career in Chapel Hill with 61 passing touchdowns, 35 rushing scores and 3 touchdown receptions. He was even honored by the program back in 2021 under former coach Mack Brown.
Of course we don’t know what Williams is referring to when he talks about the things he’s heard about the program. And it could just be a case of an alum not meshing with the new coach.
But this isn’t the first time the program under Belichick has seemingly alienated former players: During the Patriots Super Bowl run last year, the team notably failed to mention New England star quarterback Drake Maye, a UNC alum, until they were called out for it on social media.
Now, let’s be clear: None of this would matter if UNC was winning. But given their abysmal record last year, it seems like it would be more important than ever to have former players embracing and promoting the program.
If they were hoping for that though, it sounds like they won’t be getting it from Marquise Williams.
