Can this college football season just get here already? So much has been made about Bill Belichick's decision to take over the North Carolina Tar Heels in his mid-70s. He may be the greatest head coach in NFL history from his dynastic run leading the New England Patriots, but all we can talk about is his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson. North Carolina fans are not going to like this rumor...
In Katherine Rosman's latest for The New York Times, she divulged that Hudson has told at least one that she and Belichick are engaged to be married. While who am I or anyone to get in the way of love, this offseason has been nothing but noisy for the head coach who made it his lifework to block out all the noise. The man who loved control more than anything conceded all control over to his girlfriend.
I mean, I get it. Life happens and love makes us do crazily beautiful and wonderful things. Then again, Belichick is being asked to shape the lives of young men in Chapel Hill with a significant other not that much older than many of his players. Even more alarming, the amount of influence Hudson has on the program cannot sit well with the Tar Heel faithful, especially since she does not have a degree.
Belichick is expected to have North Carolina at least vying for a trip to Charlotte in the next year or so.
Latest Bill Belichick-Jordon Hudson rumor won't land well with UNC fans
While it does seem as though Belichick and Hudson support each other, as illustrated by her growing connection to the UNC football program, and with Belichick being in attendance for Hudson's competition to be Miss Maine, there are other issues to be had. Optically, it is weird to see Hudson dating someone old enough to be her grandfather. Rosman mentioned her father is not even 50 yet.
Truth be told, Hudson may be doing her best to help grow and accentuate Belichick's brand, but to what degree is she protecting his legacy? This is a whole can of worms I do not think any of us are ready to pry open just yet. I just think this all gets in the way of keeping the main thing the main thing. North Carolina football became pedestrianly mediocre under Mack Brown. Belichick needs to fix this.
All this hoopla does is put even more pressure on a first-time college head coach aiming to turn around a middling ACC team. We have seen North Carolina at least challenge for conference supremacy in recent years, but this is a basketball school more than anything else. The players did not ask for this, but they will have a red-white-and-blue target on their backs, akin to the Patriots' colors.
Every relationship is different, but the one leading North Carolina football is naturally a lightning rod.