Who knew that Bill Belichick could become such a walking distraction for a football team?
When the University of North Carolina hired the six-time Super Bowl champion as their new head football coach, they might have expected him to be someone who aggressively focuses on the team and what happens on the field.
They’ve gotten anything but.
Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, have created an ongoing cascade of embarrassing headlines from media appearances and speculation about their relationship. It’s gotten so weird and intense that some have even speculated he might not last long enough to coach a game for the Tar Heels.
The Washington Post profiled Hudson Wednesday after her second-runner-up finish at the Miss Maine USA pageant, attempting to get at the heart of who she is and what drives her. As part of the piece, they spoke with several sources who provided insight into how UNC feels about their situation.
The most damning comment came from an unnamed UNC official who “was not authorized to discuss the coach’s personal relationship.” They paint a picture of a university and athletic department that is at the mercy of whatever Belichick and Hudson decide to do that particular day.
“It’s just so odd,” they told WaPo. “And we just don’t know what’s coming. Those two decide what they’re going to do, and they do it.”
Another person close to the situation around Belichick’s upcoming book with Simon & Schuster called out how the duo view the media antagonistically, which they made public following the fallout from his CBS interview.
“They are insanely suspicious of media,” the person told the Post. “It’s almost Trumpian.”
“She’s not good at what she’s trying to do, they added. “And how could she be? She’s 24.”
UNC has denied reports that Hudson has been banned from school facilities, but the fact that the situation has spun so far out of control makes it evident that they should have been more proactive about handling things. While the school recently made a high-profile PR hire to help, they turned down a similar offer when Belichick was first hired, which could have helped sooner.
Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for President George W. Bush, wrote to Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, offering his communications expertise ahead of Belichick’s introduction. “You just know Bill Belichick is a very newsworthy guy,” Fleischer said in an interview.
Fleischer now shakes his head over the public relations debacle the story has become in the wake of the “CBS Sunday Morning” interview. He has a PowerPoint presentation that he shows his sports and corporate clients, filled with best practices and dos and don’ts for how to answer questions. “As soon as this hit, I said, ‘We need to add this to tips and techniques for what not to do,’” he said.
UNC hired Bill Belichick because it wanted to be part of the conversation. Be careful what you wish for.