UNC’s Bill Belichick handed urgent plan to fix public image, including ditching Jordon Hudson

Bill Belichick has arguably made more headlines in the last several months than he ever did during his time with the New England Patriots. Hyperbole or not, the new North Carolina Tar Heels football coach has been a hot topic—though not necessarily for the right reasons.

To start, Belichick shocked the sports world when he was announced as the Tar Heels’ new head coach. Despite decades of NFL experience and a collection of Super Bowl rings that requires both hands to count, he arrived in Chapel Hill with no prior college coaching experience, making the move a questionable one for many.

Adding to the intrigue is Belichick’s personal life. Now 73, Belichick brought along his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, who has become more than just a partner—she’s reportedly acting as his manager, publicist and "muse". That decision has drawn significant criticism.

During a recent CBS interview about Belichick’s upcoming book tour, Hudson’s influence on the process was scrutinized, prompting Belichick to initiate damage control by seeking a professional public relations specialist.

Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports consulted three crisis PR experts, who outlined a seven-step plan to help Belichick repair his image and regain focus.

Bill Belichick’s suggested seven-step redemption plan

1. Stick to football. This is a familiar concept for Belichick, who, during his New England tenure, rarely strayed from talking football.

2. Cancel upcoming book interviews. Limiting media appearances could reduce the risk of more awkward or off-topic moments.

3. Recognize the situation. Belichick needs to acknowledge the complications created by his relationship with Hudson.

4. Replace Hudson with a real PR team. Experts agree that it’s time to bring in professionals to manage his image and career.

5. Remove Hudson from his football business. “Tom Cruise fired his sister Lee Anne DeVette as his publicist in 2005, and Belichick can do the same with Hudson,” said crisis PR expert Mike Paul. “If the beauty queen wants to focus on her reported $8 million luxury real estate empire in Boston, that’s fine. But she should not be involved in his interviews, manage his career, or have input into the Tar Heels football program.”

This step, of course, may prove the most difficult, given Belichick’s personal ties to Hudson.

6. Be prepared with better answers. Belichick’s awkward non-answer about how he met Hudson became a focal point during interviews. PR experts suggest more emotionally resonant—and clear—responses. “What’s more emotional than saying, ‘I’m in love with her’? Next question,” Paul said.

7. Win football games. This, ultimately, is what Belichick was hired to do at North Carolina.

“If I were Bill Belichick, I would be more worried about my personal reputation than book sales right now,” said Josh Culling, another PR expert. “The way to rehab his personal reputation is to win football games. If UNC wins 10 games this year and has a top-10 recruiting class, then all is well.”

For context, North Carolina hasn’t won 10 games in a season since 2015, when it finished 11-3. If Belichick can achieve that milestone, it would mark only the ninth double-digit win season in program history.