Bill Belichick was celebrating his long-awaited return to football Wednesday night, but he would have been wise to ignore social media after taking over as UNC coach.
Belichick, 72, signed a five-year contract with North Carolina after a year away from the game following his departure from the New England Patriots, where he won six Super Bowl titles to cement his place as the game’s most successful coach. .
But his move to the college game has sparked some vicious criticism from fans who couldn’t help but mock his relationship with Jordon Hudson, a 24-year-old cheerleader nearly 50 years his junior.
One fan shared a photo of Belichick and Hudson together and captioned it: “Send this to people concerned about Bill Belichick’s ability to recruit.”
Another college football fan shared the infamous ‘coach interference’ scene from Friday Night Lights, where Coach Dickies attacks a Dillon Panther player in season two.
“Bill Belichick, when he finds out his running back has moved on from his girlfriend,” the caption read.
Bill Belichic, 72, with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, in New York last week.
Fans on social media mocked Belichick for the romance after he accepted a job in college football.
Another heartless version of X said, “You must really have feelings for Bill Belichick’s girlfriend.”
“I started dating a 72-year-old woman thinking her competition would be the bridge and shuffleboard group and now it’s the UNC sorority row.”
Another fan joked that Belichick’s relationship with Hudson was actually part of his college football master plan, writing: “Bill Belichick got a 24-year-old girlfriend so she can help him in the recruiting process at his future job. This man is just one step ahead of everyone else.’
A similar viral comment jokingly praised Belichick for his chivalry, saying, “They say chivalry is dead, but Bill Belichick did everything he could to get a job that would allow his girlfriend to be around more people her age.”
Belichick’s romance with Hudson was confirmed in June, but they were apparently dating for a while before things became public.
They reportedly met for the first time on a flight to Florida from Boston in 2021. When Belichick split from TV host Linda Holliday in September 2023, things with Hudson heated up.
Hudson congratulated Belichick on the move on Instagram Wednesday night, while the man himself said in a statement that getting into the college game was a long-held ambition of his.
“I’m excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill,” Belichick said Wednesday night.
‘I grew up around college football with my dad and I treasured those moments. I always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to developing the football program at Chapel Hill.’