Bill Belichick, CBS release statements interview goes viral
University of North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick and CBS released statements after clashing during an interview.
Jordon Hudson “doesn’t have anything to do” with the North Carolina football program after all, according to Bill Belichick.
The first-year Tar Heels coach made that known Tuesday in his first public appearance since his viral “CBS Sunday Morning” interview at the ACC spring meetings during a live appearance on ESPN’s “Sports Center” with Christine Williamson.
“Really off to the side, it’s a personal relationship. She doesn’t have anything to do with UNC football. I’m excited to be back in the coaches’ meetings getting ready for June and then August when we get to training camp,” Belichick told Williamson. “June will be a big recruiting month for us and then in August we will start getting ready for the season.”
Belichick’s comments that Hudson “doesn’t have anything to do” with the Tar Heels program come a few days after North Carolina issued a denial statement to a report by former ESPN host Pablo Torre that Hudson was no longer allowed inside the football facilities.
“While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities. Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University,” the statement read.
Asked whether he has been able to speak with his players on how his relationship with Hudson has been covered on social media, Belichick said he has.
“I talk to the players when we meet with them and when they come in to visit for stuff for sure,” Belichick said.
The relationship between the 73-year-old Belichick and the 24-year-old Hudson has been at the forefront of headlines since he was hired at North Carolina in December of last year. The scrutiny of the two’s relationship escalated on April 27 when Hudson inserted herself into Belichick’s interview on “CBS Sunday Morning” when the former Patriots coach was asked how the two met by reporter Tony Dokoupil.
That was then followed up by a report by The Athletic that Hudson played an “instrumental part” in HBO dropping the Tar Heels from being covered in their offseason edition of “Hard Knocks,” which would have been the first college program featured on the traditional NFL show. As noted by USA TODAY, Hudson also posted on her Instagram account a screenshot of emails sent by the six-time Super Bowl winning coach following his CBS interview in which he criticized how the network edited the interview, which was also to promote his forthcoming book.
Tuesday’s interview on “SportsCenter” is the first of two known interviews Belichick is set to make this week, as he is set to appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday with former New York Giant and GMA co-host Michael Strahan.
North Carolina is set to open the Bill Belichick era at home on Monday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET against TCU at Kenan Stadium.
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