For over twenty years, legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick was known not only for his brilliance on the football field but also for his measured, no-nonsense approach with the media. That reputation now appears to be unraveling as Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels scramble to contain a growing public relations crisis — one sparked by Belichick’s relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.
Hudson, who has reportedly been dating Belichick for nearly two years, also acts as his personal media relations coordinator. In addition, she appears to serve in a quasi-professional role with both Belichick and the Tar Heels, though there’s no indication she’s officially employed or on the payroll at UNC. A philosophy graduate from Bridgewater State University, Hudson has no formal background in media relations. Compared to Belichick’s seasoned former communications advisors, the current PR chaos is starting to make a lot more sense.
Jordon Hudson Replaces Bill Belichick’s Trusted PR Chief Berj Najarian — And It Shows
For 23 years, Berj Najarian acted as Bill Belichick’s personal chief of staff, a gatekeeper between the coach and the media, according to The New York Times. If reporters wanted access to the six-time Super Bowl winner, they had to go through Najarian first. But that long-standing partnership came to an end when Najarian took on the same role for Bill O’Brien at Boston College. Since then, things around Belichick have noticeably unraveled, according to a source quoted by Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
“Belichick has had a personal PR guy for 20 years. But he doesn’t have Berj anymore,” the source said. “Berj works for Bill O’Brien at BC now. So Bill’s all by himself.
“My sense is he assigned Jordon [Hudson] to help with this stuff. But she doesn’t know what the f— she’s doing. That email she claims he wrote — which she clearly wrote — is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read,” the source continued. “Do you honestly think Belichick would believe he has any control over what the Boston Globe writes? That he’d refer to a headline as a ‘title’? He knows the difference. That wasn’t him.”
That theory seems to be gaining traction. On a recent episode of their Dudes on Dudes podcast, former Patriots stars Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski echoed similar concerns.
“From what I’ve heard, Jordon is playing the Berj role — handling football operations, social media, a lot of PR,” Edelman said.
“She’s becoming his representative, on top of being his girlfriend,” Gronkowski added.
So far, Hudson appears to be struggling in a role that once required decades of experience. Maybe she’ll grow into it. But if the situation continues to spiral, Belichick might want to make a call to Najarian — and be ready to name his price.
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