Belichick has addressed personal life with players
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David Hale
AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said he has addressed the attention surrounding his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, with his football team, but he said the media reaction and social media fervor over their relationship is not a football issue.
“Really off to the side,” Belichick said during a SportsCenter interview from the ACC spring meetings on Tuesday. “It’s a personal relationship, and she doesn’t have anything to do with football.”
Last week, reports emerged that Hudson was banned from the Tar Heels’ football facilities, which the school emphatically denied. UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham told ESPN on Tuesday there had never been any push to keep Hudson away from the athletics department or facilities.
“Bill’s been great to work with,” Cunningham said. “He talked about practicing like a pro and he runs a professional organization that is teaching students how to be professional in all aspects of their life. He is a very determined, professional individual, and that’s the way he carries himself and the way he conducts the program.”
Asked directly whether he was worried about distractions, Cunningham said: “Bill is an incredibly focused person.”
The relationship between the 73-year-old Belichick and the 24-year-old Hudson had already drawn attention, but Hudson’s involvement in shaping Belichick’s personal brand — including interrupting an interview with CBS last month — has put the two in headlines both inside and outside of the sports world.
Hudson participated in the Miss Maine beauty competition last weekend, finishing as the second runner-up with Belichick in attendance.
Belichick, who does not frequently use social media, said he has discussed the recent attention on his personal life with his team and does not believe it will be a distraction.
“I talked to the players when we meet with them,” Belichick said. “We want to make the players the best they can be and giving them the best opportunity on and off the field.”
Belichick has been the headliner at this year’s ACC gathering, where other coaches said he’s been inquisitive and professional during meetings.
The six-time Super Bowl winner said he’s been learning about the key differences between the college and professional game, but he said his goal remains making North Carolina the “33rd NFL team” by implementing a pro model throughout the program.
“Everything we do is a pro model,” Belichick said. “Head coach, general manager, and we want the players to develop professionally in every aspect.”
Belichick has not made any UNC players available to the media since arriving in Chapel Hill six months ago, but he said he’s been pleased with the progress the team has made throughout the spring.
As for what would determine success in his first college season, Belichick said he’s not interested in setting any specific expectations.
“Try to stack good days together,” Belichick said. “Good day, come back, build higher the next day. It’s not about where we’re going to be X-number of months or weeks from now.”
ESPN’s Andrea Adelson contributed to this report.
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