Bill Belichick began his debut as the head college football coach at North Carolina with a bang. And then it was 55 minutes of disaster.
However, I am not here to discuss the score or the on-field play!
Rather, I am going to focus entirely on Belichick’s new demeanor. His approach to college football seems to be much softer, kinder and gentler compared to his lengthy and legendary run in the NFL.
Bill Belichick is smiling!
Rarely, if ever, did Belichick give a complete response to reporters while in the National Football League. The eight-time Super Bowl champion was known to be standoffish, short and disinterested.
It was kind of his thing.
Never did you see a smile. He’s on to Cincinnati.
That specific press conference was more than a decade ago. Belichick is two years removed from the New England Patriots.
He spent time on T.V. He worked closely with Pat McAfee. And then he was hired by UNC.
Holly Row spoke with the head coach prior to his Tar Heels debut. It was labeled as a “classic Belichick interview” by football fans on social media.
Bill Belichik's interview with Holly Rowe was very Bill Belichik pic.twitter.com/jHwcXv7ai2
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) September 1, 2025
I disagree. It was not the Bill Belichick I once knew.
He was kind and cracked a joke. He even smiled — more than once!!
The postgame press conference was not quite as joyful (because North Carolina lost 48-14) but it reflects a similar reality to the pregame chat with ESPN. Belichick offered complete sentences, gave legitimate insight about what went wrong and needs to be better, and answered every question.
Bill Belichick’s full post-game press conference pic.twitter.com/nPVfTU5inP
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) September 2, 2025
NFL reporters would’ve been elated to get seven minutes of coherent and comprehensive information from Belichick after a win. This was after a loss!
Is Jordon Hudson responsible for this new persona?
To say Bill Belichick is a completely different person than he was in New England would not be true. He is just as dry as ever.
And yet, there is something different about him.
Maybe it stems from his time on television. Perhaps the world of college football requires him to act differently than he did in the NFL. Or, maybe, it is his 24-year-old girlfriend.
I am a firm believer that Jordon Hudson — as cold as she can be at times — softened him up.
We do not know the exact timeline of their relationship or how they actually met but they have been together for at least two years, after knowing each other since at least 2021. A four-year relationship with a girl half his age has forced him outside of his comfort zone.
They did yoga together on the beach!
Belichick’s first game in Chapel Hill was a nightmare. Did Jordon make him too soft?! We’ll see.