10 hours ago
22
Bill Belichick finally had something to celebrate as North Carolina coach on Saturday, after his players sealed an opening-day win over TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
The veteran coach has been mired in controversy for months, but he will have been delighted to put that behind him with a 15-10 victory on college football's Week 0.
There was no sign of his usually ever-present girlfriend Jordon Hudson, though, with the cheerleader conspicuous by her absence from ESPN's TV cameras.
After the final play of the game, Belichick cracked a rare smile as he made his way onto the field for handshakes, with his assistant coaches jubilant as they hugged the 74-year-old.
Belichick is just beginning his second season in charge of the Tar Heels, and his first season started in disastrous fashion with a blowout 48-14 loss against the same opposition in TCU.
The progress of the team, then, was evident in Saturday's result, with new quarterback Billy Edwards Jr going 16-28 for 232 yards in his regular season debut after transferring from Wisconsin.
Bill Belichick walks out of the tunnel at Dublin's Aviva Stadium for UNC's season opener
This time last year, UNC was thrashed by TCU - but this season the result was very different
There was no sign of Belichick's age-gap girlfriend Jordon Hudson at the game in Ireland
The win is a rare positive for Belichick after a difficult few months at UNC, headlined by his son, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, leaving the team on mysterious medical leave, and an investigation being launched into GM Michael Lombardi, who has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Belichick Sr added defensive play calling to his own duties on Saturday, having worked with defensive line coach Bob Diaco on defensive game preparation in his son's absence.
'I['ve] called [plays] as head coach,' he said earlier this week. 'I've called plays on offense, defense, and the kicking game.
'Again, we have a really good staff. I have a lot of confidence in them. But if I need to do anything, I feel confident in doing it.'
Steve Belichick was due to meet with the media after UNC's first preseason practice on July 29, but it was later claimed he was 'feeling under the weather'.
UNC's new quarterback Billy Edwards attempts a throw during his regular season debut
Belichick's son and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick was still absent on medical leave
His dad announced a week later, on August 6, that he was on medical leave with no timetable to return.
'No updates,' Bill Belichick said on Monday. 'I'm not really going to talk about that situation. We'll work it out.'
Steve Belichick's absence from the team comes after it was claimed his wife, Jen, savaged Bill Belichick's partner, Jordon Hudson in a foul-mouthed, 40-minute rant - in front of the NFL legend.
The New York Post claimed Jen Belichick branded Hudson, 25, as 'bats*** crazy' back in November and accused her of 'f***ing twisting' the brain of her 74-year-old boyfriend.
The legendary coach was reportedly urged to 'wake up' and then issued with an ultimatum: 'You choose your family or [her].'
At previous games, Hudson has been front and center alongside her man on the sidelines
It was previously revealed that an internal investigation has been launched into GM Lombardi
Jen Belichick, wife of Steve, reportedly lashed out at Hudson in a 40-minute rant
It followed claims that Belichick's family started 'digging into' Hudson amid fears she could tear down 'everything he's built.'
And tensions reportedly spilled over in Belichick's office on November 8 - after the Tar Heels beat Stanford.
Lombardi, meanwhile - who joined Belichick in Chapel Hill following the legendary head coach's move to college football in December 2024 - was put on leave following an internal human resources complaint filed by a former staffer earlier this summer.
He is paid $1.5million-a-year by UNC, making him the top-paid GM in the college game, and there is as yet no word on when the investigation will be complete.
