As the 2025 college football season draws closer, the hype for North Carolina is at an all-time high. The UNC Tar Heels haven’t had a competitive college football team in quite some time. However, now that Bill Belichick is at the helm, fans and players alike are hoping that changes this year.
For Belichick, he didn’t join North Carolina quietly. He’s been in the news for many unnecessary reasons. However, should he be able to win and make UNC a powerhouse in college football, all will surely be forgiven by North Carolina’s fans and supporters alike. The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel shared his input for the New York Times in “Mandel’s Mailbag.”
Insider Drops Truth Bomb For Fans Calling For Bill Belichick To Resign
In a question that was submitted to Mandel in “Mandel’s Mailbag” for The New York Times, a reader asked about the people speculating Belichick will resign and maybe even calling for it, and how much of that is just the “chorus of haters” and how much is “legitimate concern.”
Mandel’s response was right down the middle, “both.” It’s easy to understand why some NFL fans grew tired of Belichick winning all the time, and Mandel made sure to note that in his answer.
“I’m sure NFL fans who either grew tired of Belichick’s dominance with the Patriots and/or saw their teams get their butts kicked over and over by the Patriots are getting a kick out of seeing a series of headlines about a 24 year old girlfriend who may or may not be running his life right now,” Mandel says.
Jordon Hudson is the girlfriend in question. To say she’s been a distraction would be the understatement of the century. She’s been an unnecessary distraction in almost every word, which can be seen firsthand in Belichick’s CBS Sports interview not too long ago.
Find a Woman Who’ll Help You Run Your Football Program’s Spring Practices the Way Bill Belichick Has https://t.co/mqSuQ7bO6C pic.twitter.com/U436EgBmOY
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 14, 2025
“Case in point, seeing this amusing Tim Graham story where he talked to several former Buffalo Bills about the eroding perception of the guy who routinely vanquished them,” Mandel continues.
“All the distractions that he talked against,” laughed former Bills defensive back/linebacker Bryan Scott, “that’s why he’s in the headlines.”
Despite many fans not liking Belichick because of his dominance, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned. According to Mandel, “none of this is normal.” “It may be that Jordon Hudson made for good offseason fodder, but will fade into the background once preseason camp starts and we become more focused on actual football. But none of this has eased my initial concerns.”
Mandel argues that Belichick is “really all that dedicated to his job.” We know he spent a weekend in mid May at the Miss Maine Pageant,” Mandel says. “My colleague Brendan Marks inadvertently and hilariously stumbled into him during a New England golfing weekend shortly after that.”
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“Nothing wrong with a little R&R, I suppose, except that May weekends are often when recruits take official visits. Most coaches in America were likely hosting at least a few. But maybe UNC spaced out its visits to accommodate his schedule. And to be clear, he’s not going to resign. He doesn’t need to resign. Anyone suggesting otherwise is going out of their way to manufacture a hot take,” Mandel finishes.
It’s easy to understand both sides of this very wacky story. There are more than likely many fans who simply don’t like Belichick. However, on the flip side, Belichick has caused nothing but unnecessary distractions after unnecessary distractions since taking over as the Tar Heels’ head coach.
Should Belichick work out well for UNC, the team will more than likely be swept under the rug. However, if UNC doesn’t have a good season under Belichick, it could be in a very bad spot, becoming a big laughing stock in the world of college football.
