Bill Belichick's 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson is dragged into brutal scandal as shocking messages emerge

Bill Belichick's first football season at the University of North Carolina is mired in scandal before it even officially starts – and it has nothing to do with what's happening with the players on the field. 

UNC's game-changing decision to hire the NFL legend as head coach of the Tar Heels has spiraled into a public relations nightmare, thanks to his controversial romance with 24-year-old former beauty queen Jordon Hudson.

The Daily Mail can reveal that the public university is facing a tidal wave of backlash from alumni, donors and even faculty, who believe the age-gap relationship is eclipsing Belichick's coaching debut - and tarnishing UNC's reputation. 

While the headline-grabbing couple have drawn media attention since they went public in 2023, newly released emails obtained through a public records request expose the internal uproar over what critics are calling a 'disgrace' and a 'circus.'

In one message from late April, a furious donor wrote: 'What a total embarrassment to UNC. I am withdrawing all my donations and future donations.'

Another, from a faculty member, slammed the $10 million, five-year deal handed to Belichick despite his lack of college coaching experience, and questioned how the university could afford it. 

'We're told there's no money for new professors, but we have $10 million for a 73-year-old with no NCAA record?' 

Records from late April and May show that UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham, who stepped down this week, received the bulk of the scathing correspondence from the public, much of it unfiltered in its criticism of Belichick and Hudson's unconventional pairing. 

'THIS IS GETTING GROSS,' one person raged. 'Belichick has lived ALMOST FOUR LIFETIMES compared to Hudson. At 72, he's been dating her since she was JUST 21. When he was 50, SHE WAS IN DIAPERS!'

John Clark, another UNC alumnus, was brief but brutal: 'Belichick AND Hudson are poison.' 

Staff received an influx of complaints around the time of Belichick's car-crash CBS interview on April 27, in which Hudson interrupted when he was asked how the couple met – a moment that quickly went viral. 

But internal emails suggest that faculty members were already seething over the public spectacle before the interview aired. 

On April 22, Peter Norman, an economics professor at UNC, emailed Aimee McHale, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice, demanding answers about funding. 

Norman wrote: 'I am stunned by the money that reportedly is being spent on UNC football. It appears to me that we are now subsidizing athletics with… what money?

'We are always told that there are not enough funds to hire the number of professors that we need, but paying a 73 year old guy with no college football experience 10 million is OK (and then letting him hire his son).

'Can you please explain how UNC is suddenly so flush with money?'

Norman was apparently referring to the controversial decision in March that Belichick would hire his youngest son, Brian, to be a defensive coach.

In her reply, McHale took aim at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) for its 'decades of egregious, avaricious and anti-competitive behaviors.'

She warned that changes such as allowing student athletes to be paid via a revenue sharing scheme would cause UNC to lose $20million a year. 

A week later, fellow faculty member Christopher McLaughlin, a professor of Public Law and Government, fired off a firmly worded email to Cunningham with the subject line: 'please end this circus.'

'When you agreed to pay a king's ransom to hire Bill Belichick,' he continued, 'did you also know that you [were] hiring Jordon Hudson to serve as the primary face of [UNC] athletics? 

'Normally I would say the University should not concern itself with its employees' personal lives. But when a prominent employee injects his significant other into the University's affairs, it becomes the University's concern.

'Ms. Hudson was the most visible non-athlete on the field during the team's open spring practice. Now she's all over social media discussing our football coach's publicity plans. 

'She's already an embarrassment and it's only going to get worse. Please end this circus before the season begins.'

The backlash only intensified after Hudson's on-air intervention during Belichick's CBS appearance, which had been intended to promote his new memoir, The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football. 

Host Tony Dokoupil later called her a 'constant presence', fueling speculation that Hudson's involvement extends beyond a personal relationship. 

Within hours, UNC alum Eric Sutton sent a fiery email to the athletics department and multiple senior figures.  

'How is everyone feeling about Jordan Hudson these days? My God, what an embarrassing segment on CBS Sunday Morning. Who has the guts to stop the madness?

'She is going to bring a level of humiliation to this university you didn't think was possible. Those of you that supported this hire are going to be wondering how in the world you thought it was a good idea. My goodness. Unreal.' 

Multiple emails noted Hudson's surprising access and visibility within the athletics program, including her presence on the field during spring practice and appearances in internal communications. 

On April 29, alumna Sherry Silverman, sent an impassioned plea to senior leadership, saying she had always been 'proud' of the college but it was now a 'laughing stock'. 

'What Coach does in his personal life is his own business, but he has allowed his girlfriend to negatively impact our university's sports program.

'She is not an employee and has no official role or position at our storied university, yet she's included in emails???! !!

'I'm appalled and embarrassed by how things are unfolding in the news. This is a drama that is completely unacceptable,' Silverman added. 

Paul Stapleton, another alum, emailed staff calling Belichick a 'disgrace to our university' and blasting the situation as 'shameless.'

'A 70-year old having a fling with a 24 year-old should not be part of the UNC brand. 

'Belichick is supposed to be nurturing the lives of student athletes, not putting on public display his tomfoolery,' he said. 

In another caustic email, Melissa Whiteside, from Durham, urged staff to act, saying that either Hudson should have nothing to do with UNC affairs or Belichick should be fired.

'This is a TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT for the university, not to mention a distraction that will be laughable in the media,' she wrote. 

'This situation is unbelievable! How in God's name does one of the toughest, most strict coaches in the NFL turn into a "dog on a leash." Maybe you should drug test him to see if that's the issue.' 

Belichick is set to make his coaching debut with the Tar Heels on September 1 at the Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill but the build-up to the season has been overshadowed by Hudson's presence.

On Tuesday, the university announced that Bubba Cunningham was stepping down as athletic director and transitioning into a new role, though it remains unclear whether the decision is linked to the backlash. 

Close friends of Belichick said recently that they were 'deeply concerned' over the relationship, with podcaster Pablo Torre saying the anxiety extends to former football players. 

The emails also reveal that Rick Steinbacher, a senior administrator in the athletics department, discussed plans to raise seat ticket prices by vast sums on the back of Belichick's hiring.

Under one proposal, the price would stay at the current $750 for the best seats but with an added annual $1,250 per-seat donation a year.

Another option involved a dynamic pricing model with tickets costing a whopping $2,500 for a one-time, five-year seat license plus $750 a year for the seat. It also proposed a $5,000+ VIP ticket.

UNC had already increased prices for football games by 25 percent for the 2024-2025 season.

The university did not respond to the Daily Mail's requests for comment.