Though Bill Belichick has said he doesn’t worry about how he’s perceived, it appears he’s aware that his reputation could use a makeover.
The longtime football coach, who last Sunday went viral along with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, for an awkward interview with “CBS Sunday Morning,” has been in discussions with at least one outside public relations specialist in an effort to either help sell his new book, assist with UNC football matters or both, according to ProFootballTalk.
Belichick has been talking “for a couple of months” with Brandon Faber, the Chicago Bears’ former vice president of communications, the report said.
So Belichick, 73, recognized the need for help even before his CBS interview, during which he was asked how he and Hudson met as Hudson lurked off to the side.
Hudson, whom Belichick has asked to be CC’d on all UNC emails sent to him, interrupted after the question and said, “we’re not talking about this.”
Belichick was also asked during the interview about not mentioning Patriots owner Robert Kraft in his book “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football,” and whether he felt disrespected over his 24-year-run with the Patriots ending after the 2023 season.
Belichick said the breakup with Kraft was a mutual decision, repeating the answer when it was brought up that Kraft has since said he fired Belichick.
In a statement released Wednesday through UNC, Belichick ripped CBS for “selective editing” and not abiding by what he believed was an agreement to focus solely on topics that are in his book.
“Unfortunately, the expectation was not honored during the interview,” Belichick said in the statement. “I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book.
“After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point to help refocus the discussion. She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track. Some of the clips make it appear as though were were avoiding the question of how we met, but we have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021.
“The final eight-minute segment does not reflect the productive 35-minute conversation we had, which covered a wide range of topics related to my career. Instead, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from just a few minutes of the interview to suggest a false narrative — that Jordan was attempting to control the conversation — which is simply not true.”
CBS denied that there were any agreements on topics for the interview.
“When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview,” a CBS News spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. “There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation. This was confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed.”
Hudson has been acting as Belichick’s “de facto agent,” as Pablo Torre reported shortly after the Super Bowl, during which the couple appeared in a Dunkin’ commercial. She “forced” her way into the ad, Page Six reported.
