It looks like Bill Belichick may have finally decided to hire the pros to help him salvage his reputation.
The legendary UNC Tarheels head football coach, 73, was accompanied by former Bears VP of Communications, Brandon Faber, at an event at NYU's Stern Business School on Tuesday, according to "Page Six."
Faber has over 20 years of experience in the PR industry, including working with NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Bulls.
Hudson, who's usually close by, was noticeably absent from the event.
"Cooler heads may be starting to prevail,” a source told the outlet. “Her [Jordon Hudson's] influence may be waning.”
Bill Belichick keeps focus on football at NYU appearance without Jordon Hudson
© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The “Purpose x Winning” event, which included author Suzy Welch, went off without any PR issues.
Belichick answered questions on leadership and what makes a good team, and there were no deflections or interruptions during the Q&A.
He even stayed after the event to sign his book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from a Life in Football,” for students.
Belichick's been under intense media scrutiny over his relationship with former Bridgewater State University cheerleader Jordon Hudson, 24, whom he randomly met during a flight to Palm Beach in 2021.
The criticism took a sharp turn for the worse when Hudson, 49 years his junior, interrupted Belichick's CBS Mornings interview on April 27 to tell a reporter that he wouldn't discuss their relationship.
Many found the interaction odd, as the Miss Maine hopeful had been flaunting their relationship on Instagram in the weeks leading up to the interview.
The broadcaster asked the eight-time Super Bowl winner how he deals with the public scrutiny surrounding his relationship with Hudson.
“I’ve never been too worried about what everybody else thinks,” Belichick replied, adding, “Just try to do what I feel like is best for me and what’s right.”
When the reporter tried to ask another question about the romance, Hudson, who was sitting in casual clothes off to the side, replied, "We're not talking about this."
While it's unclear why Hudson skipped the NYU event on Tuesday, she was likely preparing for her appearance in the Miss Maine USA pageant, which kicks off this weekend.
The former college cheerleader was the first runner-up in 2024 and is again vying to win Miss Maine.
On May 6, Hudson lacked support in early fan voting polls for the pageant's "People's Choice Awards" component.
By Friday, May 9, Hudson had picked up the pace a bit. She currently has 106 votes, 1121, over 1,000 less than the leading contestant, Arianna DeJesus, who's representing Penobscot, Maine.
One the same day that Hudson gained some traction in the contest, a source claimed that UNC has reportedly limited Hudson's access to the UNC football field.
According to sportswriter Pablo Torre, who shared the news on X, Hudson, is being restricted from the UNC football building and football field.
The decision was allegedly made last week.
Torre says he talked to 11 people who dealt directly with Hudson.
A family source of the legendary coach told Torre, "There is deep worry for how detrimental Jordon can be for not just North Carolina but Bill's legacy, reputation — everything he has built and worked for over decades."
UNC put out a statement Friday afternoon denying the claims, according to "TMZ Sports."
"While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities," the statement said.
The statement continued, "Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University.”