Jon Gruden ripped North Carolina after Bill Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson spent time on the sidelines before the team’s 34-9 blowout loss to UCF on Saturday.
During “Wake Up Barstool” on Monday, the former Super Bowl-winning coach, who’s a pundit for Barstool Sports, took a shot at Tar Heels GM Mike Lombardi while explaining that he’s surprised to see what’s going on in Chapel Hill.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Gruden said after host Dave Portnoy asked about the optics OF Hudson’s continued presence on the sidelines. “Mike Lombardi works for North Carolina. I’ve heard him criticize me several times. I’m sure he’ll produce a TikTok today explaining exactly what was going on.”
Lombardi and Gruden previously worked together with the Eagles and Raiders.
Gruden was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles from 1995-97, while Lombardi served as a consultant for the team in ’97.
Lombardi was an executive with the Raiders from 1998-2007 during Gruden’s first tenure as head coach of the team.
The pair have traded jabs in the media since their time as colleagues.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” in March 2021, Lombardi said he’d rather have “20 hours of root canals in one day” than work with Gruden again.
In the same interview, Lombardi was critical of Gruden as a coach, saying he’s impatient and reactionary. He added that Gruden isn’t the best personnel guy.
Fox NFL analyst Greg Olsen, who was a guest on Monday’s edition of “Wake Up Barstool,” also weighed in on Hudson’s presence on the sidelines of FBC Mortgage Stadium.
“I think there is all sorts of stuff that a lot of us are not used to seeing in [today’s college world] — who’s on the sidelines, who runs programs, who has say into programs, the influencer,” Olsen said. “Listen I don’t think Belichick necessarily cares what anyone think
“He obviously values her opinion in a lot of factors. Do I care if a coach’s wife, girlfriend, kids are on the sidelines? … I don’t necessarily care, but I guess to each their own. At the end of the day, if you win… she can wear a headset if they’re winning.”
Hudson, who’s appeared on the sidelines prior to Saturday’s UNC loss, handles Belichick’s opportunities outside of football.
The couple went public with their relationship last summer after meeting on a flight in 2021.
Hudson and Belichick were the subject of a media firestorm after the former Bridgewater State University cheerleader interrupted the coach’s “CBS Mornings” interview in April, when he was asked a question about how they had met.
The next month, investigative journalist Pablo Torre said he spoke with 11 sources who have dealt directly with Hudson and alleged she is trying to control Belichick’s career in order to further her own.