3 weeks ago
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Bill Belichick's first year as head coach at the University of North Carolina will be documented by a behind-the-scenes Hulu series, it has been announced.
The 73-year-old legendary NFL coach has been in charge for seven months but is now less than a week away from his first game in charge, and he will allow cameras inside the locker room for unprecedented access throughout the season.
Belichick told his players at a team meeting on Sunday, before the news was made public by the team's social media accounts. It is understood that practice sessions are already being filmed by the documentary crew.
News of the docuseries is particularly interesting given previous reports that Belichick - and his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson - turned down the opportunity for a special HBO: Hard Knocks to be filmed at UNC.
As reported by The Athletic, plans fell through at the 11th hour after Hudson - Belichick's de facto agent - failed to agree terms over creative control of the project.
Bill Belichick has informed his players that Hulu will be filming a behind-the-scenes doc
It remains to be seen how involved his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson will be
Hulu, though, appear to have got over the line, though it is not yet clear how involved Hudson was in the dicussions, and whether she will play an on-screen role alongside Belichick.
Footage was released of the moment Belichick told his players about the documentary.
In the meeting room at the team facility, he said: 'I know that you guys have heard that there was a lot of interest in doing a season-long documentary about North Carolina.
'I'm excited to share with you that we'll be doing that with EverWonder and Hulu that will showcase our football program.
'This is about the UNC Football program, there's obviously a lot of interest in it and it will stream on Hulu later this fall. It's going to feature the players working hard, which you guys do.
'It's about the players improving and getting better through their hard work, which you do, and a program starting from where it started from seven months ago to wherever it's going to go during the season.'
Hudson, a former cheerleader, has been repeatedly described as a 'distraction' to Belichick
It was first reported by Front Office Sports last month that the Hulu series was in final discussions.
Over the weekend, the Daily Mail reported that Belichick and Hudson are enjoying quality time together in North Carolina before the legendary NFL coach heads into 'war' with his new team.
While his full focus is on the job at hand, much of the chatter away from the field has surrounded his former cheerleader girlfriend, who is 49 years his junior and has repeatedly been described as a 'distraction' to Belichick in his new role.
Despite this, a source close to the pair described to the Daily Mail exactly how they are preparing to attack the season, likening Belichick's new role to him heading to the battlefield.
'Bill and Jordon are enjoying the next couple weeks together before he has to go full force into the upcoming season and focus all of his attention on that,' the source explained.
'Their time to hang out and go out to eat or go to any events together is not going to happen for a few months, because Bill is going into war. It is very important to Bill to make this work at UNC, and if they do well or very bad, it is all based on his preparation for the season.
'Sure, Jordon will be at the games, but they are making sure that they will not be seen gallivanting around while the season goes on because Bill doesn't want it to look like Jordon is a distraction.'
The peak of Hudson's 'distraction' came earlier this year when she appeared front and center of a CBS interview the football coach was on screen for.
The 24-year-old repeatedly interrupted the interviewer's questions to stop Belichick from fielding questions about how they met.
Belichick's coaching methods will be laid bare for all to see in the new Hulu docuseries
Despite this, it is understood that Belichick is not at all worried about how the couple are perceived by the public and he sees her as his 'rock' as he heads into the next chapter of his long coaching career.
'Bill is not worried one bit about his relationship with Jordon as the season starts to come to fruition,' the source continues.
'They have each other's back and if this all goes well or off the rails, he's confident that she will be there for him the entire way. He has zero worry about her as he considers her a rock and a constant in his life that isn't going to go away.'
UNC begin their season on September 1 with a home game against the TCU Horned Frogs, and Hulu's TV cameras will ensure fans get never-before-seen access to a Belichick locker room.
