Bill Belichick surprises controversial Super Bowl-winning coach with exquisite gift as UNC HC looks to make mark in ACC

Bill Belichick is gearing up for his coaching debut at the collegiate level this year. After decades in the NFL, the former Patriots head coach joined the North Carolina Tar Heels in December 2024. He has been utilizing the offseason to revamp his roster and coaching staff at Chapel Hill.

With a few months left for the new season, Belichick surprised former Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden with a thoughtful gift. On Gruden, he shared a video on social media showing off the big package Belichick and the Tar Heels sent him.

The gift hamper included UNC gloves and a navy blue tracksuit. They also sent Jon Gruden two pairs of training shoes along with a Tar Heels helmet and a few polo t-shirts with the program's logo on them. He expressed his gratitude to Belichick and the program in the caption for the heartwarming gift.

"There isn't a nicer shade of blue in all of college football...It's the North Carolina Tar Heels!! Their new head coach, Bill Belichick, and @UNCFootball put together one heck of a box, and I am beyond excited to see what they put together this coming season! Let's go Tar Heels!"

Gruden never worked together with Belichick in the NFL. However, they have faced each other numerous times on the field. Gruden helped the Buccaneers to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.

However, in 2021, investigations began into Gruden's personality as emails of him using racial and misogynistic slurs were leaked. He resigned as the head coach of the Raiders in October 2021 following the controversy.

Last season, the Tar Heels finished with a 6-7 campaign under long-term head coach Mack Brown. The program decided to part ways with him after six seasons, thus bringing in Belichick as his replacement.

The offseason should have been about his progress and his preparations for his debut with the program. However, the spotlight has been on Bill Belichick's relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson. Apart from criticisms regarding their age gap, the couple became a hot topic of discussion following the drama-filled CBS Morning interview Belichick had.

---

Analyst shares his unfiltered take on how the awkward interview of Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson affects his NFL future

While Bill Belichick prepares for his collegiate coaching debut, there is a possibility that he might wish to return to the NFL in the future. On May 5, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer shared his thoughts on how the CBS Morning interview debacle hampers the 7x Super Bowl-winning head coach's chances of returning to the league.

Breer believes that Belichick's relationship with Jordon Hudson will negatively affect his chances of returning to the NFL.

"It will have an impact on his ability to return to the NFL," Breer wrote. "When you hire a coach, you take everything that comes with it into account."

"If you look, then, at what's happened at UNC, you'll see the school has taken a lot of non-football water- what Belichick might have categorized as 'distractions' in the past- over the first five months of his employment."

The upcoming season will be crucial for Bill Belichick's coaching career. If he fails to deliver according to expectations with UNC, then there is a possibility people will use his relationship with Jordon Hudson as an excuse for his poor performance.