Dave Portnoy recently expressed doubts about Bill Belichick’s mental state as he watched the veteran coach’s University of North Carolina team suffer another defeat.
On Saturday, the Tar Heels’ season took another hit, dropping to a 4-6 record after a disappointing 28-12 loss against Wake Forest on their home turf.
Portnoy, the head of Barstool Sports, witnessed the game and was taken aback by UNC’s poor performance and some of Belichick’s coaching choices.
He took to X to voice his frustration, writing: “Watching UNC is beyond frustrating. It’s as if an alien abducted Belichick’s brain. The coaching is just atrocious, and the decisions are even worse.”
Portnoy didn’t stop there, adding, “Belichick needs to call it quits. This is revolting. It seems like he’s unaware of the score or even his surroundings.”
Adding to Belichick’s challenges, he is reportedly facing personal strife, as his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson and daughter-in-law Jennifer Schmitt appeared distant from each other at a recent UNC game.
Dave Portnoy has seemingly questioned Bill Belichick’s sanity after UNC lost again on Saturday
Schmitt, who at 35 is 11 years older than Hudson, is married to Belichick’s son Stephen, who coaches at UNC alongside his father as the defensive coordinator.
The exact status of Schmitt and Hudson’s relationship has never been made clear but Schmitt broke rank and criticized the former cheerleader amid the outrage over their excruciating CBS interview back in April.
That day, Hudson sparked uproar by interrupting from off-camera to stop a visibly uncomfortable Belichick answering a question about how they met.
In the aftermath of that CBS interview the broadcaster said that while they showed Hudson interfering once, she actually interrupted proceedings on several occasions.
In response to people defending Hudson’s actions as those of a publicist Schmitt, who has been married to Stephen for eight years, shot that down.
She wrote back: ‘Publicists act in a professional manner and don’t “storm” off set delaying an interview.’
The CBS interview also led to one of Belichick’s ex-Patriots players, Ted Johnson, even going as far as to question if his old coach was ‘of sound mind’ to let Hudson have such an influence over his life.
Belichick, meanwhile, insisted Hudson did what she was supposed to do in a PR capacity and that he had only agreed to speak to CBS about a book he was promoting, not his personal life.
Portnoy could not believe what he was watching from the six-time Super Bowl champion
The Tar Heels fell to 4-6 for the season after a desperate 28-12 loss on the road at Wake Forest
Another concerned onlooker was NBA icon Charles Barkley, who has been friends with Belichick, 73, for over 30 years.
He didn’t hold back in an appearance on The Dan Patrick show in May, saying: ‘This is a very slippery subject for me because Bill is one of my really good friends.
‘I’m not sure what is going on. He has been a great friend for me for a long time – we’ve been friends since he coached for the Browns (Belichick coached in Cleveland from 1991-1995).
‘I think he has got to be very careful right now, this is starting to be on a very slippery slope. He’s the greatest football coach ever, him and Nick Saban – college, Nick Saban and for Bill, the NFL.
‘From what I’m hearing it is starting to be a very slippery slope and I never talk about people’s personal relationships. It’s another rule I’ve got.
‘But I will admit I am a little concerned with some of the stuff that is going on and I might actually reach out to him and make sure everything is good. I am concerned with what I am hearing. It is not a good look right now, I will admit that.’
UNC’s latest loss comes after Belichick ruled out an imminent return to the NFL with the New York Giants, insisting he ‘has not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.’
The six-time Super Bowl winner instead reaffirmed his commitment to the Tar Heels amid links to the vacant head coach position in the Big Apple after the Giants fired Brian Daboll this week.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Friday, Belichick said: ‘I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey.
Speculation around Hudson and Belichick’s relationship has dominated his first UNC season
Hudson walks off the field with her boyfriend after UNC’s Halloween win over Syracuse
‘It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.
‘Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not wavered. We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community.
‘My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud. We’re on to Wake Forest.’
Belichick, 73, was with the Giants from 1979-91, starting as a special teams coach and defensive assistant before serving as the defensive coordinator for a pair of Super Bowl-winning teams.
The Tennessee Titans also have a head coach opening after firing Brian Callahan earlier this season.
