Kimberley Martin Photo Credit: ESPN
By Arthur Weinstein on

The Bill Belichick-to-North Carolina deal is still undecided, but sports talk shows are already debating how he’ll do in Chapel Hill.

Reports that the Tar Heels have offered Belichick their head coaching job, and he’s countered with a voluminous list of demands, have led many to conclude the stunning development is a done deal.

Now begins the process of figuring out the implications. Can the legendary former NFL head coach find success at a different level? They got more specific on ESPN’s Get Up Wednesday morning. To wit: Can the 72-year-old Belichick appeal to and, more importantly, recruit young players?

Andrew Hawkins had doubts.

“I question his ability to recruit a bunch of 16- and 17-year-olds, or his wanting to recruit a bunch of 16- and 17-year-olds,” Hawkins said.

Kimberley Martin, sitting beside Hawkins, raised her hand to interrupt him. She let him continue.

“But even NIL now operates more like free agency than it ever has, so there’s probably more overlap than we see on the surface,” Hawkins said.

Martin had no doubts about Belichick’s ability to recruit the next generation.

“Belichick has proven he can recruit the youngins,” she said. Her sly reference to Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, could not have been clearer.

Everyone on the set started talking at once about Martin’s joke.

“I’m just saying — he’s proven it! He’s proven it!” Martin said with a straight face.

“There’s a viral moment,” Hawkins said.

Much has been made of the 48-year age difference between Belichick and Hudson. Prime Video analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick recently got in a zinger on X, posting, “For all you 48 year old hopeless romantics out there just think your future person may not even be born yet.”


[Get Up]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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