Bill Belichick Supports Girlfriend Jordon Hudson as She Competes in Miss Maine USA Pageant

Bill Belichick is Jordon Hudson‘s biggest fan!

Belichick, 73, was in attendance at the Miss Maine USA pageant for the preliminary rounds on Saturday, May 10, in Portland, as his 24-year-old girlfriend competed for the title.

The Tar Heels coach could be seen at the event supporting Hudson, who was spotted backstage wearing a strapless wrap minidress — in light Carolina blue, a nod to UNC.

Hudson represented her hometown, Hancock, in the pageant.

Hudson, a former collegiate cheerleading champ at Bridgewater State University, announced she was competing in the Miss Maine pageant in a post on Instagram on April 9, which is International Pageant Day.

“I couldn’t think of a better day to share with the world that I will be competing for Miss Maine USA 2025; representing my hometown, Hancock. 🫶🏼💜[insert mussel shell emoji],” she wrote at the time.

Hudson was chosen to receive the honor over 16 other women competing for the title of Miss Maine USA 2025. The winner of the top crown is automatically selected to represent the New England state in the next round of competition, the 2025 Miss USA pageant.

Belichick’s support for Hudson at the pageant comes just after UNC denied a May 9 report from ESPN’s Pablo Torre claiming Hudson had been banned from the school’s football facilities.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, the university said there have been “false reports about Jordon Hudson’s role.”

“While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities,” the statement said, adding that Hudson will continue to function as a publicist for Belichick. “Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University.”

Following the denial from UNC, Torre issued a statement to PEOPLE doubling down on his report.

“The University of North Carolina can choose to describe or change its position on Jordon Hudson’s involvement however it wishes, following the publication of our episode,” Torre began in his statement. “We requested comment and filed dozens of FOIA requests that were not satisfied. And we stand by the specific reporting in our episode, which came from the highest levels of the football program.”

The conflicting reports regarding Hudson’s access to UNC Football came just over a week after the couple made headlines for an interview that turned uncomfortable on CBS Sunday Mornings on April 27. When journalist Tony Dokoupil asked Belichick, who was promoting his book The Art of Winning: Lessons from a Life in Football, how he met Hudson, she sternly shut the question down while acting as his publicist.

“We’re not talking about this,” she said sternly to Dokoupil after he asked the eight-time Super Bowl champion coach how he and Hudson first crossed paths.

The journalist then turned his attention to the glimpses the couple has already given into their relationship — Hudson’s Instagram posts, including a snap of them doing beach yoga together, and a photo of their mermaid-fisherman Halloween costumes.