Charles Barkley made a plea to Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson amid backlash over their relationship. Belichick is set to begin Year 1 as head coach of North Carolina, but the offseason was certainly noisy with Hudson’s influence over Belichick’s media tour for promoting his new book.

Bill Belichick’s UNC players have dismissed claims about his 24-year-old girlfriend’s “controlling” involvement with the team. Belichick, 73, got caught in a controversy after fans speculated that his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was displaying “controlling” behavior toward the former NFL coach in an interview.

Bill Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson continues to be a hot-button issue in the media because of their 48-year age gap, but there are people in the football coach’s inner circle who support their controversial romance.