:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/bill-belichick-linda-holliday-3-592ba6614c5949169323e9ad380d4662.jpg)
Bill Belichick is 73 years old.
Think about that for a second. Most people his age are deep into their pickleball era or arguing about lawn maintenance, but the greatest coach to ever pace an NFL sideline is currently grinding through recruiting tapes in Chapel Hill. It’s wild. Honestly, if you’d told a Patriots fan back in 2018 that Bill would be wearing Tar Heel blue and coaching 19-year-olds in 2026, they would’ve asked for a hit of whatever you were smoking.
But here we are. Born April 16, 1952, in Nashville, Tennessee, William Stephen Belichick has officially entered his mid-70s while attempting one of the most bizarre second acts in sports history.
The Reality of Bill Belichick Age in Today’s Game
Age is usually just a number until you’re trying to convince a five-star defensive tackle that you’re the guy to lead him into the future. At 73, Belichick is navigating a collegiate landscape that looks nothing like the NFL he dominated for decades. There’s no salary cap—just NIL deals that function like the Wild West. There’s no draft—just a transfer portal that feels like a 24/7 game of musical chairs.
Last year, his first at the University of North Carolina, was... rough. A 4-8 record isn't exactly what the boosters had in mind when they handed a five-year contract to a guy with eight Super Bowl rings. People are starting to whisper. Is he too old? Has the game passed him by?
📖 Related: Louisiana vs Wake Forest: What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
It’s a fair question, even if it feels like sacrilege to ask it. When he was the youngest head coach in the league with the Cleveland Browns at age 38, he was the disruptor. Now, he’s the elder statesman in a world where coaches half his age are TikTok famous.
Bridging the 49-Year Gap
You can’t talk about Bill Belichick age without mentioning the elephant in the room—or rather, the diamond ring. His relationship with Jordon Hudson has kept the tabloids fed for over a year now. She’s 24. He’s 73.
The math is jarring. There is a 49-year age difference between the two.
To put that in perspective, when Jordon was born in 2000, Belichick was already starting his first season as the head coach of the New England Patriots. He had already won two Super Bowls as an assistant with the Giants before she even took her first breath. While some fans find the gap "gross" or "embarrassing," others argue it’s just Bill being Bill—doing exactly what he wants without caring about the optics. Reports even suggest they’re engaged, with Hudson recently spotted sporting a massive ring in New Orleans.
👉 See also: Lo que nadie te cuenta sobre los próximos partidos de selección de fútbol de jamaica
Why the Tar Heels Experiment Matters
So, why do this? Why not just stay on the ManningCast or keep doing spots on The Pat McAfee Show? He was actually pretty good at it. He seemed relaxed. He was funny!
But the "Don Shula Record" is the ghost that haunts him. Belichick has 333 NFL wins (including playoffs). Shula has 347. He’s 14 wins away from being the undisputed winningest coach in NFL history.
The problem? NFL owners didn’t bite. After he and the Patriots parted ways in early 2024, the phone didn't ring the way he expected. He got one interview with the Falcons, and they went with Raheem Morris. By the time the 2025 cycle rolled around, the University of North Carolina offered him a $10 million annual salary to bring some "Patriot Way" magic to the ACC.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season
As of January 2026, Bill isn't slowing down, even if the results on the field haven't arrived yet. He just landed a high-profile transfer in quarterback Miles O’Neill and brought in Billy Edwards Jr. to compete for the starting job. He's also pulling double duty, recently signing a deal with ESPN to appear as an analyst for the National Championship game between Indiana and Miami.
✨ Don't miss: Listen to Dodger Game: How to Catch Every Pitch Without a Cable Bill
He’s 73, he’s coaching a 4-8 team, he’s engaged to a woman five decades his junior, and he’s still the most interesting man in football.
If you're wondering how much longer he can keep this up, just look at the contract. It’s a five-year deal. If he sees it through, he’ll be coaching until he’s 77. Whether he ever gets back to the NFL to chase Shula’s record remains the biggest "if" in the sport, but for now, he’s focused on spring practice in Chapel Hill.
What you should do next:
Keep a close eye on the ACC Network during the National Championship game on January 19. Watching Belichick analyze Indiana and Miami will give you a clear look at whether his "football brain" is still operating at that 1990s-2000s elite level or if the college grind is finally starting to show on the legend's face. If he sounds sharp, don't be surprised if an NFL team with a struggling locker room makes one last "emergency" call to him this offseason.