North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordon Hudson have applied to trademark the term “Gold Digger” to use on jewelry and keychains, according to a recent filing.
Their company, TCE Rights Management LLC, filed 17 different trademarks, including phrases associated with Belichick such as “Chapel Bill,” “Belestrator” and “The Belichick Way.” Others include “Trail of Salty Tears” and “No Days Off.”
The trademark filing of “Gold Digger,” made on Aug. 25, was first reported by attorney Josh Gerben.
Belichick, the 73-year-old former head coach of the New England Patriots, has been dating the 24-year-old Hudson since at least June 2024. The trademark application appears to be a tongue-in-cheek call-out about accusations that the former cheerleader is only in the relationship for money.
Hudson is the signatory on the application, meaning she’s the executive with authority to sign documents on behalf of the LLC.
Whether the applications are successful won’t necessarily hurt the coach’s wallet. Last December, the former longtime New England Patriots head coach signed a five-year, $50 million deal to run UNC’s football program after he was passed over for several NFL head coach openings.
In the spring, however, unfavorable headlines surrounded Belichick’s relationship with Hudson, who acts as his advisor and publicist.
In May, The New York Times reported that Hudson’s involvement caused HBO to pivot from featuring the Tar Heels football squad in its Hard Knocks series. (The program will be featured in a Hulu docuseries instead.) This came after Hudson, serving as both girlfriend and publicist/advisor, interrupted a CBS interview where the coach was asked how the two met.
Speculation about Belichick’s future on campus ran rampant, especially given his contract included some coach-friendly buyout clauses. If he had left the school before June 1 of this year, he would have only had to repay the school $1 million. If Belichick is fired without cause before Dec. 31, 2027, he would be due his salary through that date, which would be around $26.7 million based on Sportico’s reading of the contract.
