Bill Belichick vs. the media: The coach is furious over a question about Jordon Hudson

Bill Belichick had little interest in discussing his personal life when a question about Jordon Hudson put the University of North Carolina head coach on the defensive during his media availability on Monday.

Belichick , who is in his second season leading the UNC Tar Heels in the Atlantic Coast Conference , was asked whether he was still in a relationship with Hudson amid growing speculation that the pair had quietly separated.

But the 74-year-old former New England Patriots boss quickly made clear that he considered the subject off-limits as he snapped back at journalists asking probing questions about his personal life.

"Do you work for a tabloid now? I'll keep my personal comments and relationships to myself if that's alright with you," Belichick responded, and his reaction comes after TMZ Sports reported over the weekend that the couple had broken up, reigniting attention surrounding their relationship.

The couple’s time together has attracted considerable public interest since they became romantically involved and it hasn’t always been positive coverage as latest reports suggest the pair have gone their separate ways.

Although whilst TMZ Sports has reported a split, WRAL in North Carolina has presented a different picture, citing sources familiar with the football program who have seen little to indicate that Belichick and Hudson are no longer together.

"Sources in and around the program told WRAL that they'd seen little evidence to suggest the couple wasn't together," the outlet reports, and Hudson has also continued to be a familiar presence around the North Carolina football program throughout the season, having been spotted at several events in the area.

One particularly notable appearance came during the Tar Heels ' September 12 victory over East Tennessee State University where Hudson was on the sidelines, where an interaction with WRAL reporter Pat Welter subsequently attracted attention online.

Hudson did not respond to WRAL's request for comment, leaving the conflicting accounts unresolved and Belichick has shown no willingness to provide further details about his relationship.

Belichick left frustrated after Miami defeat

The questions about Hudson followed a difficult evening for Belichick 's team, which narrowly missed out on a major upset against the unbeaten Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night.

The Hurricanes escaped with a 38-35 victory after Mark Fletcher Jr. scored a go-ahead touchdown on fourth down with 7:49 remaining on October 31 as Marquise Lightfoot then forced a fumble from Billy Edwards Jr. , allowing Miami to regain control of the contest.

Edwards nevertheless produced one of his strongest performances of the season, throwing for 341 yards and four touchdowns as North Carolina pushed the nation's top-ranked team to the final minutes and Belichick acknowledged the commitment shown by his players but was disappointed by another narrow defeat.

"Lot of effort, lot of toughness, lot of mental toughness, lot of competitiveness. Just disappointing to come up short here two weeks in a row,” Belichick said as the loss left North Carolina at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play, having also lost to the Syracuse Orange .

Belichick' s team will host the University of Connecticut Huskies on Saturday, November 7 with kickoff scheduled for 12:00 ET/09:00 PT. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports.