Who Is Bill Belichick's Ex-Girlfriend? All About Linda Holliday

Bill Belichick entered the New England Patriots 2023 season with a notable person missing from his side. 

Coach Belichick and his longtime girlfriend, Linda Holliday, have gone their separate ways after 16 years together, a source told PEOPLE in September.

The insider shared that the "relationship ran its course" and the former couple have "been pretty separate for a while."

While the split may have come as a surprise to fans, those paying close attention noted that Holliday, who is normally active on Instagram, hadn’t posted on her social media since March 2023. Her last post showed Belichick posing with recipients of the Bill Belichick Foundation’s scholarship, an organization for which she serves as president.

The 2023-24 season was not only markedly different without Holliday on the sidelines, but it also was Belichick's last with the Patriots after 24 seasons. In January 2024, ESPN reported that Belichick was parting ways with the team after a mutual agreement with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

So who is Bill Belichick’s ex-girlfriend? Here’s everything to know about Linda Holliday and her relationship with the Patriots head coach.

She went to Vanderbilt University

While Holliday may now reside in Nantucket, Massachusetts, she spent time down south when she attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. There, she studied Radiography from 1984-1986, according to her LinkedIn. 

In an interview with Boston Common magazine in August 2022, Holliday shared that she wished more people knew about the career she had before she became a television presenter and involved with the NFL. 

“In my speech [at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation], I had said something about how I spent 15 years selling X-ray medical devices such as CT equipment and MRIs and breast imaging and graduated with a degree in radiography from Vanderbilt University,” she said. “A lot of people were shocked because people in Boston had just known me in the fashion world as being a television spokesperson on Style Boston.”

She is a television presenter

Per her LinkedIn, Holliday was a sports correspondent at Style Boston, which was a segment on WBZ-TV and myTV38. She started working for the station in December 2009 and has continued to make appearances since. 

She and Belichick started dating in 2007 and broke up in 2023

Belichick and Holliday started dating in 2007, a year after his divorce from Debby Clarke. Though the two never married, they dated for 16 years and worked together closely, specifically on their joint philanthropic efforts. 

However, in September 2023, news broke that the couple had called it quits. While neither Belichick nor Holliday have publicly addressed the breakup, a source told PEOPLE they were on the rocks for a while, adding that the problem that led to the split was "not new."

“Bill is all about football and very busy now. He doesn’t want a lot of public attention on this," the source said. "He has a lot on his plate, a good family, and he meets people all of the time."

Belichick also bought a house in Jupiter, Florida, where Holliday is from and close to where they met in Palm Beach, last year, a second source close to the situation told PEOPLE.

"Linda is a lovely person. Bill bought a house in Jupiter for himself and Linda, but now she will get the house," the insider said.

She serves as president of the Bill Belichick Foundation

Holliday’s main job in the last few years has been overseeing the Bill Belichick Foundation, which provides coaching, mentorship and financial support to aspiring athletes and communities. The foundation often gives out scholarships to support those looking to enter the athletic field.

In her interview with Boston Common, Holliday explained that each fall, she and Belichick personally reviewed "every single application" for the foundation's grant program.

“Every single year it’s a huge group of wonderful and amazing student athletes, and programs that are underfunded,” she said. “It’s always difficult to narrow down applicants and select winners since there are so many deserving students and programs we hear from.”

However, since the pair split in September 2023, Holliday's role in the Bill Belichick Foundation has been made more complicated.

"They have issues to clear up that come from a long relationship as well as her role in his professional life,” a source told PEOPLE. "She will still be in Jupiter, and we will see what happens."

She is a mom

Holliday is a mom to two twin daughters, Ashley and Katie Hess, from a previous relationship. For National Daughter’s Day in September 2022, Holliday posted a picture of her two girls performing a DJ set. 

“Happy National Daughters Day @thehesstwins! You guys are the love of my life & I couldn’t be more proud of you both! Keep shining your positivity and light! ILYSM!! 💗💗,” she wrote in the caption. 

The girls have their own joint Instagram account where they post about their DJ sets and build their brand as content creators.

She and Belichick shared a dog, Nike

Holliday is also a dog mom. The philanthropist even has an Instagram account dedicated to Nike, the dog she shared with Belichick, with over 20,000 followers.

Nike is an Alaskan Klee Kai, and according to his Instagram, loves spending time doing activities with his family. Holliday loves posting photos and videos of the dog walking outside, playing and even rooting for the Patriots. 

In May 2021, Holliday posted a video of Nike sitting with Belichick after the draft. “Another draft in the books Dad! And what a draft! Pawsitively tremendous!!! 🐾XO~ The Swoosh,” she wrote in the caption.

They were supportive of each other's passions

Both Holliday and Belichick were happy to stand by the other's side as each pursued their passions. In a December 2018 interview with CBS Boston, Holliday shared that Belichick often accompanied her to charity events, including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Hot Pink Party.

"In 12 years together, Bill has been so dynamic in supporting the causes that are close to me and actually just supporting me," she said. "And I value and love that about him. We're just honored and privileged."

Holliday, for her part, often attended Patriots games with Belichick's children — something the Patriots head coach doesn't take for granted. At the end of every game, Holliday said Belichick would throw up his iconic wave and direct it at the suite she and his kids were sitting in.

"It's kind of within the family that it makes you feel good that you're supporting him and you saw the happiness from this win and the love that he has for this game and the family," she explained.