North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has resigned, the University has confirmed. Lombardi had been on paid administrative leave since late July amid an internal university investigation.
Lombardi, a longtime Bill Belichick confidant and the highest-paid general manager in college football at $1.5 million per year, was Belichick’s first hire after the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach took the Tar Heels job in December 2024. The two previously worked together with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. Lombardi’s three-year contract ran through January 2028.
UNC placed Lombardi on paid leave July 27, days before preseason camp. The school cited standard personnel procedures and offered no public details. Multiple reports tied the move to a human resources complaint filed by a former front-office employee. The university’s Office of University Counsel later confirmed it was investigating the allegations, with outside counsel assisting. Lombardi’s attorney, Tom Mars, called the probe a “witch hunt” in late August and said his client was fully cooperating and ready to clear his name.
In announcing the move, the University offered, ""Effective September 3, 2026, Michael Lombardi has resigned from his position as General Manager of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s football program. The University will continue its ongoing investigation and will consider all appropriate corrective actions responsive to the information it learns."
The Athletic also reported that the College Sports Commission, which oversees NIL and revenue-sharing compliance, had approached the program with questions in which Lombardi’s actions were of interest.
Lombardi arrived in Chapel Hill selling a pro-style operation, at one point calling UNC “the 33rd NFL team.” The Tar Heels went 4-8 in Belichick’s first season after a massive roster overhaul. They opened 2026 with a win over TCU in Ireland while Lombardi remained on leave. His son, Matt Lombardi, is on staff as quarterbacks coach.
The development removes the most visible architect of Belichick’s personnel operation less than two years into the experiment and leaves the program to sort out its front-office structure midseason.
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