North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave, the school announced Monday, just days before the Tar Heels open preseason camp. The university did not provide details regarding the reason for the move, stating that employees and athletes are not permitted to discuss the matter “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.”
Lombardi’s Role with Belichick at UNC
Lombardi joined six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick when North Carolina hired him in December 2024, making the jump from the NFL to college football. Lombardi, who previously served as general manager of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, was an immediate hire by Belichick in Chapel Hill. The school brought in Belichick to revitalize a program that had largely been an Atlantic Coast Conference also-ran, with periodic but unsustained climbs into national relevance.
During Belichick’s tenure, Lombardi expressed ambitions to run the college program similar to an NFL franchise. He famously stated that the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd [NFL] team,” citing the staff’s professional connections. However, the team struggled in Belichick’s first season, finishing with a 4-8 record.
Upcoming Season and Context
The Tar Heels are set to open Belichick’s second season against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on 29 August. The program will now proceed without Lombardi as the preseason begins, with no further details on the leave’s duration or cause.
