North Carolina football places GM Michael Lombardi on paid leave

[ASFN Admin]

The North Carolina Tar Heels have placed general manager Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave, the school announced on Monday morning.

They released a short statement on the matter that did not include a reason for the move or a timeline, and said that they would not be addressing the matter any more.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has placed Michael Lombardi, general manager for the Carolina football program, on paid administrative leave, effective immediately.

As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on the merits.

Lombardi spent over three decades in the NFL before being hired by Bill Belichick as the program's general manager ahead of the 2025 season. His $1.5 million salary is among the highest in college football. He spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, and New England Patriots in various roles before coming to Chapel Hill.

Despite his success and experience in the NFL, North Carolina struggled in Year One under Lombardi and Belichick. The Tar Heels went 4-8 and are entering an important second year, which will begin on Aug. 29 against the TCU Horned Frogs in Ireland.

North Carolina GM Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid leave, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/XuyAiqtLmz

— Andy Staples (@AndyStaples) July 27, 2026

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: North Carolina football places GM Michael Lombardi on paid leave

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