- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,239,838
- Reaction score
- 59
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels' football program is set to open up training camp this week, entering year two of the Bill Belichick era. But on Monday, the program announced that general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately.
The university offered no additional details and said leadership, staff and student-athletes were not permitted to discuss the personnel matter. It should be noted that the release came from UNC Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Dean Stoyer, not from UNC athletics.
Pete Nakos is reporting that the final decision to place Lombardi on paid administrative leave came from the North Carolina administration and not Belichick.
With UNC coming off a very disappointing 2025 campaign, winning just four games, the hope was that the program could turn things around in year two. However, this is a rough start for the second season in the Belichick era.
Lombardi was Bill Belichick’s first hire after he accepted the UNC football coaching position in December 2024. The two worked together during Belichick’s entire tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991-95, and Lombardi later worked with him again from 2014 to 2016 with the New England Patriots, when they won two Super Bowl rings.
Lombardi also spent more than three decades in the NFL with the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. He was the highest-paid general manager in college football when hired, with an annual salary of $1.5 million.
North Carolina is set to open up the 2026 season in Ireland, facing off against TCU in Week 0.
This story will be updated with more information as it's released.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi placed on paid leave
Continue reading...
The university offered no additional details and said leadership, staff and student-athletes were not permitted to discuss the personnel matter. It should be noted that the release came from UNC Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Dean Stoyer, not from UNC athletics.
Pete Nakos is reporting that the final decision to place Lombardi on paid administrative leave came from the North Carolina administration and not Belichick.
With UNC coming off a very disappointing 2025 campaign, winning just four games, the hope was that the program could turn things around in year two. However, this is a rough start for the second season in the Belichick era.
Lombardi was Bill Belichick’s first hire after he accepted the UNC football coaching position in December 2024. The two worked together during Belichick’s entire tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991-95, and Lombardi later worked with him again from 2014 to 2016 with the New England Patriots, when they won two Super Bowl rings.
Lombardi also spent more than three decades in the NFL with the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. He was the highest-paid general manager in college football when hired, with an annual salary of $1.5 million.
North Carolina is set to open up the 2026 season in Ireland, facing off against TCU in Week 0.
This story will be updated with more information as it's released.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi placed on paid leave
Continue reading...
