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You would expect the first day of fall camp to be about the state of North Carolina’s football program and how they have grown since last season, but that wasn’t the case.
UNC announced general manager Michael Lombardi’s paid leave on Monday and confirmed Thursday that its Office of University Counsel is investigating allegations tied to a human resources complaint filed by a former UNC football staffer.
The university has said staff and players are prohibited from discussing the matter, and coach Bill Belichick declined to address the investigation directly when asked Thursday to open camp.
“Any time we have allegations around a personnel matter, it’s the obligation and duty of a university as stewards of our students, faculty, and the whole UNC community to take it seriously, to evaluate, to figure out what are the appropriate next steps,” UNC’s director of athletics Steve Newmark said on Thursday morning. “In this case, we now have the Office of University Counsel leading investigation.
“We’re going to let that process play out. It’s paramount for us to do what’s right to make sure it’s a full and fair review, and that we don’t do anything to compromise the integrity of the process. And because there’s so many confidential personnel details, that’s why there is so much restraint on sharing anything while the process plays out.
Belichick has elected to take an all-hands-on-deck approach instead of tabbing an acting general manager to fill Lombardi’s role during his absence, according to a report by Inside Carolina.
“Well, we’re working through some things,” Belichick said Thursday morning about how he was handling Lombardi’s responsibilities in his absence. “You know, we’re at a particular time of year now where there are certain things that are in play and certain things that aren’t in play that won’t happen until later in the calendar year at some other points. So, you know, we’re taking it day to day and you know working through the things that are on the table now …
“We’ve made a few adjustments, yeah, but I mean, we’re you know we’re working through the process.”
Chancellor Lee Roberts told reporters during a break in Thursday’s UNC Board of Trustees meeting:
“We learned of some (football) concerns last week. We put Mike Lombardi on administrative leave, as you know. We began an investigation. If something has gone wrong, we want to know about it. If something needs to be fixed, we will be sure to fix it. There’s a standard of excellence here that all of us are entrusted with adhering to …
“I’m disappointed that we’re that we’re talking about this. We should be focusing on our student athletes, on their success on the field, and on all of the wonderful things that happen at this university every day, providing opportunities for students from every nook and cranny of North Carolina. And so it’s distressing to me and everyone else in the administration entrusted with leadership at this remarkable university that this is something that we have to have to spend time on.”
The uncertainty also adds pressure on Belichick, whose tenure is under scrutiny after a 4-8 debut season and a difficult year ahead.
Belichick’s first season ended 4-8, leaving North Carolina out of a bowl for the first time since 2018. The Tar Heels were picked 15th in Tuesday’s ACC preseason media poll and face a tougher schedule this fall, including seven of the preseason top 10 ACC teams.
The Lombardi situation is especially awkward for Belichick because Lombardi was his first hire. Lombardi is in the second year of a three-year deal that pays him $1.5 million annually, plus more than $500,000 in potential bonuses, and runs through Jan. 15, 2028. His first Chapel Hill roster in 2025 did not produce an NFL draft pick for North Carolina for the first time since 2016.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X 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 opens camp with Lombardi investigation ongoing
Continue reading...
UNC announced general manager Michael Lombardi’s paid leave on Monday and confirmed Thursday that its Office of University Counsel is investigating allegations tied to a human resources complaint filed by a former UNC football staffer.
The university has said staff and players are prohibited from discussing the matter, and coach Bill Belichick declined to address the investigation directly when asked Thursday to open camp.
“Any time we have allegations around a personnel matter, it’s the obligation and duty of a university as stewards of our students, faculty, and the whole UNC community to take it seriously, to evaluate, to figure out what are the appropriate next steps,” UNC’s director of athletics Steve Newmark said on Thursday morning. “In this case, we now have the Office of University Counsel leading investigation.
“We’re going to let that process play out. It’s paramount for us to do what’s right to make sure it’s a full and fair review, and that we don’t do anything to compromise the integrity of the process. And because there’s so many confidential personnel details, that’s why there is so much restraint on sharing anything while the process plays out.
Belichick has elected to take an all-hands-on-deck approach instead of tabbing an acting general manager to fill Lombardi’s role during his absence, according to a report by Inside Carolina.
“Well, we’re working through some things,” Belichick said Thursday morning about how he was handling Lombardi’s responsibilities in his absence. “You know, we’re at a particular time of year now where there are certain things that are in play and certain things that aren’t in play that won’t happen until later in the calendar year at some other points. So, you know, we’re taking it day to day and you know working through the things that are on the table now …
“We’ve made a few adjustments, yeah, but I mean, we’re you know we’re working through the process.”
Chancellor Lee Roberts told reporters during a break in Thursday’s UNC Board of Trustees meeting:
“We learned of some (football) concerns last week. We put Mike Lombardi on administrative leave, as you know. We began an investigation. If something has gone wrong, we want to know about it. If something needs to be fixed, we will be sure to fix it. There’s a standard of excellence here that all of us are entrusted with adhering to …
“I’m disappointed that we’re that we’re talking about this. We should be focusing on our student athletes, on their success on the field, and on all of the wonderful things that happen at this university every day, providing opportunities for students from every nook and cranny of North Carolina. And so it’s distressing to me and everyone else in the administration entrusted with leadership at this remarkable university that this is something that we have to have to spend time on.”
The uncertainty also adds pressure on Belichick, whose tenure is under scrutiny after a 4-8 debut season and a difficult year ahead.
Belichick’s first season ended 4-8, leaving North Carolina out of a bowl for the first time since 2018. The Tar Heels were picked 15th in Tuesday’s ACC preseason media poll and face a tougher schedule this fall, including seven of the preseason top 10 ACC teams.
The Lombardi situation is especially awkward for Belichick because Lombardi was his first hire. Lombardi is in the second year of a three-year deal that pays him $1.5 million annually, plus more than $500,000 in potential bonuses, and runs through Jan. 15, 2028. His first Chapel Hill roster in 2025 did not produce an NFL draft pick for North Carolina for the first time since 2016.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X 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 opens camp with Lombardi investigation ongoing
Continue reading...
