College Football
Bill Belichick Aide, UNC General Manager Michael Lombardi, Resigns Amid Human Resources Investigation
Bill Belichick‘s right-hand man is leaving his side.
Michael Lombardi, 67, resigned as the general manager of the University of North Carolina’s football team, according to a Thursday, September 3, ESPN report.
The former sportswriter, who also worked with Belichick, 74, at the New England Patriots, had been the subject of an internal investigation into a human resources complaint made by a former front office employee in Chapel Hill, per the outlet.
Lombardi was put on paid leave during the investigation, in which witnesses were asked about his role in employment decisions involving female and minority Tar Heels staffers, sources told ESPN.
UNC will “continue its ongoing investigation and will consider all appropriate corrective actions responsive to the information it learns,” according to a statement provided to the outlet.
Lombardi also issued a statement to ESPN, thanking the college’s chancellor Lee Roberts and Belichick “for the opportunity to serve as the GM of UNC Football,” adding that he made his decision “to allow the team to focus on the ’26 season.”
His lawyer, Tom Mars, had called the investigation a “witch hunt” in an August 28 interview with The Athletic.
According to USA Today, Lombardi made $1.5 million a year — the highest salary for anyone in his position in college football — and was in the second of a three-year contract.
