UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi resigns amid investigation

Michael Lombardi, a senior aide to head coach Bill Belichick, resigned as general manager of the University of North Carolina football team, the university announced on Thursday. Lombardi had been on paid leave after an internal investigation was launched following a human-resources complaint filed by a former front-office employee.

The inquiry, which began in late July, has expanded to include interviews with university staff, coaches and even coaches' spouses, according to sources familiar with the matter. Investigators are examining Lombardi's involvement in hiring and firing decisions affecting female and minority employees.

The university said it will "continue its ongoing investigation and will consider all appropriate corrective actions responsive to the information it learns."

In a statement, Lombardi thanked UNC chancellor Lee Roberts and Coach Belichick for the opportunity to serve and said his resignation was intended to allow the team to focus on the 2026 season.

Lombardi, who joined Belichick at UNC in December 2024 after working with the New England Patriots from 2014 to 2016 and earlier with the Cleveland Browns, had previously denied any wrongdoing during a 90-minute interview with university attorneys. His lawyer, Tom Mars, described the investigation as a "snipe hunt with billable hours" and asserted there were no grounds for termination.

The former general manager earned an annual salary of $1.5 million, making him the highest-paid GM among public universities at the time of his hiring.