UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi placed on paid administrative leave

University of North Carolina announced Monday that football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave, a move made just days before the team begins preseason camp. The university said no details about the cause will be released, noting that employees and athletes are barred from commenting on personnel matters as a matter of standard policy. Lombardi, who joined former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick when the school hired him in December 2024, previously served as general manager of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and has a long NFL executive background. Belichick was hired to revitalize a program that had struggled to achieve sustained national relevance in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team," Lombardi said earlier, reflecting the staff’s professional football connections. The Tar Heels finished 4-8 in Belichick’s first season and are set to open his second campaign against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.