CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WPTF) — UNC Football general manager Michael Lombardi has resigned — effective immediately. Lombardi, a longtime confidante of head coach Bill Belichick, had been on paid administrative leave since July.
In a statement, The University said: “Effective September 3, 2026, Michael Lombardi has resigned from his position as General Manager of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s football program. The University will continue its ongoing investigation and will consider all appropriate corrective actions responsive to the information it learns.”
The school announced an investigation in July, days before the Tar Heels opened preseason camp. The school didn’t provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren’t permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.”
Lombardi joined Bill Belichick in making the NFL-to-college move when the school hired the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024. Lombardi’s career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and he was an immediate hire by the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Chapel Hill.
A few months into Belichick’s tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team” due to the staff connections to the pros.
The Heels are idle this week after their 15-10 win over TCU in Ireland.