Add The New York Post on Google Michael Lombardi is out at UNC.
The Tar Heels football general manager resigned on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Lombardi had been on paid leave since late July amid an internal investigation into a complaint from a former front office employee.
The longtime football executive came to Chapel Hill with head coach Bill Belichick before last season.
General manager Michael Lombardi talks with head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels prior to a game against the Richmond Spiders on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Getty Images Lombardi and Belichick worked together for years, including with the Browns and Patriots, where the former served as an assistant to the coaching staff.
He also bounced around other NFL front offices with stops with the 49ers, Eagles, Raiders and Broncos.
Last week, Lombardi’s attorney Tom Mars blasted the school’s investigation into his client, calling it a “witch hunt.”
“If UNC had grounds to fire Michael for cause, they wouldn’t need to conduct such a far-ranging, lengthy witch hunt. They would have done so by now,” Mars told The Athletic. “I think the motive behind the investigation goes further than a $1.5 million buyout. After all, UNC could fire Michael (or the athletic director or any head coach) for no reason at all just by paying their buyout. In today’s world, $1.5 million is just a drop in the bucket, so there must be other reasons behind this multimillion-dollar investigation.”
According to USA Today, Lombardi was the highest-paid GM in the NCAA at a $1.5 million salary.
General manager Michael Lombardi of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on prior to the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Getty Images Lombardi was being accused of bullying employees, ignoring compliance guidelines and maintaining unusually close oversight of staff activity.
Mars told the outlet that Lombardi was “fully compliant” with the investigation and had previously said he expected the probe to be “swift, thorough and fair.”
North Carolina disappointed in Year 1 of the Belichick era, going 4-8.
Last Saturday, the Tar Heels got off to a strong start, upsetting TCU 15-10 to kick off the 2026 season.
