General Manager Mike Lombardi refutes "fake stories" plaguing North Carolina's football team, defending players and the program amidst intense scrutiny and a tough season.
The honeymoon period for head coach Bill Belichick at North Carolina was short-lived.
The six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach for the New England Patriots lost UNC's regular season opener to TCU 48-14 at home.
The Tar Heels would beat Charlotte and Richmond in the next two weeks, but would then go on a four-game losing streak against Power 4 programs.
During that losing streak, Belichick's program faced significant scrutiny from the press. North Carolina suspended a coach. A player decided to end his career early.
There were rumors that the administration could be looking to make a change before Belichick served one full season as the head coach.
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday, North Carolina general manager Mike Lombardi suggested the program was the victim of "fake stories" in the press.
“People were attacking us with fake rumors and fake stories all over,” Lombardi said, via a transcription by Pro Football Talk. “Nobody’s corrected them yet, but that’s OK. We understand. Our players hung together.
"We did not lose one single recruit to another team. Now they tried, but we didn’t lose one single recruit. A lot of that, to me, was the dedication of our recruiting class."
Lombardi argued the players on the roster bought into Belichick's program, standing "firm" amid a 4-8 season and negative press.
“Look, let’s face it. If you’re not worth a darn, they’re not going to attack you," Lombardi said. "You know, some programs are not worth attacking. They’re gonna attack us. We expect it.
"It’s all good. We’ve been in the arena before. We don’t listen to the noise. We focus on what we have to focus and we move forward.”
And North Carolina has moved forward.
Per 247 Sports, UNC was No. 19 in composite recruiting for 2026.
The Tar Heels lacked the firepower and depth to compete in the ACC last year.
Belichick should have a much better roster for the upcoming season. It'll be interesting to see how much UNC improves this season.
Or if they don't, what happens between the administration and Belichick.