UNC administration sidelined the veteran general manager following a workplace grievance, distancing Bill Belichick from the decision as the program grapples with mounting off-field turbulence and personnel instability.
Details are starting to come in as to why North Carolina placed Michael Lombardi, the general manager of the football team, on administrative leave on Monday morning.
Per a statement from UNC via On3's Andy Staples, Lombardi, a longtime front office person in the NFL before joining Bill Belichick at UNC in 2024, was placed on administrative leave.
"The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has placed Michael Lombardi, general manager for the Carolina football program, on paid administrative leave, effective immediately," the statement reads.
"As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and it has no reflection on the merits."
Per On3's Pete Nakos, the decision to place Lombardi on paid administrative leave was made by the UNC administration. Belichick was not a part of that decision.
"Sources have told On3 that the final decision to place general manager Mike Lombardi on paid administrative leave was made by the North Carolina administration, not Bill Belichick," Nakos posted on X.
Pere ESPN's Pete Thamel, the decision to place Lombardi on paid administrative leave were in relation to a former North Carolina front office employee filing a complaint with human resources.
"Per a source, this stems from an human resources complaint filed by a former UNC front office employee," Thamel posted on X. "There’s a pending investigation, which led to the administrative leave."
The on-field issues have been tough enough for Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the New England Patriots. But issues off the field for Belichick and UNC have been glaring.
Last season, cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins was temporarily suspended for violating NCAA rules related to extra benefits.
Lombardi, who served as assistant to the coaching staff for the Patriots from 2014 to 2016, told reporters early in his tenure at North Carolina that the Tar Heels planned to build a program that resembled an NFL team.
“Everything we do here is predicated on building a pro team,” Lombardi said. “We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team because everybody who’s involved with our program has had some form or aspect in pro football.”
Right now, UNC resembles more of a traveling tent circus than a Power 4 program. Losing football games was bad enough last season, but negative headlines on people connected to the program are placing two black eyes on the program that at least had stability under Mack Brown.
