Michael Lombardi left the North Carolina football program earlier this fall.
On Oct. 24, the Syracuse Orange football team will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are currently 2-1.
But despite its solid record, it's been a tumultuous time for the Heels. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick left the program. Also this fall, North Carolina general manager Michael Lombardi resigned from his position. TarHeelsRoundTable writer Ben Cooper explained some of the controversy surrounding Lombardi and why he left his position at Chapel Hill.
Thursday morning, the now former Tar Heels GM took to social media and posted an odd message, referencing a former Syracuse basketball player.
The Michael Lombardi File
Lombardi spent over 30 years in executive and scouting roles for multiple NFL teams. His biggest accomplishment took place in 2014 when serving as an assistant to the New England Patriots coaching staff as helped guided the Patriots to a Super Bowl title.
After nearly a decade away from serving on a football staff, Lombardi was hired by former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as North Carolina football's general manager. The senior Belichick is in his second year with the program.
Lombardi's bizarre social media post
Early on Thursday morning, Lombardi posted this message on the social media platform X:
"In March 2016, Syracuse was a win away from the Final Four. Kaleb Joseph sat on that bench and turned on the shower so no one could hear him cry.
He never complained. "My entire identity was so intertwined with my performance."
The ones carrying the most look composed."
Why the social media post is so odd
1) Well for starters, it was random. Lombardi wasn't talking about Syracuse athletics in any way with any other posts. This post just came out of the blue.
2) It's also not clear exactly if its factually correct. Syracuse got to the Final Four in 2016. Does Lombardi realize that or not? It's vague.
Lombardi also didn't indicate what he meant by the post. Perhaps he's implying that he's "carrying a lot," but again, that's unclear.
Will Lombardi return to college football or the NFL soon?
Who knows? So much of Lombardi's career is tied to Belichick. If he can't work for him, he may not work anywhere.
The 67-year-old Lombardi could shift his career back to media where he worked professionally from 2016-2025. Lombardi's stints included time with Fox Sports, VSIN and The Ringer.
Earlier this month, Lombardi announced the launch of his own substack called "Football Done Right."
