Bill Belichick arrived at North Carolina with a familiar name, a trusted inner circle, and big expectations. Two seasons later, however, the Tar Heels are facing back-to-back setbacks and an internal investigation that has placed a heavy financial burden on the program.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
UNC has reportedly paid more than $913,000 for its internal probe into the football program, according to Brian Murphy and Joseph Ochoa of WRAL News. What’s interesting is that this investigation led to the departures of general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.
“The investigation determined that certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina’s values and standards of conduct,” UNC said in a statement. “The investigation also found that these actions were isolated in scope and not a systemic failure.”
Earlier in July, the university placed GM Lombardi, who has an annual salary of $1.5 million, on paid administrative leave. They did not provide any further details. However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on July 27 that a former UNC front-office staffer filed an HR complaint that remains under review. He also claimed the complaint is under investigation, which led to Lombardi’s administrative leave.
Turns out, most of it was true. The university launched the investigation on July 30. He eventually resigned on September 3, but that’s not the end of the fallout.
The two-month-long investigation concluded on September 17, and the university announced another departure. This time, it’s the departure of defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, the son of head coach Bill Belichick.
However, the biggest storyline turned out to be how expensive this investigation was for UNC. Barnes & Thornburg, which handled the independent investigation, billed the university more than $821,000 for its work. It included almost 200 billable hours logged by lead investigator Nate Huff and close to 300 hours by partner McNair Nichols.
Across the case, 16 employees from the firm worked more than 1,000 hours, and an additional $15,000 formed part of the $821,000.
Far more than Lombardi and Steve Belichick came under scrutiny. Barnes & Thornburg reviewed the program’s culture and compliance practices, conducting more than 60 interviews, including one with head coach Bill Belichick.
The fallout from the investigation has put Bill Belichick in an uncomfortable spotlight, yet UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts has continued to back him.
“Coach Belichick continues to have our support, the support of the administration and of the board [of trustees],” Roberts said. “He understands that support comes with expectations around conduct and behavior. Nobody understands that better than Coach Belichick.”
According to General Counsel Paul Newton, the investigation was prompted by complaints from a small group of former employees, and it looked into staff misconduct, possible drug use, possible NCAA violations, and the football program’s workplace culture more broadly. Investigator Huff said the larger issue is whether the program offers a safe, respectful workplace with proper mentorship for the young people who work there.
UNC also went an extra mile to retain Williams Mullen to advise UNC on possible litigation and employment law questions tied to the Lombardi investigation. The university has said the findings point to isolated conduct rather than a systemic failure.
While the investigation has certainly rocked the programme’s management, the Tar Heels have been struggling on the field as well, sitting at 4-4 this season. For now, they have a clear question to answer: can they turn their recent effort into lasting progress?