Bill Belichick’s North Carolina is facing another scandal, and the latest developments have drawn former staff members into the conversation. Reports have raised questions about alleged relationships involving UNC employees and players. On Thursday, Michael Lombardi resigned as general manager after more than a month on administrative leave. Then an old UNC staff photo began circulating online.
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Polymarket Football posted photos of several people on X while discussing the investigation into alleged relationships involving UNC staff and players. Angela Ellington was among those pictured. She previously worked in North Carolina before leaving for Georgia. Ellington did not let the post slide. She responded quickly and pushed back against the way she was portrayed.
“This is absolutely false,” wrote Angela Ellington on X as she replied to Polymarket’s now-deleted post. “I haven’t worked at UNC since 2019. Please take my picture down.”
Ellington was already gone from UNC by the time Belichick took over. She left the Tar Heels in 2019. She joined UNC in October 2017 as the director of on-campus recruiting. Her duties included recruiting operations, official and unofficial visits, and game-day recruiting work.
After leaving UNC, she went to Georgia and has stayed with the Bulldogs since. Georgia now lists her as associate director of recruiting operations. She took that job in February 2022 after working in two other recruiting positions at the school. Although Polymarket took down its initial tweet, the account has yet to offer any reasoning or clarification about the claims made about the former UNC staffer.
The current investigation into Bill Belichick’s program concerns events and allegations surrounding the present time. According to WRAL, lawyers have been asking people about reports involving a female member of the recruiting staff and at least one UNC player. Investigators have also asked about possible relationships involving assistant coaches and recruiting staff. However, that report does not identify the name of the staff member involved.
According to WRAL, investigators working with UNC are also looking into claims that UNC DC Steve Belichick either used drugs at work or supplied them to at least one player.
Lombardi resigned on Thursday after being placed on paid administrative leave on July 27. The investigation initially centered on an HR complaint involving the former NFL executive, but its scope has now expanded. Steve Belichick has been away from the team on medical leave since early August. UNC has not publicly detailed the reason for that leave.
The school has said the investigation will continue despite Lombardi’s departure. For Belichick, the situation has become even more serious. Lombardi was not just another administrator. He had a long relationship with Belichick dating back to their time in the NFL and was brought to Chapel Hill to help build the program. His departure leaves UNC without the man who was supposed to oversee much of the football operation.
As for Steve Belichick, he did not travel with the team for the season opener in Ireland. Bill Belichick called the defense against TCU in the absence of his defensive coordinator. The Tar Heels are on a bye this week. They are set to face East Tennessee State in Week 2. That gives the program several days to get the house in order before Bill Belichick has to field media questions on Monday, September 7.