“RIP”: GM Michael Lombardi Bids Legendary Coach Emotional Goodbye on Already Sad Day for UNC

The North Carolina Tar Heels, hyped as the “33rd team” of the NFL under the new regime, took a brutal 48-14 blowout loss to TCU in their season opener at Kenan Stadium. This crushing defeat was not just a loss on the scoreboard. It was a reality check on the ambitious narrative that Bill Belichick and Michael Lombardi had been building since their arrival. But unfortunately, the Tar Heels looked far from that in front of a national audience. The loss was a “sad day” for both. It signals the hard work ahead to truly bring NFL-level success to Chapel Hill. But the day becomes sadder for Lombardi, especially after a major news headline took over the sports world with utmost grief.

National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Famer and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer George Henry Raveling passed away on September 1, 2025. Lombardi was connected to him in more ways than one, particularly through The Daily Coach newsletter, a project that Raveling had co-founded. He was 88 years old and had a courageous battle with cancer. An inspiration to the sporting world. He broke barriers early in his career. Became the first Black coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the University of Maryland in 1969. Raveling coached at Washington State, Iowa, and USC, and later became a prominent Nike executive. He even played a crucial role in persuading Michael Jordan to sign his landmark Nike deal.

For Lombardi, who is deeply intertwined with basketball and football, losing a mentor and collaborator like Coach Raveling was a heavy blow. Shortly after the news broke, Lombardi took to X to pen a heartfelt goodbye. “We are all saddened by the passing of our founder at the @TheDaily_Coach, Coach Rave,” Lombardi wrote. “A remarkable man who lived his life with grace, giving, humbleness, and a huge desire to serve others. We love our Coach and will honor his work each and every day. RIP.”

The source of Lombardi’s immense respect for the Coach mostly comes from the thing that they started together, The Daily Coach. This unique newsletter was co-founded in 2019 by two giants in their respective fields. This connection formed a powerful bond between two leaders who deeply believed in the idea that “the most important person you will ever lead is yourself.” The founding of The Daily Coach represents a bridge between Raveling’s trailblazing basketball career and Lombardi’s NFL expertise. Through this, Lombardi and Raveling shared a vision of how mentorship and self-leadership can transform sports and business cultures alike.

Coach Raveling’s loss is a huge one to the world of sports. His dedication to teaching basketball and life lessons earned him prestigious honors like the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame and a revered place in college basketball history. And also to the Daily Coach community, which has lost one of its founding fathers.

An ode to George Raveling’s unseen legacy

George Henry Raveling’s influence goes far beyond the basketball court or corporate boardroom. It goes down in history. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. On that pivotal day, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech to over 250,000 civil rights supporters, Raveling was there. At that time, he was a young assistant basketball coach and former Villanova player, and was asked to help manage security during the march.

Standing on the stage alongside civil rights leaders like John Lewis and A. Philip Randolph, Raveling witnessed history firsthand. At an impulsive moment after King’s powerful speech, Raveling asked King if he could have a copy of the speech. And guess what? King graciously handed it to him. No one had any idea just how momentous those words would become. Little did Raveling know that he was about to become the custodian of a priceless piece of history.

For nearly six decades, Raveling held onto that original manuscript. He kept it safe within a signed autobiography from President Harry S. Truman. Only years later, when Raveling became a head coach at the University of Iowa, did the world learn that he possessed the original speech. In 2025, Raveling entrusted the artifact to Villanova University, which collaborated with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to put the speech on public display for the first time. That’s who Coach Raveling is for you. Rest in peace, dear Coach.