
Imago
September 13, 2025, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA: BILL BELICHICK Head Coach on the sidelines. UNC Football hosted the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC Chapel Hill USA – ZUMAj177 20250913_zsp_j177_023 Copyright: xJasonxJacksonx

Imago
September 13, 2025, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA: BILL BELICHICK Head Coach on the sidelines. UNC Football hosted the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC Chapel Hill USA – ZUMAj177 20250913_zsp_j177_023 Copyright: xJasonxJacksonx
UNC was hoping to start the 2026 season on a fresh footing after a disappointing campaign during Bill Belichick’s first year at the program. However, a month before the season opener, the Tar Heels have made a strong decision regarding the man whom Belichick hired to run the program like an NFL unit.
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According to On3’s Andy Staples, UNC has placed its football general manager, Michael Lombardi, on paid administrative leave, effective immediately.
North Carolina GM Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid leave, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/XuyAiqtLmz
— Andy Staples (@AndyStaples) July 27, 2026
“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,” the program said in a statement.
Lombardi was hired by the program as the football general manager in December 2024, just after it chose former New England head coach Bill Belichick to succeed Mack Brown. According to USA Today, Lombardi is the highest-paid GM in college football and is in the second year of his three-year, $1.5 million-per-year deal.
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