North Carolina places football GM Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported that North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave. The university announced the decision in a statement Monday morning, shortly before the Tar Heels were scheduled to begin preseason camp. AP said the school did not explain the reason for the leave and cited standard personnel procedures in saying employees and athletes could not discuss the matter.

Lombardi came to Chapel Hill as part of Bill Belichick’s high-profile move from the NFL to college football. North Carolina hired Belichick, the former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl winner, in December 2024, and Lombardi was brought in soon after. Lombardi’s NFL résumé includes a stint as general manager of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, along with other executive roles.

The development is notable because Lombardi had been a prominent figure in UNC’s effort to reshape its football operation under Belichick. AP reported that Lombardi had described the program’s approach as resembling an NFL organization, saying the Tar Heels viewed themselves as a kind of “33rd” NFL team because of the staff’s professional football ties.

North Carolina hired Belichick in hopes of lifting a program that has had occasional periods of national relevance but has often been outside the top tier of the Atlantic Coast Conference. AP reported that the Tar Heels went 4-8 in Belichick’s first season and are scheduled to open his second season against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.