​Why UNC football GM Michael Lombardi resigned less than 2 years after being hired by Bill Belichick originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick has made a massive change less than two years into his coaching tenure. On Thursday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Lombardi would be resigning from his position as UNC’s general manager, effective immediately.Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave since late July and has not been with the program since. He was still away from the team during UNC’s Week Zero victory over TCU, a 15-10 win in Dublin, Ireland.Per the school, Lombardi remains the subject of two investigations.MORE: Can Bill Belichick cool his hot seat at UNC?Why did Michael Lombardi resign?It is unclear what the exact reasoning of his resignation is, but according to Thamel in July, Lombardi was placed on leave stemming from a “human resources complaint filed by a former UNC front office employee.” Sources: UNC football GM Michael Lombardi has resigned from his position. He’d been on paid leave in the wake of an internal investigation. pic.twitter.com/dpEv5rzguO— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 3, 2026When his leave was announced, UNC did not reveal any further details as to why he was placed on leave. The school also stated that its policy bars team members from talking about the matter while an investigation is pending. MORE: How much would it cost for UNC to fire Bill Belichick?UNC investigation into Michael LombardiShortly after Lombardi’s leave of absence was announced, Pablo Torre reported that UNC was also being investigated by the College Sports Commission. The organization primarily handles compliance and enforcement of both NCAA and NIL rules. BREAKING: In addition to the Mike Lombardi HR matter, the University of North Carolina football team is also being investigated by the College Sports Commission — the entity which handles compliance and enforcement of NCAA and NIL rules. https://t.co/5G5YnzjNsd— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) July 27, 2026When his leave was announced, UNC did not reveal any further details as to why he was placed on leave. The school also stated that its policy bars team members from talking about the matter while an investigation is pending.UNC investigation into Michael LombardiShortly after Lombardi’s leave of absence was announced, Pablo Torre reported that UNC was also being investigated by the College Sports Commission. The organization primarily handles compliance and enforcement of both NCAA and NIL rules. In Oct. 2025, The Athletic reported that Lombardi took an “exploratory fundraising trip” to Saudi Arabia. Per the school, Lombardi met with a Saudi national about fundraising for the football program.    Michael Lombardi -Bill Belichick relationshipPrior to arriving at UNC, he spent 2014-2016 with Belichick while he was the head coach of