North Carolina Football General Manager on Paid Leave

Michael Lombardi, the general manager of North Carolina football, is on paid administrative leave. The school released a statement on Monday morning, days before the Tar Heels begin their preseason camp. They did not disclose the reasons for this decision, citing standard procedure regarding personnel matters which restricts employees and athletes from discussing it.

Lombardi was hired by the school in December 2024, joining Bill Belichick in transitioning from the NFL to the college ranks. Prior to this role, Lombardi served as the general manager for the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and was promptly recruited by Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl-winning coach, to join him in Chapel Hill.

The university appointed Belichick to rejuvenate a football program that had been a minor player in the Atlantic Coast Conference, occasionally achieving national attention without maintaining consistent success. A few months into Belichick’s leadership, Lombardi expressed that their objective was to operate the college program akin to an NFL team, stating that the Tar Heels ‘consider ourselves the 33rd NFL team’ due to the staff’s professional connections.

In Belichick’s initial season, the team achieved a record of 4-8. They are set to commence his second season against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on August 29.

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AP college football: apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and apnews.com/hub/college-football