Lombardi resigns as UNC GM amid widening investigation — SkimNews
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- Michael Lombardi resigned as UNC's football general manager after being placed on paid leave in late July amid an internal investigation into an HR complaint from a former front office employee.
- The investigation widened, with UNC attorneys contacting staffers, coaches, and coaches' wives and girlfriends about Lombardi's role in hiring and firing decisions involving female and minority employees.
- UNC said Thursday it will continue the investigation and consider 'all appropriate corrective actions,' signaling Lombardi's departure does not close the inquiry.
- Lombardi's attorney Tom Mars dismissed the probe as 'a snipe hunt with billable hours' and said there are no grounds to terminate for cause.
- Lombardi earned a $1.5 million annual salary when hired in December 2024, making him the highest-paid GM among public universities at the time.
- Lombardi did not travel with UNC for its season opener against TCU in Ireland, which the Tar Heels won 15-10.
Why it matters: UNC's investigation continues after Lombardi's resignation, leaving corrective actions — potentially affecting other staffers — on the table even as the football program moves forward. The probe's reach to coaches' wives and girlfriends about hiring decisions signals a broader HR review that could reshape the front office Belichick is building in his second year at Chapel Hill.
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