Lombardi Resigns as UNC GM Amid Investigation — SkimNews
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- Michael Lombardi resigned as UNC's general manager on Thursday, the school announced, ending a tenure that made him the highest-paid GM in college football at more than $1.5 million.
- Lombardi had been on paid administrative leave since July 27, stemming from an HR complaint filed by a former UNC front office employee, according to ESPN.
- The University of North Carolina confirmed it will continue its investigation into Lombardi despite his resignation, saying it would 'consider all appropriate corrective actions responsive to the information it learns.'
- Lombardi's attorney Tom Mars told WRAL on July 31 that Lombardi had not been told what he was being investigated for, and said Lombardi 'welcomes the opportunity to clear his name, which has already been sullied by baseless statements and innuendo on social media.'
- Lombardi was a central figure in Bill Belichick's UNC staff after a lengthy NFL career, arriving alongside the head coach before a 4-8 debut season that was followed by the No. 19 high school recruiting class and a 15-10 Week 0 upset of TCU.
- UNC hosts ETSU in its season opener on Sept. 12, pressing forward without the GM who had overseen its roster construction under Belichick.
Why it matters: Lombardi's exit strips Bill Belichick of his top football-operations lieutenant heading into Year 2 of a rebuild, and the opaque nature of the underlying complaint — Lombardi's own lawyer says he hasn't been informed of the allegations — leaves UNC's front office situation unresolved even as the program opens its season Sept. 12 against ETSU.
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