North Carolina places top Bill Belichick aide on leave

Field Level Media

North Carolina placed football general manager Michael Lombardi, one of head coach Bill Belichick’s top aides, on paid administrative leave.

The school announced Monday that the move is effective immediately but declined to provide further details. The Tar Heels open their second season under the legendary coach on Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

“As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on the merits,” UNC said in a statement.

ESPN reported that a former front office employee at the university filed a human resources complaint against Lombardi and there is a pending investigation into the situation.

Lombardi, 67, joined Belichick in Chapel Hill in December 2024. He previously worked with the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in New England, serving as an assistant to the coaching staff from 2014-16.

Lombardi was the general manager and vice president of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and previously worked in the front offices of the Denver Broncos, then-Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles.

North Carolina was 4-8 in Belichick’s debut season in 2025.