Michael Lombardi’s run as UNC football’s general manager is over.
After spending more than a month on paid administrative leave during an internal investigation, Lombardi has resigned from the position, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who first reported the news Thursday afternoon.
Lombardi had been hired in December of 2024 as part of the new Chapel Hill regime alongside Bill Belichick. He was in the second year of a three-year guaranteed deal that paid him $1.5 million per year, making him the highest-paid general manager in the sport.
UNC placed him on leave July 27 after a human resources complaint surfaced, and the university stayed mostly quiet while the investigation played out. The timeline dragged on longer than many expected, and with it came more questions than answers about whether Lombardi’s time at UNC was already finished before this resignation became official.
The university issued a statement confirming the move:
"Effective September 3, 2026, Michael Lombardi has resigned from his position as General Manager of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s football program. The University will continue its ongoing investigation and will consider all appropriate corrective actions responsive to the information it learns."
What remains unclear is whether Lombardi stepped down on his own or was pushed toward that outcome by the school. That part of the story still needs to be answered, and UNC’s continued investigation suggests more information could still come.
For now, though, the program moves on without its general manager. That should allow attention to shift back to football after UNC’s season-opening win over TCU, even if the school likely has more behind-the-scenes work ahead as it sorts out how to handle the vacancy. Talks about a replacement may happen privately, but an official move may not come until the offseason.
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