Heel Tough Blog: Michael Lombardi Placed on Paid Administrative Leave

Jim Dedmon- Imagn Images

After a relatively quiet offseason off the field as compared to last year, UNC announced in a release this morning that general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave, effective immediately.

The decision does not come from the athletic department or the football program, but rather UNC Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Dean Stoyer. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, the leave stems from a HR complaint by a former UNC front office employee. Thamel reports that an investigation into these allegations is pending.

Lombardi, the highest paid general manager in college football at $1.5 million a year, was hired by Bill Belichick as the Tar Heels’ general manager back in December 2024. Lombardi’s contract currently runs through January 2028.

He was instrumental in putting together each of the first two rosters for Belichick in Chapel Hill and the current 2027 recruiting class.