North Carolina’s highest-paid football executive is officially out. General Manager Michael Lombardi handed in his resignation after weeks on paid leave, stepping down just as new details emerged about an internal school investigation. What started as a quiet office matter inside Chapel Hill has now turned into a major headache for head coach Bill Belichick, raising fresh questions about how his program is being run.

“UNC football GM Michael Lombardi has resigned from his position,” Pete Thamel reported, citing sources. “He’d been on paid leave in the wake of an internal investigation.”

Three days after Michael Lombardi went on paid administrative leave (July 27), UNC confirmed that an investigation was underway but did not publicly spell out what prompted it. At first, UNC leadership kept silent on the exact details, pointing strictly to standard employee privacy rules.

However, reports soon surfaced that the probe stemmed from a former staff member’s human resources complaint. Chancellor Lee Roberts even spoke out to trustees, saying that if something went wrong inside the building, the school intended to fix it. Michael Lombardi’s attorney, Tom Mars, has defended his client throughout the process. He told WRAL that Lombardi had been interviewed and had cooperated with investigators and had publicly labeled the investigation a “witch hunt.”

WRAL investigative reporter Brian Murphy reported that the inquiry has expanded. Now, university-hired lawyers are asking questions about alleged drug use and sexual relationships involving people connected to the football program. That is a much more serious turn than the original mystery surrounding Michael Lombardi’s leave.

According to people familiar with the investigation who spoke with WRAL, lawyers are questioning individuals about whether DC Steve Belichick used banned substances while working at the university or supplied them to at least one player. 

On Aug. 6, roughly a week after UNC announced the investigation, Bill Belichick revealed that his son was taking medical leave. The university has not disclosed details about the situation, and their DC remains away from the team.

“It’s a medical situation, so I really can’t make any further comment,” Bill Belichick said. “We look forward to getting him back as soon as possible.”

Steve Belichick did not respond to WRAL’s request for comment Thursday. Neither he nor Michael Lombardi was with the Tar Heels for Saturday’s season opener against TCU in Dublin. UNC won that game 15-10, giving Bill Belichick his biggest victory since arriving in Chapel Hill. It should have been the sort of result that quieted some of the noise around the program. Instead, it only got louder.

Investigators are making inquiries into an alleged sexual relationship between a member of UNC’s recruiting staff and a player. Their questions reportedly include possible sexual relationships involving assistant coaches and recruiting staff as well. Those are allegations, not established findings. Still, the range of questions shows how far this has moved beyond Michael Lombardi.

“The University will continue its ongoing investigation and will consider all appropriate corrective actions responsive to the information it learns,” the school said Thursday. 

Michael Lombardi issued a statement after his resignation

In a statement released through his attorney, the 67-year-old executive framed his exit as a move to protect the roster from further noise. “I want to thank Chancellor [Lee] Roberts and Bill Belichick for the opportunity to serve as the GM of UNC Football,” Lombardi said in his parting statement. “I have decided it’s best for me to resign [from] my position as GM to allow the team to focus on the ‘26 season.”

Lombardi’s departure is notable because this was not some minor administrative position. Michael Lombardi was making $1.5 million each season on a three-year deal. UNC had put him in charge of a job that helped decide who stayed, who came in, and what those players were getting paid. The transfer portal and revenue sharing have turned roster building into a year-round business, and the GM was right in the middle of it. The results on the field, meanwhile, had not really helped his case.

UNC went 4-8 in 2025 and failed to produce a single NFL Draft selection. Michael Lombardi has taken criticism for his part in assembling that roster, although the investigation has now overshadowed those football questions. His relationship with Bill Belichick made the pairing especially significant. 

The pair had worked together with the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots. Lombardi also helped open the door to Chapel Hill, first contacting UNC officials about Belichick’s interest in the job.

For decades in New England, Bill Belichick built a reputation for running one of football’s most tightly controlled operations. Even as the Patriots faced enormous outside scrutiny, from the NFL’s Spygate and Deflategate investigations to the criminal case involving former player Aaron Hernandez, Belichick rarely allowed internal matters to spill publicly from his program.

College administration, however, operates under a completely different set of rules, and Belichick is facing a new type of institutional challenge he cannot simply control from behind closed doors.

While Michael Lombardi’s resignation removes one major figure from the picture, it does not remove the questions. And with the investigation still underway, UNC’s biggest headache may be only beginning.