A timeline of UNC GM Michael Lombardi's football career

UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi's career has been one of the pivotal figures of the Bill Belichick era for the Tar Heels. Lombardi, the highest-paid public college football general manager at the time of his hire, is a three-time Super Bowl champion with decades of experience in NFL front offices.        

Here's a look at his career timeline.

July 2026: UNC places Lombardi on paid administrative leave "effective immediately." A statement reads: "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."

October 2025: WRAL reports multiple sources have described Lombardi as “rude” and “nasty,” with one saying that “nobody likes him.”    

WRAL spoke to parents of UNC players, members of the staff, the athletic department and the UNC Board of Trustees. Multiple sources with knowledge of the inner workings of Belichick's program say the results on the field are a product of a divided locker room, a disorganized coaching staff and a failure to communicate. 

August 2025: Lombardi visited Saudi Arabia on a fundraising trip before the Tar Heels’ season kicked off in September. Dean Stoyer, UNC's chancellor for communications, confirmed the trip, calling it “exploratory." Stoyer said the trip was arranged by a Saudi national who is a college football fan and is interested in supporting football coach Bill Belichick. UNC said it never received money from the individual or the Saudi government or its private investment fund.

February 2025: UNC hires a football general manager. Michael Lombardi  -- who brought NFL front office experience -- earned $1.5 million in 2025, becoming the highest-paid public college football general manager.       

Lombardi as general manager was Belichick's first hire. Lombardi's only listed college experience is as a recruiting coordinator for UNLV from 1981-1984. In the NFL he began as a scout with the 49ers. He worked with Belichick with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.

His son, Matt Lombardi, also joins the Tar Heel football staff as quarterbacks coach.

December 2024: Bill Belichick, winner of six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots but with no college coaching experience, is named the next UNC head coach and given a $50 million, five-year contract.  

At Belichick's introductory press conference, he said he thought his NFL experience would help him navigate the new college structure.

"I do think there are a lot of parallels," Belichick said. "I think that's the reason for the general structure of Michael [Lombardi] as the general manager and myself as the coach working together collaboratively like we've done in a professional organization. I do think there are some parallels."

November 2024: UNC fired Mack Brown on Nov. 26, 2024, days after a 41-21 loss at Boston College.

2014-2016: Lombardi served as assistant to the coaching staff with the New England Patriots.

2013: Lombardi served as GM and VP for the Cleveland Browns.

2007: Lombardi served as personnel assistant for the Denver Broncos.

1998-2006: Lombardi served as senior personnel executive with the Oakland Raiders.

1998: Lombardi served as director of pro personnel with the Philadelphia Eagles.

1987-1995: Lombardi was with the Cleveland Browns in various roles, including scout, pro personnel director and director of player personnel.

1984-1987: Lombardi served as a scout for the San Francisco 49ers.

1981-1984: Lombardi served as a recruiting coordinator with UNLV.