Michael Lombardi’s lawyer blasts UNC investigation as ‘witch hunt’

The attorney for Michael Lombardi, Bill Belichick’s longtime right-hand man, says a “witch hunt” is happening on Tobacco Road.

To start Year 2 of the Belichick regime, North Carolina placed Lombardi on administrative leave from his role as the football program’s general manager in July while investigating a human resources complaint filed by a former employee.

Lombardi’s $1.5 million salary reportedly makes him the highest-paid GM — a new position created by colleges in the NIL ERA — in the NCAA. The return on a 4-8 record in 2025 is hardly worth the pay.

“If UNC had grounds to fire Michael for cause, they wouldn’t need to conduct such a far-ranging, lengthy witch hunt. They would have done so by now,” attorney Tom Mars told The Athletic in a story published Saturday. “I think the motive behind the investigation goes further than a $1.5 million buyout. After all, UNC could fire Michael (or the athletic director or any head coach) for no reason at all just by paying their buyout. In today’s world, $1.5 million is just a drop in the bucket, so there must be other reasons behind this multimillion-dollar investigation.”

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick and General Manager Michael Lombardi look on from the sideline against TCU at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima

ESPN published a report Friday — on the eve of North Carolina’s season opener against TCU — in which one staffer labeled Lombardi “the most hated man in the building”.

Under the watch of Belichick, Lombardi is accused of bullying subordinates, ignoring basic compliance guidelines, and maintaining running surveillance-state-like oversight of the staff (as was part of The Patriots Way when the two were in New England).

Mars told The Athletic that Lombardi is “fully compliant” with the investigation and previously stated he expected it to be “swift, thorough and fair.” The program, and Lombardi in particular, is being examined by the College Sports Commission, which is the newly formed oversight body for paying college athletes, per the report.

General manager Michael Lombardi of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on prior to the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Getty Images

“He also wasn’t presented with any documents showing or even suggesting he had done anything wrong or inappropriate,” Mars said.

Lombardi was the director of player personnel for Belichick during his time as Browns head coach (1992-95. He had a one-year stint as Browns general manager in 2013 before linking up again with Belichick as an assistant to the coaching staff with the Patriots (2014-16).