In an email, the university said, "Michael Lombardi, general manager for the Carolina football program, is on paid administrative leave, effective immediately."
No other information was provided, and the university said that, because it's a personnel matter, no one at UNC is allowed to discuss it.
"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," the school said in a statement.
ABC11 spoke to ESPN's David Hale, who said that according to colleague Pete Thamel, "it revolves around an HR dispute for someone who was let go by Michael Lombardi, where there's an internal investigation that's ongoing, and that's where the suspension comes from."
This comes as the Tar Heels open their second season under Bill Belichick in just under five weeks, on Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
Lombardi joined Belichick at UNC in December 2024, reuniting with the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach. He worked under Belichick with the New England Patriots from 2014 to 2016, and earlier with the Cleveland Browns starting in 1987.
Although the reason for the leave remains unclear, ESPN reports the decision stems from a human resources complaint filed by a former UNC front-office employee.
Lombardi has been one of Belichick's closest advisors during his first season at Carolina.
We asked Hale what Lombardi's absence could mean for the program.
"Michael Lombardi was definitely someone that he trusts. Whatever happens with Lombardi moving forward, I think it's a blow to what Bill Belichick is trying to do with Carolina, because there's not a lot of people inside that circle, and certainly not as far inside it as Michael Lombardi had been."
UNC's football general manager Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave
Hale said the leave isn't expected to affect the Tar Heels' 2026 roster, but it could have longer-term implications for the program. The university has not said how long the leave will last.
"This makes a big difference in terms of recruiting and signing players for 2027, 2028 and beyond," Hale said. "It's going to be up to the university leadership to decide, and university HR to decide. After that, that's when Bill Belichick has to make a real decision about where he wants the department to go."
Lombardi has faced scrutiny on multiple occasions during his time in Chapel Hill, including a February 2025 boast in which he said the Tar Heels "consider ourselves the 33rd NFL team." He also made headlines last September when he informed the Patriots that their scouts would be banned from access to the Tar Heels' program, according to ESPN.
Some fans said Monday that despite the news, they're hoping for a stronger year two under Belichick.
"I remember my first year here, it was fantastic," UNC student Aiden Harrison said. "I'm hoping that we can kind of bring some of that energy back and that'll be really exciting to see."
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