UNC Makes Decision on Michael Lombardi’s Future

UNC Makes Decision on Michael Lombardi’s Future originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The North Carolina Tar Heels football program has plenty of new faces on the staff, with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as the headliner.

After Belichick was hired as the North Carolina head coach, he put together a star-studded staff with plenty of prominent names.

Here are some of the big names that are coming to Belichick's staff in Chapel Hill:

• Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick
• Defensive back/Safeties coach Brian Belichick
• Offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens
• General manager Michael Lombardi

Lombardi coming in as the GM was a major move, and he has spent time with each of the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns while being part of three Super Bowl-winning teams.

On Tuesday, Lombardi's future with the program got a big update as he signed a contract extension.

North Carolina Secures Michael Lombardi's Future

Brian Murphy of WRAL News reported that Lombardi officially signed a three-year deal to be the North Carolina GM and it will pay him $1.5 million annually.

UNC GM Michael Lombardi signed a three-year contract through January 15, 2028. He'll be paid $1.5M annually.

— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) August 5, 2025

The $1.5 million salary for the first year had been mentioned previously, but now the report comes that it is a three-year deal that runs until January 15, 2025.

Lombardi coming to North Carolina was a bit surprising, especially since he hasn't worked in a college role since he was the recruiting coordinator at UNLV from 1981 to 1984.

But with the college game changing, bringing in Lombardi is a step in the right direction for the program.

The $1.5 million per year is a steep price. For comparison, Texas Tech GM James Blanchard signed a two-year deal worth $400,000 per year. Ron Rivera's deal as Cal GM is worth roughly $700,000 per year, and Louisville recently signed Vince Marrow as its GM for a deal that starts at $700,000 and will go up to $900,000.

So, at least from what is known now, Lombardi's contract blows everyone else's out of the water.

The Tar Heels also gave Belichick a five-year deal worth $50 million, so the program is going all-out in hopes of turning things around.

North Carolina Going Into NFL-Mode With Latest Moves

To no surprise, North Carolina is trying to transition and adapt to the new world of college football.

With GMs being prevalent and NIL deals flying around, it is beginning to look more and more like the pros, and these hires by North Carolina are a testament to that.

When Lombardi was initially hired, he also expressed that sentiment, per Aaron Beard of The Associated Press.

“Everything we do here is predicated on building a pro team,” Lombardi said. “We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team because everybody who’s involved with our program has had some form or aspect in pro football.”

Belichick had also said there are a "lot of parallels" between college and the pros, especially now, so this will be fascinating to watch.

Related: Bill Belichick, UNC Tar Heels Take Center Stage at ACC Football Media Days

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.