Bill Belichick started his second season as North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach with a win. But his football program took an L. UNC football’s general manager, Michael Lombardi, who was on paid leave since late July after a human resources complaint, resigned Thursday in order to avoid becoming a distraction in the 2026 season.
Lombardi Resigns, Steve Belichick Possibly Provided Drugs
The ongoing investigation by UNC lawyers and outside firm Barnes & Thornburg turns its attention to accusations of drug use or provision by assistant coach Steve Belichick at university facilities. In addition, a possible sexual relationship between recruiting staff and players is being investigated.
Steve Belichick, the son of the NFL legend, has been on medical leave since early August, while the investigation gathered information from players, parents, and staff about program culture.
The university, one of college football’s flagship sports programs, promises corrective actions based on findings.
Bill Belichick Starts College Football Season With Win Over TCU Amidst Scandal
Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 232 yards, Aeron Burrell kicked two field goals and North Carolina opened coach Belichick’s second season with a 15-10 win over TCU on a dreary Saturday in Ireland for the Aer Lingus Classic.
This second season’s start is a huge improvement over last season when Belichick, 74, who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach, stumbled to 4-8 in his college debut. The season began with a 48-14 home loss to TCU in primetime on Labor Day.
Steve Belichick The Brunt Of Social Media Jokes
Lombardi had been on paid leave in the wake of an internal investigation. Now down an assistant and general manager, Bill Belichick will have to take even more responsibility in navigating his team through this season.
“Nobody cares about this investigation. It’s just normal job stuff y’all blow up for no reason.” one fan said on X.
“how does this guy have time to coach in-between trying all the Chinese buffets,” another fan commented about Steve Belichicks’ robust figure.
With accusations of potential drug use and distributing drugs to another person, Steve Belichick has been under attack on social media, with fans focusing on the facial expressions he makes when he coaches and suggesting he is high all the time.
“Every picture of Steve Belichick looks like he is high on a different drug,” a user captioned on X above a compilation of photos of various Belichick faces.
“Do your job” used to mean film study and situational football. At UNC it apparently now includes an internal probe into the defensive coordinator, the GM, staff relationships, and whether drugs were in the building,” one fan said to be criticial of UNC’s football program.
“Finally, some good ole fashioned debauchery and not pedestrian academic fraud,” said another fan referring to UNC’s last scandal, a complex academic fraud ring with fraudulent classes and complicit administration.
UNC Faced Academic Scandal In 2015
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges placed UNC on probation for one year in June 2015 due to the academic scandal.
UNC updated its academic standards and protocols, successfully exiting probation and regaining full standing by June 2016. In October 2017, the NCAA Committee on Infractions ruled that it had no grounds to punish the university or its athletics program.
RELATED: NCAA Clears University Of North Carolina Of Academic Violations
This latest scandal is a bit more problematic for the image of the program. For fans, it’s more of a “gotcha” moment and a sad comedic reflection of what can happen when you elevate family members in the workplace too quickly than something people feel is a deep-rooted issue in the program.
“This type of story barely even registers anymore. Coach doing drugs?! So 1990s. We need some originality in our scandals; like that Lions coach that got busted ordering Wendy’s drive thru nude,” one observer wrote.
“Someone told me once when medical is used as an excuse it’s because of drug use or an arrest lol!,” a netizen quipped.
“To be a white man in America, with family legacy and unlimited open doors and nobody ever says “no” to you. Must feel great,” one unsympathetic fan commented on X.
“Belichick’s …nepotism gone wrong” expressed another user.
Nepotism Is Normal Aspect Of NFL Coaching Life
It’s not uncommon for veteran coaching legends to silver spoon their sons up the coaching ladder and into plush positions. Monte Kiffin’s son Lane Kiffin is such a son. He became the youngest head coach in the modern era at 31 for the Oakland Raiders. And has bounced around to different high-priced coaching gigs. When your offspring keeps his nose clean, becomes as successful a coach as you – or better – nobody really has a problem with the nepotism that runs a muck in the NFL coaching ranks.
Bill Belichick hired both of his sons, Steve and Brian Belichick, as long-time assistants during his tenure with the New England Patriots, where they coached linebackers and safeties.
Pete Carroll’s sons were on his staff with the Seattle Seahawks and later the Las Vegas Raiders. Brennan Carroll served as an offensive line/run game coordinator and Nate Carroll worked as an assistant/wide receivers coach.
Rex Ryan and his twin brother Rob maintained successful NFL coaching careers as the offspring of legendary Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, inventor of the “46” Defense. Ryan’s son, Seth Ryan, also joined coaching circles in the league, with Seth working as an assistant on various offensive staffs.
Todd Bowles added his son Todd Bowles Jr. to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff as a defensive assistant. And Andy Reid hired his son, Britt Reid, as a defensive assistant and quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs.
What’s Next For Bill Belichick & UNC Football?
Bill Belichick was hired at UNC amidst much hype and optimism in 2024. He was supposed to elevate the football program to a new prominence. Lombardi’s resignation and new details about the investigation add to a multilayered saga that has unfolded since UNC hired the NFL coaching legend.
Does Bill Belichick Have Control Of UNC Football Program?
Belichick’s short tenure has been scrutinized by social media and generated far more off-field engagement than on-field success, so far. Allegations of a divided locker room, media having a field day with questions about the influence of his 25-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson, among other things, has put Belichick in the spotlight. And all of the things happening around him reflect on his leadership as well.
Even something like the abundance of traffic citations and parking complaints football players were accumulating on campus and the suspension of an assistant coach that happened to coincide with a memo reminding members of the program that selling complimentary tickets could violate NCAA rules. These things are all reflective of how Belichick is running the program. And if he had his son Steve playing a huge role in leading the team, then the 4-8 record last season makes sense.
In the midst of all the complaints, Belichick seems to have tightened up his ship a bit. The emphatic win to open the season surely helps, as his program will be under intense probing for the season.
