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Writer's pictureJoshua Marlow

Heel Tough Blog: Bill Belichick Makes First Hire as UNC Head Coach


SB Nation

One of the things that Tar Heel decision makers agreed to with the hiring of Bill Belichick was to hire a general manager to handle all of the NIL, recruiting and transfer portal responsibilities and it appears that hire might already be made.


According to the sports betting network VSiN, the current host for the network and former NFL executive Michael Lombardi will be hired as the team’s general manager. 


“I’m excited to join Coach Belichick at North Carolina,” Lombardi said in a conversation with his now-former employer. “Although leaving my VSIN family will be hard, I’m excited to return to helping build a winning program.”


Lombardi brings with him a ton of executive experience from his time in the NFL, where he was a member of three Super Bowl winning teams. This past season, Lombardi served as a media analyst, and advisor to the Washington Husky football program so he has a feel for where college football is at, on and off the field. 


We’re still awaiting the full details on all the commitments to Bill Belichick from a staffing perspective, but this was a necessary move to set Belichick up for success at the college level. When he made his pitch on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, Belichick pledged to run the UNC football program, like an NFL operation, and this hire is the first evidence of that coming to fruition.   


Lombardi’s role within the UNC program will involve talent evaluation at the high school and the transfer portal ranks, in addition to helping out with NIL fundraising, and other off the field duties. 


For the latest coverage of Tar Heel Football and Basketball, make sure to stay locked in to the Heel Tough Blog, the Heel Tough Blog Podcast, and The Four Corners Podcast all season long.




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