It's been more than a month since UNC general manager Mike Lombardi was placed on administrative leave, and now he's gone for good. Lombardi and the school announced on Thursday that he is stepping down from his role. According to reporting from WRAL and ESPN, Lombardi's resignation may be just the beginning of the ugliness for North Carolina.
When Lombardi was placed on leave in July, he was the subject of an internal investigation related to an HR complaint that was made by a former UNC front-office employee, according to reports at the time. It appears that investigation's scope has significantly widened. WRAL reported Thursday evening that lawyers hired by UNC have been questioning team staffers, current and former players, and players' parents about drug use and sexual relationships within the football program. It appears that defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, son of head coach Bill Belichick, is of particular interest to the investigators. WRAL reports that they've been asking questions about his alleged drug use. From the report:
Lawyers conducting the UNC probe focused a series of questions on Steve Belichick, according to people who were interviewed. The people said they were also asked about whether Steve Belichick had used drugs at the university’s facilities or if they knew of anyone who had seen him do so. Assistant coaches can be fired for cause if it is found that they used or distributed illicit drugs, according to UNC employment contracts.
On Aug. 6, shortly after the university's investigation began, Bill Belichick announced that his son was away from the team for medical reasons. He remains on medical leave.
WRAL also cites a source who told them that the investigators asked about a purported sexual relationship between a member of the UNC recruiting staff and a player.
ESPN reported on Thursday that as part of the university's investigation, "questions have been asked of witnesses about Lombardi's role in hiring and firing decisions regarding female and minority staffers."
Lombardi's lawyer, Tom Mars, told ESPN last week that the university's investigation into his client's conduct was "a snipe hunt with billable hours," and that he was confident the university would discover "absolutely no grounds to terminate his employment for cause." The university's investigation remains ongoing, according to WRAL.
UNC is paying Bill Belichick $10 million per year for this mess.
