UNC GM Michael Lombardi claims 'fake stories' helped undermine Bill Belichick’s debut season

Bill Belichick and UNC are allegedly working on a buyout for Belichick’s contract. Colin Cowherd discusses what went wrong for Bill at UNC and if this is an inevitable outcome.

After a legendary NFL coaching career that produced eight Super Bowl rings as both an assistant and head coach, Bill Belichick made the jump to the college ranks last year.

Belichick led North Carolina to a 4-8 record in his first season in Chapel Hill, but a string of off-field headlines largely overshadowed the program.

UNC general manager Michael Lombardi recently addressed the scrutiny and outside criticism that surrounded the program last season, defending the team’s response amid what he characterized as inaccurate accounts.

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North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi (L) talks with head coach Bill Belichick prior to the game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)

"All during those stormy times, all during when the boat was getting capsized, when people were attacking us with fake rumors and fake stories all over — nobody’s corrected them yet, but that’s OK, we understand — our players hung together," Lombardi told the "Pat McAfee Show" last week.

Lombardi also suggested the program’s high profile made it a target but argued the scrutiny ultimately reinforced the team’s resolve, especially on the recruiting trail.

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"We did not lose one single recruit to another team. Now, they tried. A lot of that, to me, was the dedication of our recruiting class, and that’s what I think gives all of everybody in this