Bill Belichick still has the backing of the University of North Carolina. But after an investigation that resulted in the departures of two of the people closest to him, that support now comes with a pointed reminder from the top.
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts publicly addressed Belichick’s standing with the university after an outside investigation into the football program concluded. The review resulted in the resignations of general manager Michael Lombardi, Belichick’s longtime confidant dating back to their NFL days, and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, his son.
Roberts made clear that UNC remains behind its 74-year-old head coach. What he said next carried considerably more weight.
“Coach Belichick continues to have our support, the support of the administration and of the board [of trustees],” Roberts said. “He understands that that support comes with expectations around conduct and behavior. Nobody understands that better than Coach Belichick.”
For Belichick, who spent 24 seasons building one of the NFL’s defining dynasties with the New England Patriots, it was an unusually public message about the expectations surrounding his program.
UNC Makes Its Expectations Clear to Bill Belichick
The university hired outside investigators this summer after concerns were raised within the football program. The investigation ultimately included more than 60 interviews, including one with Belichick himself.
When UNC announced the conclusion of the review, the school said investigators found “certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina’s values and standards of conduct.” It also stressed that those actions were “isolated in scope” rather than evidence of a systemic problem within the program.
Lombardi resigned on September 3 after previously being placed on paid administrative leave. Steve Belichick followed, with UNC announcing September 17 that his resignation as defensive coordinator will become effective October 27, when his medical leave concludes.
Bill Belichick remains in charge.
Athletic director Steve Newmark echoed Roberts’ support for the former Patriots coach, but similarly emphasized what must happen next.
“We believe that he can be successful with our football program on and off the field,” Newmark said. “At the same time, and as with all our coaches, there are expectations about culture and conduct for each of our programs, and Coach [Bill] Belichick understands that.”
Newmark added that he and Belichick have been working together on strengthening the program’s “oversight,” “compliance,” “reporting” and “accountability.”
That leaves little ambiguity about UNC’s position. The university is standing behind Belichick, but it also expects changes inside the program he was hired to lead.
Bill Belichick Moves Forward Without Two Trusted Lieutenants
The fallout also leaves Belichick navigating the rest of his second season in Chapel Hill without two familiar figures who were central to his move from the NFL to college football.
Lombardi joined UNC immediately after Belichick was hired, extending a relationship that dated back decades in the NFL. Steve Belichick spent more than a decade on his father’s Patriots staff before eventually following him to Chapel Hill.
UNC has since said it is implementing additional training, monitoring and policy reinforcement following the investigation. Newmark and the university’s Office of University Counsel will oversee those measures.
Roberts also defended the university’s decision to investigate its own program, noting that UNC voluntarily brought in an outside firm rather than waiting for an outside entity to intervene.
“Nobody made us do an investigation,” Roberts said. “Nobody made us hire an external firm. Nobody made us reveal the existence of an investigation, but we did it because we care about the conduct standards of the football program.”
Belichick, meanwhile, declined to discuss the investigation’s findings or his son’s resignation following UNC’s game against Clemson. Earlier in September, he said the program wanted to operate “in the very best way” and would make corrections when necessary.
The investigation may now be over. The scrutiny surrounding Belichick’s program is not.
UNC is giving its head coach the opportunity to move forward. Its leadership has also made clear, publicly, what it expects him to do with it.
UNC Sends Strong Message to Bill Belichick After Son’s Resignation