Michael Lombardi stresses need for general manager in college football

Michael Lombardi was one of the first hires Bill Belichick made when he was brought on to be the North Carolina head coach.

Lombardi, a 3-time Super Bowl-winning NFL executive, was chosen to be the team’s general manager — a position that has become increasingly popular among college football programs in recent years. Although the GM position is not a mandatory one in the sport, it’s becoming increasingly popular as the NIL era evolves.

“There are a lot of things that go into building a team,” Lombardi explained. “Sometimes when money’s involved, because, let’s be honest when money’s involved, now you have to have a subjective way of determining how to handle the money and how to place a value on it. You have to remove bias, right? I think that’s the biggest challenge in pro football, is there’s a bias built internally in terms of saying, ‘I want this player, I want that player.’ And somebody has to be the voice of saying, ‘Well, we can find an alternative here.’

“So I think team-building requires more than just one person. In the day when I first started in the league, it didn’t because we didn’t have much player movement, much volatility. Now, there is at all levels.”

Lombardi’s perspective comes from experience, as he has an extensive background in the NFL. He’s previously worked for the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns across three decades of experience in NFL front offices. He served in multiple positions throughout his career, including as a recruiting coordinator and scout, all the way up to general manager and vice president. He held both titles simultaneously for the Cleveland Browns in 2013.

He last worked in the NFL alongside Belichick in New England from 2014-16 as an assistant to the coaching staff. He won two Super Bowls with the Patriots during those three years. His other Super Bowl came during his time with the San Francisco 49ers when he was serving as a scout during the 1985 season.

When he worked with Belichick in New England, Belichick called Lombardi one of the “smartest people I’ve ever worked with” and that he was a “huge asset” to the Patriots while he was with the team.

It’s safe to say that Belichick trusts Lombardi and his ability to manage an NFL organization, as he has now tasked the former executive with managing the Tar Heels program during the ever-changing NIL era in college athletics.