“Life is good in Chapel Hill”: GM Michael Lombardi opens up about how it's working at UNC

Michael Lombardi was on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday to discuss his tenure so far at North Carolina. The seasoned NFL executive was hired as a General Manager by the Tar Heels in December, taking on a relatively new role in the world of collegiate athletics.

In his appearance on the show, Lombardi expressed his excitement at the current state of things at Chapel Hill. The GM explained what's going on at a host of programs in the university's athletic department, showcasing how thrilling the work has been in the first few months.

“UNC is great,” Lombardi said. “We're excited–we have a basketball game today. Hopefully, our men's team can get into the tournament with a win against Wake Forest if they can keep going.”

“Our women's team is going to host a couple of games, which I'm really excited about. I'll go and watch them play. And our baseball team–Pat, you have to come down and sit at the outfield one of these days; the baseball team is great. So life is good here. Life is good at Chapel Hill.”

Michael Lombardi’s hiring became necessary for North Carolina at this time due to the changing NIL landscape. He brings decades of NFL experience, having spent time with the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns throughout his career.

Michael Lombardi discusses how Bill Belichick is relating with potential recruits

When Bill Belichick took the North Carolina job, many questioned his ability to recruit effectively. However, the coach has amazed many so far in that aspect, with Michael Lombardi giving a glimpse of how he relates with prospects.

“When you have the greatest coach of all time, people want to come and spend time with him,” Lombardi said about Belichick's meetings with visiting high school prospects in his office.

“You'll be shocked–you'll love to sit in on those meetings when Bill sits there, watching tape with the young players and showing them what they do when they're playing high school tape, and then how they relate to the Patriots’ players of old. So it's a lot of fun, we're having a blast.”

Lombardi had a previous working relationship with Belichick during his time with the New England Patriots (2014-2016), serving as an assistant to the coaching staff for three seasons. This prior experience provides a strong foundation for their collaboration at Chapel Hill.