So, a lot has happened, but I’m sure you know about the ongoing controversy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and its football program. The Tar Heels, under head coach Bill Belichick, were rocked by a scandal involving his son, Steve Belichick, who served as defensive coordinator. General manager Michael Lombardi, then the highest-paid GM in college football, also came under scrutiny.
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It’s a tale of sex and drugs, though the former seems more like a ‘what was discovered unrelated to the initial inquiry’ story. The probe seems to center on the younger Belichick and his alleged drug use and providing substances to at least one UNC player. In August, head coach Bill Belichick said that his son was on leave for health reasons. As the investigation continues, Steve resigned on September 17. Lombardi had tendered his resignation on September 3. Lombardi was on administrative leave since July, when a UNC front office employee filed a human resources complaint (via WRAL):
This guy was allegedly on drugs.
It’s always the people you least expect 😔💔 pic.twitter.com/m6xPWXfYpY
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) September 4, 2026
Why did Lombardi resign so suddenly today?
Came just minutes before @WRAL investigation with @patwelter was set to drop.
Here it is: UNC investigators now looking at allegations of drug use, sexual relationships between staff, players, sources https://t.co/ibuCYXvPuJ
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) September 3, 2026
UNC confirms and considers the internal investigation resolved: “The investigation determined that certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina’s values and standards of conduct. The investigation also found that these
actions were isolated in scope and not a systemic… https://t.co/CDS8Anj5rj— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 17, 2026
Full UNC statement. https://t.co/CDS8Anj5rj pic.twitter.com/1uMtcu2SkB
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 17, 2026
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UNC’s internal investigation includes multiple facets, such as questions about whether defensive coordinator Steve Belichick used drugs on the job or provided drugs to at least one player, according to a report from WRAL.
The investigation comes as UNC football GM Michael… pic.twitter.com/R4J8Bgfphv
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 3, 2026
Lombardi, 67, a longtime Bill Belichick confidant, was placed on paid administrative leave on July 27. Three days later, the university announced its investigation, citing concerns over allegations that led to Lombardi being placed on leave.
[…]
Lawyers hired to conduct the investigation are also questioning people about whether defensive coordinator Steve Belichick used drugs on the job or provided drugs to at least one player — and, separately, about whether a member of UNC’s recruiting staff had a sexual relationship with a player, people familiar with the investigation told WRAL. The lawyers also asked about possible sexual relationships between assistant coaches and recruiting staff, the people said.
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The resignation and new details about the investigation add to a multilayered saga that has unfolded since UNC hired NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick in late 2024 to elevate its football program. The head coach’s tenure has generated far more off-field headlines than on-field success, including allegations of a divided locker room, questions about the influence his girlfriend has over his media projects, a spate of traffic citations and parking complaints, and the suspension of an assistant coach that coincided with a memo reminding members of the program that selling complimentary tickets could violate NCAA rules.
People who were questioned as part of the inquiry told WRAL that they were asked about the culture of the football program under Bill Belichick and Lombardi. They said a lawyer who conducted the interviews was questioning current and former Tar Heels players, their parents and staff members as part of the investigation. The firm was seeking documents and screenshots of text conversations, they said. And the people said they were asked whether they had reported any potentially questionable behavior to Bill Belichick.
These people, whose identities are known to WRAL, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation. WRAL traced identifying information associated with those interviews back to Barnes & Thornburg LLP, the firm that employs the two lawyers — Nate Huff and McNair Nichols — who are leading the investigation’s inquiry work. The interviewees who spoke with WRAL said at least one of those men conducted the interviews. UNC’s Office of University Counsel is overseeing the investigation.
[…]
Steve Belichick, 39, served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington in 2024 before joining his father’s staff at UNC. He previously worked for his father with the New England Patriots, playing a role in three of Bill Belichick’s six Super Bowl championships there.
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.
Unrelated to Steve Belichick, sources also told WRAL that the lawyer asked about reports of a purported sexual relationship between a female recruiting staff member and at least one UNC player. The people also said they were asked about similar possible relationships between assistant coaches and recruiting staff. University policy prohibits employees from evaluating or supervising any student or employee they’ve had a romantic relationship with. It was unclear whether the alleged relationships would violate any of those policies.
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It’s a mess, though the investigation concluded last week. WRAL added that, for now, UNC’s chancellor and athletic director are supporting the elder Belichick amid this probe that lasted several weeks:
University of North Carolina leaders defended a seven-week investigation into the Tar Heels’ football program and said they remain supportive of head coach Bill Belichick despite the resignation of his general manager and defensive coordinator amid the probe.
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts and athletics director Steve Newmark on Thursday addressed the investigation for the first time publicly since it concluded last week. General manager Michael Lombardi, who was placed on paid administrative leave, and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, Bill’s son who is on medical leave, both resigned during the investigation.
“Coach Belichick continues to have our support, the support of the administration and of the board [of trustees],” Roberts told the media during a break in a UNC Board of Trustees meeting Thursday. “He understands that that support comes with expectations around conduct and behavior. Nobody understands that better than Coach Belichick.”
I don’t think the college game is for Mr. Belichick. I certainly don’t see him staying there long-term. It never seemed to be a good fit, and his girlfriend is, well, that’s a whole other issue.
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