University of North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick is back in the national spotlight. On Monday, he kept mostly mum on allegations surrounding the football program during a scheduled press conference.
UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi resigned last Thursday after a tumultuous tenure in Chapel Hill working alongside Belichick, the university said. That resignation came just hours before a WRAL investigation dropped that provided a snapshot of the allegations within the football program.
Other WRAL Top Stories
WRAL was the first to report that outside lawyers hired to conduct the investigation were 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, according to people familiar with the investigation. The lawyers also asked about possible sexual relationships between assistant coaches and recruiting staff, the people said.
Lombardi hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment, and his lawyer has declined to discuss specifics of his departure with WRAL.
Bill Belichick remained a man of few words on Monday. He said his team maintains an environment of compliance and that he understands the importance of the investigation into his football program and the “high standard here of our code of conduct and doing things the right way.”
Before the press conference, a team spokesman said Belichick and players speaking ahead of UNC's next game against East Tennessee State University on Saturday would not discuss the situation "in any manner."
“That is necessary to protect the integrity of the process and the rights of everyone involved,” the spokesperson said.
►Related Story: ‘No one is losing any sleep’: UNC players brush aside off-field distractions
Steve Belichick, who is Bill Belichick’s son, hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment. He has been on medical leave since early last month. Bill Belichick declined to discuss his son’s situation Monday.
“I love all my kids, but I’m not going to comment on a medical situation,” said Belichick, whose other son Brian is also a defensive coach for the Tar Heels.
Coach Belichick spent most of the press conference trying to keep the focus on the field, but did address the team’s culture in a series of questions from WRAL and other reporters at the news conference.
"I believe that everybody's responsible, including me, for doing things properly, and we intend to do that," Belichick said.
"What does it really mean?"
While Belichick's comments were “simple” and “focused,” Durham attorney Andrew Fine said they could still play a role if UNC eventually seeks to fire him. The university, so far, has not implied that Belichick is in any trouble amid the investigation.
Fine is not involved in the UNC investigation but provided analysis based on years of experience negotiating contracts for athletes and coaches.
"It's the kind of throwaway comment that can sometimes come back to bite you," Fine said. "When he says something generally like, ‘We're trying to comply with the rules and we're going to continue to do that,’ then that statement could certainly be used against him.”
Fine said, based on his experience, Belichick's words and actions are now "building blocks" for the university if it decides to make a case against him. If UNC makes a move to fire him, Fine said one challenge will be the “general” phrasing of much of his contract.
Bill Belichick’s contract stipulates that he must “promote an atmosphere of compliance” and maintain institutional control of the program, requiring him to ensure that the program complies with state and federal law and policies set by the NCAA, ACC, the university and any other regulatory body the team might be subject to.
His contract also ensures that people in the program are reporting on possible violations. The contract says he’s responsible for the conduct of his assistant coaches and other program employees, and that he also must report knowledge of the illegal use, sale or possession of drugs or the possible violation of UNC’s policies on sexual harassment or other possible sexual misconduct.
“This general language can kind of cut both ways. And I think that if there does end up being a dispute over this, that's what's going to happen. They're going to be arguing over this kind of general language," Fine said. "What does it really mean? And, you know, Does it mean he had to know explicitly and then do something? Does it mean he had to put himself in a position where he should have known and he didn't? Those are the questions that we're going to see answered as time goes on."
Belichick signed a five-year, $50-million contract with UNC with the first three years and $30 million guaranteed. His hire generated a wave of interest in the program, including the earliest sell out of home tickets in school history before the 2025 season. But the off-field headlines have far outpaced the on-field success – so far.
Per his contract, if UNC decided to fire Belichick without cause, the university would owe him everything he was set to earn up until Dec. 31, 2027. If it were to fire him after finding cause for termination, the university wouldn’t be on the hook for any salary, bonuses, or supplemental income after termination.
Fine said, for now, he anticipates UNC will continue to support Belichick as the season gets underway.
“I think if you're UNC, the smart thing for you to do is to really not take a side, to let the investigation run its course, to support the coach as much as you can,” Fine said.
WRAL reporter Eric Miller, WRAL anchor Ashley Rowe, WRAL reporter Shaun Gallagher and WRAL multimedia producer Ryan Bisesi contributed to this report.