The University of North Carolina (UNC) paid bills totaling more than $914,000 to three law firms to investigate a scandal in its football program related to staff members led by head coach Bill Belichick. The money was paid to examine complaints regarding organizational culture and staff behavior, which led to the resignation of general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, son of Bill.
The largest portion of the expense, $821,339, went to the firm Barnes & Thornburg, which began working with the university on August 5, after the previous firm, K&L Gates, completed some early work. Billing records show that Barnes & Thornburg employed three partners, 11 associates, and one paralegal, who collectively logged 1,034 hours worked between early August and the end of September. The firm's lead attorney, Nate Huff, had a rate of $990 per hour.
The investigation was initially triggered by a human resources complaint filed by a former member of the football staff. Although the university officially announced the start of the inquiry on July 30, documents indicate that K&L Gates began work on July 9. Michael Lombardi, who earned an annual salary of $1.5 million, was placed on paid administrative leave on July 27 and resigned on September 3. Steve Belichick was placed on medical leave starting August 6 and resigned on September 17, with the resignation becoming effective on October 27.
The investigation expanded beyond the cases of Lombardi and Steve Belichick, examining inappropriate relationships between coaches and recruiting staff, as well as the use of prohibited substances. Investigators interviewed more than 60 people, including Bill Belichick. While the university stated that the allegations involved violations of NCAA rules and deviations from conduct standards, it emphasized that those incidents were isolated and did not indicate a systemic failure of the program. Nevertheless, the high cost of the investigation has raised additional questions about when the university became aware of internal problems and how it managed Lombardi’s departure.
- Categories:
- Sport
- Entities:
