Latest news with #MichaelLombardi
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
North Carolina, Bill Belichick Receive Disappointing Recruiting News
North Carolina, Bill Belichick Receive Disappointing Recruiting News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. First-year North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick is attempting to adjust to college football recruiting after a historic NFL career. Advertisement It's, perhaps, the biggest challenge for Belichick in his first ever coaching role in the collegiate ranks. The 2026 class will be Belichick's first full recruiting cycle after taking over for College Football Hall of Famer Mack Brown in January. UNC finished 38th nationally with 30 signees in Brown's final class of 2025. Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi have made an early splash in the 2026 cycle, holding 15 commits and the nation's No. 16 class. However, the recruiting trail can be a chaotic space, and the Tar Heels received some disappointing news over the weekend. North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill BelichickJim Dedmon-Imagn Images Four-star wide receiver O'Mari Johnson, who committed to UNC on April 6, has reportedly backed off his pledge and re-opened his recruitment, according to On3's Chad Simmons. Advertisement Johnson (6-foot, 183 pounds) plays for Jackson Academy in Wesson, Mississippi. He ranks as the No. 26 wide receiver and the No. 14 player in the state (Rivals). Johnson has amassed 129 catches for over 2,000 yards with 28 receiving touchdowns dating back to his eighth grade year. The talented athlete also has 896 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns at tailback, per MaxPreps. The Tar Heels initially earned Johnson's commitment after he took an official visit to Chapel Hill on April 4. The silver lining for Belichick and Co. is UNC is expected to remain a top contender, according to the report. Johnson has official visits scheduled to Tulane (June 12) and Mississippi State (June 20). Advertisement Related: Elite LSU WR Commit Addresses Possible Flip to Hated SEC Rival Related: Kenny Dillingham Makes Bold Claim About Arizona State's 'Blue-Blood' Potential This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Align Expands Workplace Technology Team with Appointment of Michael Lombardi as Managing Director
NEW YORK, May 08, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Align, the premier global provider of technology infrastructure solutions, announces the appointment of Michael Lombardi as Managing Director of Workplace Technology. Michael joins Align to further expand and lead the firm's Workplace Technology which helps businesses create engaging and efficient hybrid work environments. From intelligent desk booking and advanced security and access control to cutting-edge collaboration tools, seamless Wi-Fi connectivity, state-of-the-art -visual solutions, and workspace analytics, Align optimizes the modern workplace. "I am very excited to be joining Align, a premier provider of technology solutions for decades. It's truly an honor and a privilege to work alongside so many dedicated professionals in the relentless pursuit of being the 'Best of the Best,'" says Michael Lombardi. "I've had the opportunity to witness Align's capabilities firsthand over the years, and have always been impressed by their leadership, core values, and commitment to clients. I look forward to bringing over 25 years of senior leadership experience, a deep consulting background, and extensive knowledge of the industry to the team." Michael brings over three decades of experience in global infrastructure, strategy, and enterprise operations. Prior to joining Align, he was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co., and served as the Global Head of Project Management, where he oversaw the firm's enterprise-wide program management practice, leading large-scale infrastructure initiatives from inception through execution. He also led the bank's global data center strategy as Global Head of Data Center Services. Jim Dooling, CEO & Founder of Align states, "we are thrilled to welcome Michael Lombardi to Align. His extensive experience and proven leadership in the technology sector will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and expand our Workplace Technology offerings. Michael's commitment to excellence and deep industry understanding perfectly align with our goals. His leadership and past experience will be instrumental in driving the development of our transformative Workplace as a Service (WPTaaS) initiative, offering clients a predictable, recurring model for consuming workplace technology. We look forward to the significant contributions he will make to our team and our client base." About AlignAlign is a premier global provider of technology infrastructure solutions. For over 38+ years, leading firms worldwide have relied on Align to guide them through IT challenges, delivering complete, secure solutions for business change and growth. Align is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and has offices in New York City, London, Chicago, San Francisco, Arizona, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia and more. Learn more at View source version on Contacts Align Press Contact Ashley Holbrook aholbrook@ 212.546.6159 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
North Carolina power struggle: Bill Belichick, men's basketball fighting over millions
North Carolina power struggle: Bill Belichick, men's basketball fighting over millions Show Caption Hide Caption UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi press conference UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi on Tuesday at the Kenan Football Center discussed Bill Belichick's vision for the Tar Heels. Michael Lombardi spoke last week for the first time since being named general manager of North Carolina football, and immediately threw into question the power structure at the university famous for its men's basketball program. 'Everything here is predicated on building a pro team,' Lombardi said. 'We consider ourselves the 33rd team.' There are 32 teams in the NFL, and that statement was Lombardi – by way of new Tar Heels coach and NFL legend Bill Belichick – spreading out and clearing space for an inevitable fight. Not on the field, but with North Carolina's legendary basketball program for revenue sharing and NIL funds. There's only so much to go around. The question is, who gets it? The basketball program of Dean Smith and Michael Jordan and those six national championship banners hanging in the rafters of the Smith Center? The program that believes it's synonymous with the best of the best, the elite of the elite? When you think college basketball, you think Carolina blue. Or the football program, the perpetual little brother in the athletic department that has been pushed to the tip of the spear by the sheer will of a sport that has overtaken everything college athletics? No national title banners flying at Kenan Stadium, just five ACC championship flags of decades gone by. FOCUS ON SURVIVAL: College Football Playoff meetings all about revenue FIRST-TIMERS: The six coaches with best chance of winning first national title Just the hope of a coach who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots standing in the breach, and proudly declaring we're the 33rd team. And we're going to need cash to make it happen. A lot of cash. Much more cash than – here's the key – your wildly successful and beloved men's basketball program. See the fight now? When pay for play officially begins on July 1 (the beginning of the 2025-26 school calendar), FBS schools will be allowed to spend as much as $20 million in "pay-for-play" payments to athletes. In all sports — not just football. The payment structure of that expected $20 million pool is built by each school, and not every player in every sport will receive the same amount of money. That's not even considering external NIL deals, which will still be widely available — and more important, another area of contention between football and basketball. At some point, the fight will come to this: what's the biggest bang for the buck? The football team that Belichick and Lombardi believe can be built into a national power despite its inherent obstacles in recruiting against the elite of college football? Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU and Texas, among the many, aren't going anywhere — and have more resources. Or the basketball team, which is the DNA of college basketball, a program so prominent, recruits (and transfer portal recruits) will flock to with the right coach. This, of course, brings us to the next inevitable subject: The possibility of moving on from struggling coach Hubert Davis. If North Carolina decides replace Davis, who is under contract through the 2027-28 season, where does it go for his replacement? Does it spend top dollar and try to hire the top of the coaching field (college or NBA), or does it go cheap and hire a rising assistant? Or worse, if the program bottoms out this season, does it stick with Davis and hope for the best? In no previous world where NIL and pay for play didn't dictate decisions, would North Carolina 'hope' about anything with the basketball program. It would take action, immediately. It would hire the biggest, baddest coach it could find, and celebrate the transition to a new beginning. It would declare that things were returning to the Carolina Way, and that nothing would be left to guess in the quest to return to the elite of college basketball. Sort of like what the football team just did with Belichick. See the fight now? Make no mistake, this power struggle is a numbers game. How much money is available to spend on player procurement, and how much is spent on football and basketball. Roster limits are another part of the House settlement that is awaiting final approval in April. Football will be limited to 105 players. The men's basketball limit is 15. That's 120 players that could be paid within the structure of one of the nation's top athletic programs. And North Carolina isn't going to simply ignore successful non-revenue sports that have won 46 national championships for the sake of the 33rd team. Or will it? We already saw the power play by the North Carolina Board of Trustees, forcing athletic director Bubba Cunningham to hire Belichick and throwing ridiculous amounts of money at a sport that prior to this offseason was treated as a functional distraction – by those same board members – until basketball tipped. A guaranteed $30 million deal (over three years) for Belichick in addition to - as stated in his term sheet - $10 million annually for an assistant coach salary pool and $5.3 million annually for support staff. That's a $25.3 million annual investment in football — before player procurement, revenue sharing and NIL agreements. The total investment could surpass $40 million. Forty million. I don't think I'm speaking out of turn here, but there's no chance that the investment in the shining beacon of a basketball program along bucolic Skipper Bowles Drive – even per capita – reaches those ridiculous levels. See the fight now? The 33rd team did, and planted its flag early. There's only so much cash to go around. Matt Hayes is the senior national college football wtiter for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
