He has been successful in various coaching positions on different levels from offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mercyhurst College to coach of tight ends and running backs for the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the now-defunct XFL. He coached tight ends and tackles at Virginia Military Institute and even played for the United States Air Force Academy, where he was named a lieutenant and served four years and earned three letters.
These various positions have helped season Lombardi and allowed him to bring those experiences to the position he holds currently in the NFL as quarterbacks coach for New Orleans. Yet he does not hesitate to explain how the game of football and his Catholic faith are similar in building a foundation for success.
"In football, you deal with the Xs and Os and the game is about the fundamentals such as blocking, tackling, throwing, and catching the ball," Lombardi said. "You look at the fundamentals of our Catholic faith and they are built on our sacraments, confession, the rosary, and attending Mass."
"Football can be a very demanding profession, and it takes a lot of time from your family. You are up early and go to bed late and many things get put on hold. I have a long drive and there's no reason why I can't say a rosary instead of listening to music in the car while driving across the bridge on the way to practice or on the way home. I don't golf, I don't fish, I don't hunt, and I have no hobbies. I live a simple life. It is all for my family and my faith."
His daily life is guided by using his Catholic faith and has helped through many situations over the years. One that stands out to him is a conversation where he had to defend his stringent following of the Catholic faith.
"I have friends who are not Catholic and they sometimes bring up reasons why they disagree with the Catholic church and its teachings, and even some friends who are Catholic sometimes are skeptical of their own faith," Lombardi said. "There are other religions for others to follow, but they do not stress the important aspects such as sacraments, confession, going to Mass, and more. I have some friends who say they do not want to be told what they have to do."