The University of North Carolina has announced the hiring of former Denver Nuggets head coach and NBA champion Michael Malone to lead the Tar Heels men’s basketball program.
Malone, 54, succeeds Hubert Davis, who was recently fired after five years of service.
The former coach led his team to the national championship during his first season, but failed to advance beyond the Sweet 16 in the following four seasons.
What is surprising about this decision is that Malone has not been a college head coach before.
He has spent his entire career as a head coach in the NBA, winning 510 games in 12 seasons.
His most notable achievement occurred in 2023, when he led his Nuggets to their first NBA championship with superstar player Nikola Jokić.
But Denver surprisingly fired Malone after three games before the end of 2024-25. He spent the last year as ESPN analyst, as he was unable to land an NBA head coaching position.
Although Malone isn’t starting from scratch as a college coach, he coached as an assistant in Oakland, Providence and Manhattan in the 1990s.
His daughter’s current UNC volleyball player has likely sped up the negotiation process.
