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The UNC Tar Heels are dipping their toes into the NBA pool to find their next men’s basketball coach.
After Hubert Davis was fired following a shocking loss to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament earlier this month, the Tar Heels will hire Michael Malone, according to ESPN.
North Carolina was previously linked to top college coaches, including Michigan’s Dusty May, who will compete for an NCAA title Monday night against UConn. But May pulled his name out of any college career, while Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd and Iowa State’s TJ Otzelberger were also rumored to be in favor of the Tar Heels.
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Head coach Michael Malone applauds on the sideline during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on April 6, 2025. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
But Malone, who coached the Denver Nuggets for the past 10 seasons, is the man they are leaning on to lead the Tar Heels back to greatness.
Malone is the winningest coach in Nuggets history, with 471 wins throughout his career there, and also won an NBA title in 2023.
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However, Malone, despite what he means to the franchise’s record books, was fired by the Nuggets in April 2025. He quickly entered the sports media space and joined ESPN in May 2025, but now he’s back in a whole new college world compared to the pros.
Perhaps North Carolina wouldn’t have been looking for another head coach if Davis and the Tar Heels didn’t collapse against No. 10 VCU in the first round, while the Rams pulled off the largest first-round comeback in tournament history to ultimately defeat No. 6 UNC in overtime, 82-78.
“We appreciate everything Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader; he has helped create special memories that we will never forget,” athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. “This was not an easy decision given Hubert’s tremendous character and everything he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to more consistently compete at an elite level.”
Davis, who appeared in four NCAA tournaments, including the last three seasons, during his five seasons with the Tar Heels, issued his own statement on the matter.
Head coach Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets watches the game against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on April 4, 2025. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
“Tonight I was fired from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill,” he wrote. “My wish was to continue coaching here. This opportunity has truly been a huge blessing. I thank Jesus literally every day for giving me the opportunity, the relationships and the experiences with the kids and my staff. I am so proud of what we were able to accomplish together.”
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Davis added that he hopes to be a coach “in the very near future.”
Davis, who played for UNC from 1988 to 1992 before being drafted in the first round by the New York Knicks in 1992, left the program with about $5.3 million still guaranteed on his contract, according to ESPN.
Davis went 125-54 during his 179-game tenure with his alma mater, which included a freshman Final Four appearance during the 2021-22 campaign. The Tar Heels reached the national championship game, falling to the Kansas Jayhawks, who also overcame a double-digit deficit to be crowned champions.
Head coach Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets watches during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on April 4, 2025. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
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After missing March Madness in 2023, the Tar Heels earned the No. 1 seed in 2024, but were upset by No. 4 Alabama in the Sweet 16, shortening their national title hopes. Still, Davis earned the ACC Coach of the Year award that year.
The Tar Heels want to return to the days of Roy Williams, as the legendary UNC head coach led his team to six NCAA titles during his tenure, most recently in 2017.
