UNC Coach Michael Malone (Image: UNC)
North Carolina’s coaching search has come to an end, with the hiring of former Denver Nuggets head coach and NBA champion Michael Malone, in hopes of returning to being a dominant program once again.
The news came out of nowhere, with Malone’s name not discussed as much as other potential names, like Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan or Tommy Lloyd, before he agreed to an extension with Arizona.
Malone does have a connection to the University of North Carolina, as his daughter plays volleyball for the Tar Heels, but this is the first time that UNC has gone outside of the “Carolina family” to hire a new head coach.
The former NBA Champion is known for his X’s and O’s and for being a schematically sound head coach, which should benefit UNC. The question is how quickly Malone can adapt to the college environment with NIL and the transfer portal.
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It was important for UNC to make its hire before the transfer portal opened up on April 7 because the last thing they wanted was to be behind in the portal.
The last time Malone coached in college was way before NIL and the portal, when he was an assistant coach at Manhattan in 2001.
UNC wanted to make sure they made a splash hire and someone who had a pedigree, and they got exactly that because Malone is the only college coach in the country who has won an NBA title.
Malone made a statement about becoming the new Tar Heel head coach, saying, “Carolina is one of the most historic programs in college basketball, and I am honored to be the head coach of the Tar Heels.”
“It is humbling to follow so many legends in Chapel Hill. I know from the many Tar Heels in the NBA how special the Carolina Basketball Family is, and I will do everything I can to continue UNC’s championship legacy while preparing our players for professional careers and life after basketball.”
The Tar Heels have failed to make it out of the first round in back-to-back seasons, which is far from the expectation for a blue blood like North Carolina. Malone hopes to bring them back to the forefront of college basketball as they once were.
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