Following a first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, the North Carolina Tar Heels fired head coach Hubert Davis after five seasons.
That quickly led to a wave of candidates emerging for the vacancy, given it’s one of the most prestigious jobs in all of college athletics.
However, after several coaches withdrew their names from consideration — including Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May, and Dan Hurley — the Tar Heels have now landed on their next head coach just one day before the NCAA transfer portal opens.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, North Carolina is set to hire former NBA coach and champion Michael Malone.
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Malone led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship in 2022–23 and, as Thamel noted in his report, has won 510 games as a head coach at the professional level.
What makes the hire particularly interesting is his limited college experience, having spent only a handful of years as an assistant in the late 1990s and early 2000s at Oakland, Providence, Manhattan, and Virginia.
However, this may be one of the easiest times for an NBA coach to transition to the collegiate game, given how much it has evolved. With the transfer portal functioning similarly to free agency and players now being compensated, the adjustment may not be as steep.
For a program like North Carolina, resources shouldn’t be an issue when it comes to building a competitive roster. He will also be able to stay close to family as his daughter playing on the UNC volleyball team.
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