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North Carolina hired former NBA championship coach Michael Malone, who most recently led the Denver Nuggets, on Monday.
Malone is the winningest coach in Nuggets history and guided Denver to its first NBA title in 2023. But he was not the Tar Heels’ first offer. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd emerged as UNC’s primary target, but he never received a formal offer.
That distinction belongs to Iowa head coach Ben McCollum. McCollum, who led the Hawkeyes to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1987, turned down a chance to interview, according to CBS Sports college basketball reporter Matt Norlander.
McCollum stayed in touch with UNC last week as the search unfolded, according to sources. The school hoped to meet with him in person Sunday for a formal interview, but he declined in order to remain at Iowa. As other candidates withdrew from consideration, Malone’s candidacy gathered momentum over the next 18 hours.
McCollum would have been an excellent hire had he decided to move forward. He turned Northwest Missouri State into a Division II powerhouse, delivered Drake’s first NCAA Tournament win in more than 50 years last season, then took over at Iowa and carried the program to its deepest run in nearly 40 years.
Still, it was always going to be difficult to pull McCollum out of his hometown, and his family would have faced a fourth consecutive season of moving.
Malone, however, is a strong hire because of his NBA pedigree, and he already has some familiarity with Chapel Hill. He has spent time on campus visiting his daughter, Bridget, a member of UNC’s volleyball team.
Malone is the first North Carolina coach without prior playing or coaching experience at the school since Frank McGuire in 1952. His daughter, Bridget, is a member of UNC’s volleyball team.
North Carolina fired Hubert Davis on March 24 after the Tar Heels’ second straight first-round NCAA tournament exit, an 82-78 upset loss to VCU. Davis finished with a 125-54 record, a national championship game appearance in 2022 and an ACC regular-season title in 2024.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Ben McCollum turned down Tar Heels' interview
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Malone is the winningest coach in Nuggets history and guided Denver to its first NBA title in 2023. But he was not the Tar Heels’ first offer. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd emerged as UNC’s primary target, but he never received a formal offer.
That distinction belongs to Iowa head coach Ben McCollum. McCollum, who led the Hawkeyes to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1987, turned down a chance to interview, according to CBS Sports college basketball reporter Matt Norlander.
McCollum stayed in touch with UNC last week as the search unfolded, according to sources. The school hoped to meet with him in person Sunday for a formal interview, but he declined in order to remain at Iowa. As other candidates withdrew from consideration, Malone’s candidacy gathered momentum over the next 18 hours.
McCollum would have been an excellent hire had he decided to move forward. He turned Northwest Missouri State into a Division II powerhouse, delivered Drake’s first NCAA Tournament win in more than 50 years last season, then took over at Iowa and carried the program to its deepest run in nearly 40 years.
Still, it was always going to be difficult to pull McCollum out of his hometown, and his family would have faced a fourth consecutive season of moving.
Malone, however, is a strong hire because of his NBA pedigree, and he already has some familiarity with Chapel Hill. He has spent time on campus visiting his daughter, Bridget, a member of UNC’s volleyball team.
Malone is the first North Carolina coach without prior playing or coaching experience at the school since Frank McGuire in 1952. His daughter, Bridget, is a member of UNC’s volleyball team.
North Carolina fired Hubert Davis on March 24 after the Tar Heels’ second straight first-round NCAA tournament exit, an 82-78 upset loss to VCU. Davis finished with a 125-54 record, a national championship game appearance in 2022 and an ACC regular-season title in 2024.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Ben McCollum turned down Tar Heels' interview
Continue reading...
