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North Carolina announced the surprising decision Monday to hire former NBA championship coach Michael Malone, ending a 65-year run in which only members of the “Carolina family” led the Tar Heels.
Since Dean Smith was promoted from top assistant to head coach, every UNC head coach has been Smith himself or one of his former assistants or players. One of those was Hall of Famer Roy Williams, who guided the Tar Heels from 2003-21, compiling a 485-163 record with five Final Fours, 12 ACC titles (nine regular-season, three tournament) and national championships in 2005, 2009 and 2017.
While Malone’s hiring could have stirred tension within the Carolina family, the public response from program legends has instead been overwhelmingly supportive. Williams, a UNC alumnus who spent 10 seasons as an assistant under Smith from 1978-88, offered a strong endorsement.
"It has been a difficult time for UNC basketball these last few weeks and I truly appreciate Coach Davis and his hard work for our program," Williams said. "College basketball is changing rapidly and today is a great day to welcome Michael Malone as our new head coach. UNC basketball is special and I am excited to have him with our program. He is a proven winner as an NBA world championship coach and I am ready to watch his work as a Tar Heel. This is REALLY going to be fun!"
Malone, now joining the Carolina family, praised the three-time national championship coach and said he wants to ensure UNC remains a blue-blood program its fans can be proud of.
“I met him for the first time today, but I feel like I’ve known this person for 10 years — Coach Roy Williams and his beautiful wife, Wanda,” Malone said during his introductory press conference. “I really appreciate you guys making the effort to be here today. It means the world to me. And what became crystal clear to me when I talked to Coach was how important this university was to him, and I could feel the passion in his voice.”
“I’m not from North Carolina. I didn’t play here. I’m coming from outside the family to be a new member of the family.”
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: Roy Williams embraces Michael Malone as new coach
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Since Dean Smith was promoted from top assistant to head coach, every UNC head coach has been Smith himself or one of his former assistants or players. One of those was Hall of Famer Roy Williams, who guided the Tar Heels from 2003-21, compiling a 485-163 record with five Final Fours, 12 ACC titles (nine regular-season, three tournament) and national championships in 2005, 2009 and 2017.
While Malone’s hiring could have stirred tension within the Carolina family, the public response from program legends has instead been overwhelmingly supportive. Williams, a UNC alumnus who spent 10 seasons as an assistant under Smith from 1978-88, offered a strong endorsement.
"It has been a difficult time for UNC basketball these last few weeks and I truly appreciate Coach Davis and his hard work for our program," Williams said. "College basketball is changing rapidly and today is a great day to welcome Michael Malone as our new head coach. UNC basketball is special and I am excited to have him with our program. He is a proven winner as an NBA world championship coach and I am ready to watch his work as a Tar Heel. This is REALLY going to be fun!"
Malone, now joining the Carolina family, praised the three-time national championship coach and said he wants to ensure UNC remains a blue-blood program its fans can be proud of.
“I met him for the first time today, but I feel like I’ve known this person for 10 years — Coach Roy Williams and his beautiful wife, Wanda,” Malone said during his introductory press conference. “I really appreciate you guys making the effort to be here today. It means the world to me. And what became crystal clear to me when I talked to Coach was how important this university was to him, and I could feel the passion in his voice.”
“I’m not from North Carolina. I didn’t play here. I’m coming from outside the family to be a new member of the family.”
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: Roy Williams embraces Michael Malone as new coach
Continue reading...
