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Why UNC hiring Michael Malone over Billy Donovan was a better fit originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The North Carolina Tar Heels found their next head basketball coach.
In one of the most unconventional moves in recent years, former NBA coach Mike Malone is expected to be named UNC's next coach, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Malone won an NBA Championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 and has won 510 games in the league between two stops as an NBA head coach. He was abruptly fired by the Nuggets last year and replaced by David Adelman. There was no indication Malone was on the radar for UNC, making this move surprising but a good fit.
Michael Malone has a perfect background for UNC
The longtime college and NBA assistant got his first NBA head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings in 2013. He's the only coach to have LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Nikola Jokić on a roster during his career. Obviously, James and Curry came as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers and Warriors, respectively. Jokic won three NBA MVP Awards during his time in Denver.
The stint with the Nuggets was his most successful but ended with him eventually becoming a TV analyst. Malone surpassing the late Doug Moe for the most wins in franchise history. On April 8, 2025, Malone was fired, and the team also axed general manager Calvin Booth, 79 games into the 2024-25 season and two years after a championship run.
What does Malone being hired mean for UNC?
Malone is a pure player's coach. There will be a learning curve with the current NIL era, but his experience is cut out for this situation. Given how the exit in Denver went, for UNC to get a coach coming practically right from the NBA and coaching at the highest level is a hit.
Unlike Billy Donovan, who was rumored to be in the running, Malone has upside as a championship-level coach in the NBA. This was the type of hire North Carolina needed after being passed up by Arizona's Tommy Lloyd, Michigan's Dusty May, UConn's Dan Hurley and others.
Not to mention, Bridget Malone, Mike's daughter, is a freshman outside hitter for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels volleyball team, making this move one with family ties.
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