The University of North Carolina has made a surprising move to revive its storied basketball program, hiring former NBA champion coach Michael Malone to lead the Tar Heels into a new era.
Malone has over 30 years of coaching experience, but he has not been coaching on the college level since 2001. This makes his move to Chapel Hill both exciting and precarious. He led the Denver Nuggets to the NBA title in 2023. With the transfer portal opening on April 7 and decisions about the roster coming up, his biggest job right now is to stabilize the program and make UNC a national contender again.
Malone has spent the past 25 years in the NBA, building a reputation as a disciplined, defense-first coach who later proved capable of developing one of the most creative offenses around Nikola Jokić. Malone has ties to Chapel Hill through his daughter and familiarity with the program.
The University of North Carolina (UNC) men’s basketball program, founded in 1910, is considered a premier “blue blood” college basketball team, with 21 Final Four Appearances, winning six NCAA championships in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017. The Tar Heels, led by iconic coaches Frank McGuire, Dean Smith, and Roy Williams, developed multiple Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan and James Worthy.
The last time the Tar Heels won a championship was 2017. In 2022, they reached the Final Four and advanced to the National Championship game. This past season, they finished with a 24 – 9 record and lost in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament to VCU.
On April 7, ESPN reported that Malone signed a six-year contract worth over $50 million. Malone’s contract was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees, and he has already been introduced to the team and will begin working right away. UNC had its sights on several of the top college coaches, but they all chose to stay at their respective schools.
Ben Farmer, the Williston Varsity Basketball Head Coach, believes that Malone is a strong hire for the Tar Heels.
“Malone is a great coach. He has extensive experience and success at both the collegiate and NBA level,” he said. “With how much college basketball is changing, his NBA background will be huge, especially working with players dealing with money, contracts, and a more professional environment. I think his understanding of the NBA style of play and focus on player development will make UNC very attractive to recruits.”
UNC’s Executive Associate Athletic Director, Steve Newmark, states the UNC coaching staff is going to focus on developing players for the NBA more than ever.
“We’re extremely excited to announce that Michael Malone has been selected as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s head coach,” he said. “His modern and disciplined approach to coaching and player development will be a great asset to our program.”
Two of UNC’s incoming freshmen are already drawing national attention, with both ranked inside ESPN’s Top 300. Dylan Mingo, a guard from New York, is ranked No. 9 in the country, while Maximo Adams, a forward from California, comes in at No. 21, giving the Tar Heels a strong foundation of elite talent heading into the new era under Malone.
Sangwon Choi, a junior from Busan, South Korea, believes that Malone is a great hire.
“He just won an NBA championship not that long ago, so players know he’s legit,” Sangwon said. “I feel like guys who want to go to the NBA will look at UNC differently now because he’s coached at that level and knows what it takes.”
Coach Jayson Leigh, the Williston Varsity Basketball Assistant Coach, agrees that Malone is a was a good pick for the Tar Heels.
“Malone is a great coach. Winning a championship at any level is incredibly difficult, and doing it in the NBA says a lot about his ability,” he said. “That said, the college game is very different, so he’ll need to adjust to things like recruiting and roster turnover. I think he can do that, though, and his NBA background should be a big advantage, especially when it comes to attracting players who want to reach that level.
