By Doc Kennedy
With North Carolina introducing Michael Malone as its head basketball coach, the parallels to football coach Bill Belichick are obvious: both arrived in Chapel Hill as professional champions with zero college head-coaching experience. While the comparison is tempting, it’s ultimately inaccurate.
With Malone now in place and having “won” his introductory press conference, it’s increasingly clear that, despite surface-level similarities, these two hires are fundamentally different. Here are five reasons why:
1. A functional search process
The Belichick hiring was famously chaotic, hijacked by political connections and by a Board of Trustees led by John Preyer, which sidelined Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham. This time, Cunningham and incoming AD Steve Newmark led a more conventional search, employing a professional firm and an advisory council that included former players. While the pursuit of Tommy Lloyd didn’t pan out, the eventual hire was efficient and relatively clean, as opposed to the Belichick circus.
2. Malone was actually in demand
Despite being abruptly fired by the Denver Nuggets after a 50-win 2024–25 season, Malone spent the year in broadcasting and was actively being linked to NBA openings in Orlando and New Orleans. He had legitimate options, and still chose Carolina (after initially turning it down). Belichick, by contrast, had no such leverage. From the outset, his hire was widely viewed as a possible maneuver to position himself for another NFL job. That question may linger slightly with Malone, but there’s little indication he’s using UNC as a placeholder to get back to the NBA. Also, Malone is 54, one year younger than Hubert Davis and only three years older than Lloyd. He is not a septuagenarian nearing the end of his coaching career.
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More on Malone
— Read Michael Malone’s contract to be UNC’s men’s basketball coach
— Persistent Newmark wouldn’t take no for an answer from Malone
— Malone says UNC will play tough defense, rebound and be unselfish
— Malone reflects on Davis’ kindness last season, grace in transition
— Six early priorities for Malone at UNC
— Thad Williamson: Still Carolina? So it seems
3. This is not a vanity project
Belichick’s first moves at UNC defined the perception of his tenure. He hired a close friend as general manager, brought on two of his sons as assistant coaches, and stocked the staff with longtime associates, many with little or no college experience. Soon after, GM Mike Lombardi famously referred to UNC as the “33rd NFL team.” And that’s before any discussion of, shall we say, off-field distractions of the 20-something type. Malone has taken the opposite tack, immediately retaining key members of the current UNC staff and prioritizing assistants with deep college roots.
4. The pro-to-college gap is smaller in basketball
The differences between college and professional basketball are far narrower than those between college football and the NFL. While the idea that “college basketball is pro basketball now because of NIL and transfers” is overstated, the systems, terminology, and tactical complexity align far more closely across levels. NBA coaches are accustomed to working with teenage one-and-done players, and the global nature of the NBA creates additional overlap with today’s college game. That commonality simply doesn’t exist in football. Importantly, Malone has also committed to surrounding himself with college coaches rather than importing a staff full of NBA lifers.
5. Malone seems to ‘get it’
As part of his strong introductory performance, Malone showed a sophisticated understanding of the “Carolina Family,” acknowledging his place as an outsider while expressing respect for UNC’s history and culture. He referred to the Tar Heels he had coached in the NBA and the alumni he consulted during the process. He duly recognized Roy Williams’ support and deftly acknowledged Hubert Davis’ invitation to spend time with the team last season, and for Davis’ classy note of encouragement and congratulations.
Malone also came prepared. He spoke specifically about Carolina’s recent shortcomings, down to their struggles defending the 3-point line and the program’s most recent ACC and NCAA tournament championships. He didn’t fire staff members in the middle of portal season only to ask them to return later. And, notably, his remarks did not say his first words as a baby were, “Beat Duke.”
The bottom line
None of this guarantees Malone will succeed. Hiring a coach who hasn’t been on a college sideline since 2001 is a calculated risk. However, it is no more of a reach than hiring a rising star. Most importantly, despite superficial similarities on the résumé, this is not “Bill Belichick, Part Two.”
Doc Kennedy is an alum, longtime UNC fan, and former high school and college basketball coach who wrote this report for years on Tar Heel Blog.
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
Big difference! Bill was hired late into the portal process with no GM in place. UNC itself used the publicity to promote and raise expectations beyond reality. There is and was a campaign by UNC faculty to derail big spending on sports.