By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Michael Malone knows well how tough the coaching profession can be because he was fired from his previous job with the Denver Nuggets. Taking over for Hubert Davis, it wasn’t hard for him to feel bad for the coach who welcomed him to practices last season and was so gracious.
Malone said that experience never left him, especially now that he is stepping into Davis’ role after his kindness last season.
“This is bittersweet,” Malone said. “Coach Davis sent me an amazing message [Monday]. But he allowed me to come in and watch, be a part of this family, which does not happen very often, if ever.”
Malone’s path into those practices, he explained, began with a simple request and a connection through former assistant coach Pat Sullivan, a former UNC player.
Malone said he contacted Sullivan after he was fired, when he found himself looking for a way to stay connected to the game in the way he values most. He was already in Chapel Hill frequently to see his daughter, Bridget, play for the Tar Heels volleyball team.
“I don’t have a job right now,” Malone remembers telling Sullivan. “I’m going to be in Chapel Hill quite a bit. I would love to be able to come up to practice and just watch you guys work with your players in practice.”
Sullivan carried that request to Davis, and Malone said Davis responded in a way that immediately set the tone. On Malone’s first visit, a manager escorted him into the Smith Center and seated him upstairs, where observers typically sit. Malone said Davis noticed and made a point to change it.
“Hubert looked up and started yelling at the manager, ‘No, no, down here,’ ” Malone said.
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At the time, Malone said, he did not grasp what had just happened. It was only after practice, when staffers pulled him aside, that the moment came into focus.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” Malone said. “After practice, they grabbed me. He said, ‘Hey, that’s really special. No one is allowed to sit down here.’ ”
That detail mattered to Malone because it illustrated how Davis viewed his program and the people around it. Davis was not obligated to share space, and Malone said he never assumed he would be welcomed beyond a polite hello. Instead, he was invited into the daily work, close enough to hear the teaching and see the interactions that define a season.
“For Coach Davis to allow me to be down there and feel a part of it, to have him invite me to speak to the team after practice meant the world to me,” Malone said. “I know that wasn’t something that happened to a guy who is an outsider.”
Malone’s respect for Davis, he said, grew from watching the way Davis carried himself and how deeply he cared about North Carolina. Malone described Davis as “passionate” about the program, and he said he could feel that commitment even in the small moments, the ones that never make it into highlights or box scores.
“What I loved about when I watched him, he was so passionate about North Carolina, and I respect that,” Malone said. “Here’s a guy that was putting everything into this program, into these players.”
He also shared a glimpse of the intensity that comes with that investment. Malone said there was a practice in which Davis was unhappy with the team’s energy or focus, and Davis reacted like a coach who felt every possession.
“There was one practice where he didn’t like how his team was practicing,” Malone said. “He kicked a can. He already apologized to me. ‘Coach Malone won a championship. He’s got to watch this.’ He’s a special person.”
It was a story Malone told, acknowledging the strain and scrutiny that follow a head coach. The moment also served as a reminder that the public only sees fragments of what the job demands, and that the full emotional toll often stays inside the gym.
When Carolina fired Davis, Malone sent him a message because he understood what was coming next. Malone made clear that he empathized and that his empathy was rooted in experience.
“Unfortunately, this business as coaches, this is part of it,” Malone said. “You don’t get a chance to see it through all the time.”
Malone said Davis responded with what Malone called “an amazing message,” and that the exchange only reinforced the respect he already had for the man he is replacing. Malone said Davis offered advice that was both direct and rooted in the program’s identity, advice Malone intends to carry forward as he begins his own tenure.
“What he told me was, ‘Treat this place with respect in regards to all those that came before you, and you’ll relive that every single day,’ ” Malone said.
For Malone, that line did two things at once. It honored the past, which is standard at Carolina, and framed the job as stewardship, not ownership. Malone did not present himself as someone arriving to erase what came before. Instead, he spoke like someone who recognizes he is entering a tradition that asks its leaders to be accountable to history and to people, including the coach who just lost his job.
That is the thread that made Tuesday’s introduction feel different from a typical first day. Malone still spoke as a coach eager to get to work, but the most revealing parts of his remarks were about Davis and the access Davis granted him when Malone had nothing to offer in return.
Malone repeatedly returned to the idea of being “let in,” and he described that access as meaningful not only because it helped him stay close to the sport, but because it reflected Davis’ trust. Malone said Davis extended trust to someone outside the program without hesitation.
The dynamic also sharpened Malone’s awareness of the responsibility he now holds. It is one thing to be hired; it is another to inherit a locker room that has been shaped by another coach’s beliefs, relationships and daily habits. Malone hinted at that reality without naming it directly, and he kept his focus on the human side of the transition, the part that affects players who are watching adults change around them.
In that light, Malone’s comments about Davis were an early statement of intent. They suggested how he wants to lead and treat people, and how he wants Carolina to see him, not only as a coach with a résumé, but as someone who understands the job can humble anyone.
He knows he is here because the program decided it needed a new direction. He also knows, and he said it plainly, that Davis was not a distant name to him, and not a stranger. Davis was the coach who gave him a seat on the floor, a view into the work, and a sense of belonging when Malone was between jobs.
That is why Malone did not treat the handoff like a clean break. He acknowledged the reality of the change, but he also made room for gratitude, and for the discomfort that comes with replacing someone you respect.
“I have to say this, Hubert Davis let me in,” Malone said again, returning to the line that captured the day’s emotional center. “This is bittersweet.”
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams (MAX-ih-mo) | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alex Samodurov (SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Former players at other schools
| Player | Class | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
UNC schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday, ACCN | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | 7:30 Tuesday, ACCN Extra | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday, 7 p.m. | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday, 7:30, ESPN2 | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday afternoon | at Georgetown |
| 15 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| 30 | Wednesday | vs. California |
| January | ||
| 2 | Saturday | at Boston College |
| 5 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | at Louisville |
| 9 | Saturday | vs. N.C. State |
| 13 | Wednesday | at Florida State |
| 16 | Saturday | vs. Stanford |
| 19 | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia |
| 23 | Saturday | at Syracuse |
| 26 | Tuesday | vs. SMU |
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
| February | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Notre Dame |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 8 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. Louisville |
| 13 | Saturday, 5:30, ABC | at No. 4 Duke |
| 20 | Saturday | at Wake Forest |
| 22 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. No. 24 Miami |
| 27 | Saturday | at Virginia Tech |
| March | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Photo by Smith Hardy
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