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Michael Malone got overwhelming support from the coach who succeeded him with the Denver Nuggets and the star that helped him win an NBA title. Nuggets head coach David Adelman, who succeeded Malone late in the 2024–25 season, said he was happy to hear the news that Malone was becoming North Carolina’s coach.
Michael Malone’s first North Carolina staff move is a familiar one for anyone who has tracked John Calipari’s recruiting machine over the past two decades. Arkansas assistant Chuck Martin, the Razorbacks’ recruiting coordinator and one of Calipari’s long-trusted lieutenants, is expected to join Malone in Chapel Hill as UNC’s associate head coach, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
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:
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.
CHAPEL HILL — No matter how deep you go in No. 6 North Carolina’s bullpen, the pitchers have consistently done the job. Even while resting two of the Tar Heels’ best relievers, that was the case until a late hiccup on Tuesday in an 8–4 victory over Charlotte at Boshamer Stadium for the Tar Heels’ eighth victory in nine games.
CHAPEL HILL — Michael Malone’s Denver Nuggets were known for torrid defense, and he says that it will be the cornerstone of how North Carolina will play under his leadership.
CHAPEL HILL — Steve Newmark refused to take no for an answer, and by the time he left Michael Malone’s house on Easter Sunday, the University of North Carolina’s search for its next men’s basketball coach had its turning point.
CHAPEL HILL — Here is Michael Malone’s contract to be UNC’s men’s basketball coach, which will pay him $50 million over six years, averaging $8.33 million per season.
CHAPEL HILL — Bill Belichick was grinning as if he had just won another Super Bowl. That is how North Carolina offensive lineman Christo Kelly remembers it. Kelly and a teammate were walking toward class when they spotted their coach coming the other direction, clipboard in hand, smiling wide enough to stop them in their tracks.
As North Carolina turns the keys over to Michael Malone, he’ll need to act on many fronts to quickly stabilize a program with high expectations. The transfer portal just opened on Tuesday, immediately putting pressure on him to address many pressing issues.
Michael Malone comes off very much as someone who gets what Carolina basketball has been about, and hopefully will continue to be about in the future.
North Carolina has turned to the NBA for its next men’s basketball coach, hiring Michael Malone, according to multiple reports.
Cormac Ryan’s NBA career-high of 25 points last week has only made him “hungry as ever” to prove he deserves to stick at the NBA level. On a night that RJ Davis’ G League season ended with a flourish and frustration, Ryan showed again Sunday why he should stay in the NBA, with 21 points, three 3-pointers, four rebounds and three assists in the Bucks’ 131–115 home win over Memphis.
CHAPEL HILL — After enduring its worst inning of the season, North Carolina’s bullpen shut down No. 22 Boston College as the Tar Heels’ potent offense ignited a gritty comeback. The Tar Heels overcame a four-run deficit to pull off an 8–7 victory Saturday at Boshamer Stadium to earn a series-clinching victory over the Eagles. Coach Scott Forbes appreciated the win, even if it came with flaws.
Can North Carolina make a splashy hire and lure two-time national championship coach Billy Donovan away from the Chicago Bulls with the help of another recent high-profile hire? There are many factors at play, but it could be helpful for UNC that Donovan is a longtime friend of Tar Heels football coach Bill Belichick.
