With the college basketball season wrapped up and Michigan crowned national champion after defeating UConn on Monday night, the sport has shifted into the offseason.
One of the early winners is North Carolina, which hired former NBA championship coach Michael Malone as its new head coach. WWhile some have compared the move to North Carolina’s decision to hire Bill Belichick as head coach, Malone is a more logical fit, still firmly in the prime of his coaching career while Belichick is at the end of his.
UNC has also benefited from the praise Malone has received from former Tar Heel players, his former ESPN colleagues and coaches across the sport.
With that in mind, here are some reasons the hire looks like a home run for North Carolina, along with some fair and reasonable concerns.
Why It’s a Slam Dunk
Malone spent 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets, compiling a 510-394 record. He went 39-67 in just over one season with Sacramento before moving on to Denver, where he coached for 10 years and posted a 471-327 mark. With the Nuggets, he guided the franchise to its first NBA championship in 2023, reached the conference finals twice and advanced to the conference semifinals five times.
Under Malone, the Nuggets finished first in the Western Conference three times and second three times. He was dismissed late in the 2024-25 season despite a 47-32 record, following a power struggle with general manager Calvin Booth, a conflict that ultimately resulted in both losing their jobs.
Malone played a pivotal role in transforming Nikola Jokic from an overlooked second-round draft pick into a three-time MVP and one of the greatest big men in NBA history. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. also developed steadily under his guidance and were central to the Nuggets’ 2023 title run.
Things to Worry About
Malone’s early coaching years came as an assistant at Oakland, Providence, Virginia and Manhattan, but he has not coached at the college level since 2001. That gap raises questions about how he will adjust to recruiting after more than 25 years away, especially in an era when NIL and the transfer portal shape rosters and four-year players at one school are increasingly rare.
There are also questions about how Malone will handle coaching college players after spending so long with professionals. His ability to connect with players, communicate with boosters and university leaders, and manage the travel and demands of recruiting will be closely watched.
The biggest concern, though, is how long Malone might stay. One of the reasons his hiring at North Carolina was so surprising is that he was expected to be a hot commodity for NBA franchises searching for their next head coach. If he succeeds in Chapel Hill, it is hard to imagine an NBA lifer like Malone turning down a chance to return to the league should the right opportunity come along.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: The pros and cons of new UNC coach Michael Malone
