North Carolina has picked its next men’s basketball coach.
In a stunning move, UNC intends to hire former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone, reports ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Malone coached the Nuggets from 2015-25, compiling a 471-327 record and winning the NBA championship in 2023. He has been at the NBA level since 2001, serving as an assistant with the Knicks (2001-05), Cavaliers (2005-10), Hornets (2010-11) and Warriors (2011-13) before landing his first head coaching job with the Kings.
Malone, 54, got fired by the Nuggets last April and joined ESPN as an analyst a month later.
Prior to his NBA career, Malone was an assistant in the college ranks. He worked under Greg Kampe at Oakland (1994-95) and Pete Gillen at Providence (1995-98) before becoming the director of basketball administration at Virginia for the 1998-99 season. A New York native, he accepted an assistant gig at Manhattan in 1999 and then made the transition to the Knicks in 2001.
Malone’s daughter, Bridget, currently plays volleyball at North Carolina.
UNC fired Hubert Davis in late March, just five days after the program was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in embarrassing fashion. The Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead in an 82-78 overtime loss to VCU, which was the largest first-round collapse by any team in March Madness history.
Davis was at the helm for five seasons, accumulating a 125-54 record and making four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the 2022 national title game.
Hoops HQ Is a Webby Award Nominee — Vote for Us!
We are ecstatic to announce that Hoops HQ has received a Webby Award nomination for Best Independent Publisher. We need your help to win the People’s Choice vote. Click here!
Meet your guide
