In a stunning move that signals a dramatic shift for one of college basketball’s most storied programs, the University of North Carolina has hired longtime NBA coach Michael Malone as its next head men’s basketball coach, multiple sources confirmed Monday.
Malone, who led the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA Championship and owns a career record of 510 wins as an NBA head coach, will take over a Tar Heels program coming off a disappointing season and the firing of Hubert Davis. The hire marks the first time in more than two decades that UNC has gone outside the legendary Dean Smith coaching tree for its leader.
The 54-year-old Malone brings an impressive pedigree to the ACC powerhouse. After two seasons as head coach of the Sacramento Kings, he spent a decade in Denver (2015-2025), where he compiled a 471-327 record and guided the Nuggets to their franchise’s only NBA title in 2022-23. He was a two-time NBA All-Star Game coach and earned widespread respect league-wide for his player development, defensive schemes, and ability to maximize star talent like Nikola Jokic. Malone was dismissed by Denver in April 2025 and spent the past year as an ESPN analyst before returning to the sidelines in Chapel Hill.
UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham had promised a search that would look “outside the family” after Davis was let go on March 24, 2026, following back-to-back first-round NCAA Tournament exits. Davis finished 125-54 in five seasons, including a national-title-game appearance in Year 1, but recent early tournament flameouts left the program seeking a fresh direction.
Earlier in the search, UNC pursued several high-profile sitting college coaches — including Michigan’s Dusty May, Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, and Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger — but all opted to remain at their current schools. Malone emerged as the choice after the program pivoted toward proven NBA experience, a growing trend as college basketball increasingly mirrors the professional game.
Malone also has personal ties to North Carolina. His daughter Bridget plays volleyball for the Tar Heels, and he visited Chapel Hill last October, observing several UNC basketball practices under Davis. At the time, he praised the team’s work ethic and improvement, saying the players were “getting better” and “coming together as a team.”
For UNC, Malone represents both a clean break from recent history and a high-upside gamble. He has zero college head-coaching experience — his last college role was as an assistant at Manhattan in 2001 — but his decades of NBA success, player-coaching relationships, and championship DNA make him a bold choice to restore the Tar Heels to national-contender status.
Malone is expected to be formally introduced at a press conference in the coming days. His first order of business will involve retaining key returning players, navigating the transfer portal, and rebuilding recruiting momentum in a landscape where NIL deals and immediate eligibility have transformed the sport.
After years of relying on internal promotions and the familiar Carolina family, North Carolina has bet big on an outsider with proven hardware. Michael Malone now has the chance to write the next chapter in a program that has already claimed six national titles — and he arrives with the résumé to chase a seventh.
