Sports

Panic Led North Carolina to Settle On Michael Malone After Refusal To Wait For Top Target

#North Carolina Tar Heels
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© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / © Bob Donnan-Imagn Images


The North Carolina basketball program has found its replacement for Hubert Davis. Michael Malone will take over the team as it moves into 2026.

The coach boasts boatloads of NBA experience but was not initially viewed as a top target for the Tar Heels. After missing on a number of candidates, the school settled.

It seems UNC was too reliant on brand name in its coaching search. It fired Davis without having a sure-fire replacement in line.

Boosters might’ve forced the school’s hand by threatening to withhold support. The result was an uninspiring search that ended with a surprise hire.

Malone secured a championship with the Nuggets in 2023. He won 59% of his games across 12 seasons in the NBA. He’s been fired at both of his pro stops.

Ten of his campaigns were spent in Denver, with the other two coming in Sacramento. He was most recently relieved of his duties before the 2025 playoffs.

The move mirrors a hire made by the football team a year earlier. Bill Belichick, considered the greatest NFL coach of all-time, found his transition difficult in Year 1.

Will Malone struggle, too?

Michael Malone will coach North Carolina basketball.

Malone has college experience, coaching as an assistant for three different schools between 1994-2001. Much has changed in the quarter century that’s passed.

NIL and the transfer portal have raised the bar for immediate success. Coaches at blue blood programs are expected to buy talent while leaning on the logo.

North Carolina has money to spend. Davis was believed to have been given a $10 million budget in 2025-26. He failed to capitalize, seeing an early exit from the NCAA Tournament after a first-round collapse vs. VCU.

Davis was paid $5 million to leave Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels swung and missed on replacement targets to include Nate Oats, Dusty May, and Tommy Lloyd.

It has been reported that the program reached out to Iowa’s Ben McCollum this week after his surprise run to the Elite Eight this postseason. That, too, ended in failure.

As a result, UNC pivoted to Michael Malone. The Tar Heels refused to wait on another potential candidate.

Billy Donovan won’t come to Chapel Hill.

Donovan, like Malone, has been coaching in the NBA for the last decade. He, however, has national championship success dating back to his time at Florida.

The Gators appeared in four Final Fours during Donovan’s tenure, winning back-to-back titles in the mid-2000s.

There were rumors that Donovan had spoken with boosters and administration earlier this offseason. It is widely believed that he’ll part ways with the Bulls when the season ends.

North Carolina was a potential landing spot. Interest was said to have been mutual. He was the favorite to get the gig as recently as last week.

Donovan, however, wanted to wait until after the NBA campaign ended to make his decision.

The Tar Heels couldn’t afford to sit back. After missing out on top names, it worked quickly to get a deal in place. Michael Malone was the beneficiary.

College basketball insider Jeff Goodman says the school panicked after striking out with previous replacements. Given recruiting timelines that centered around the transfer portal, the Tar Heels needed someone in place to hit the ground running.

Malone is that guy. He will get right to work in Chapel Hill. North Carolina hopes that his hire brings success. Backlash is sure to follow if the Tar Heels get off to a slow start.