North Carolina Lands on Stunning New Hire for Basketball Program
The North Carolina Tar Heels have landed on the program's next head basketball coach in the wake of the Hubert Davis firing. Almost one year ago to the day, Mike Malone was fired by the Denver Nuggets right before the playoffs. Now, he is the head coach for one of the most prestigious schools in college basketball.
Why Mike Malone for North Carolina?
The candidate list for Hubert Davis' replacement at North Carolina was lengthy and probably unrealistic. Billy Donovan was on the list still, but Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May, and Brad Stevens had already removed themselves from contention.
Only a handful of people thought Malone was an option. He'd never coached college basketball, only serving as a collegiate assistant 25 years ago. He was good in the NBA, but he also got fired from a team heading to the playoffs a year ago and hasn't coached since.
But the Tar Heels wanted to move quickly with the transfer portal opening before they could even interview Donovan. "With the transfer portal opening Tuesday morning, it wasn't viable for North Carolina to wait. Iowa's Ben McCollum and Baylor's Scott Drew were the next college names on the list, but the Tar Heels pulled a stunner and opted for Malone," Jeff Borzello detailed.
Ironic similarity
The North Carolina football program is in shambles right now, and the hiring of Bill Belichick, which has not remotely panned out, is a big reason why. That was a big swing, and it didn't pay off. The hiring of Mike Malone is another big swing. Time will tell if it pays off.
There's an eerie similarity that may give UNC fans pause. Belichick is a former title-winning head coach who doesn't have a connection to the school and wasn't actively coaching. He was also years removed from his last title. Malone is the exact same, though his last title was much more recent in the NBA.
However, there's a big difference that works in Malone's favor. He doesn't have to build a program. He only needs to manage it. Belichick was tasked with rebuilding a dead-end football program. The basketball program, while struggling a little bit, is in much better shape.
They could still land top players, as evidenced by Caleb Wilson's commitment, Henri Veesar's arrival, and Dylan Mingo's commitment for 2026-27. Malone doesn't have to start from scratch, and he's starting with a pretty good program.
What's next?
The Tar Heels have a head coach, but he can't do it alone. They will need to find an assistant with real college experience, someone potentially from a mid-major who would be willing to move up in school power but down in coaching hierarchy. They also need a GM who will run the money and assistants who can help in the transfer portal.
"Crucially, those hires should all come from outside the North Carolina coaching and player trees. Malone needs a fresh start with fresh faces and new perspectives to turn a storied program into a modern powerhouse," Myron Medcalf said.
On the immediate agenda, though, is the transfer portal. He'll need to try to convince Derek Dixon to return after declaring his intent to enter the portal. Keeping Henri Veesar on the roster is paramount, too. Beyond that, keeping Dylan Mingo and Maximo Adams, two five-star 2026-27 recruits, committed is key.
The Tar Heels can't afford to give Malone the keys to a program without coaching help or talent on the floor. Doing that with Belichick worked out poorly, as the former NFL coach hired a bunch of former associates who were not good at their jobs, and a talent-poor roster couldn't help, either.
