The University of North Carolina is set to hire former Denver Nuggets head coach and NBA champion Michael Malone as its new men's basketball coach, according to ESPN reports. Malone replaces Hubert Davis, who was fired after four seasons.
Malone, 54, has extensive NBA head-coaching experience but has never been a head coach at the collegiate level. His hiring mirrors UNC's previous appointment of Bill Belichick for its football program, bringing a professional champion to lead a college team.
Malone led the Nuggets to an NBA championship in 2023 but was surprisingly fired late in the 2024-25 regular season. After not securing another NBA job, he worked as a broadcaster for ESPN.
At UNC, Malone faces high expectations to restore the program to national championship contention, a standard set under former coach Roy Williams. The search moved quickly due to the imminent opening of the college basketball transfer portal.