The UNC men’s basketball program has hired former NBA head coach Michael Malone, who led the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship, to the same position in Chapel Hill.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the news Monday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m., with Inside Carolina confirming similar reports minutes later. The program then confirmed the news Tuesday afternoon after the Board of Trustees officially approved Malone’s contract. Thamel reports that contract pays Malone more than $8.3 million annually across a six-year deal, which would make Malone the second-highest-paid head coach in Division 1 men’s college basketball. Only Kansas head coach Bill Self makes more.
Malone replaces Hubert Davis, who was dismissed after five seasons on March 24. Malone, 54, last coached in 2025 with the Nuggets and was fired just a few games before his team played in the postseason amid a rift between himself and the Denver front office.
“I am honored to be the head coach of the Tar Heels,” Malone said in a statement. “It is humbling to follow so many legends in Chapel Hill. I know from the many Tar Heels in the NBA how special the Carolina Basketball Family is, and I will do everything I can to continue UNC’s championship legacy while preparing our players for professional careers and life after basketball.”
In his own statement, UNC chancellor Lee Roberts called Malone’s hiring “a defining moment for Carolina Basketball and for our University.”
“Michael Malone brings a rare combination of experience across every level of the game,” Roberts said, “from roots in college basketball to an NBA championship that reflects both the evolution of the sport and the enduring values of this program.”
Malone has spent most of his coaching career in the NBA, though he did hold assistant coaching positions with Oakland University, Providence and Manhattan. After moving to the NBA, he served on the coaching staffs of the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Hornets (later Pelicans) and Golden State Warriors.
In 2013, Malone was named head coach of the Sacramento Kings, but he lasted less than two seasons with the team. The Kings with 28-54 in the 2013-14 season and started 11-13 in 2014-15 before Malone was fired. The Denver Nuggets hired Malone prior to the 2015-16 season, and he helped build the team into a contender. Working with superstar Nikola Jokic, Malone led the Nuggets to the playoffs in 2018-19 after missing the field in the previous three seasons. The Nuggets went 53-29 and won their first ever NBA title in 2022-23. They would win 57 games the next year and were 47-32 in 2024-25 when Malone was fired. It was the latest firing of a head coach in NBA history.
In total, Malone has a 510-394 (.564) record across his NBA head coaching career.
Since leaving Denver, Malone has worked as a studio analyst for ESPN. His daughter, Bridget, plays for the UNC volleyball team, leading Malone to spend time in Chapel Hill over the past year. The Carolina Insider Podcast made Malone its featured interview in October 2025.
UNC athletic director-in-waiting Steve Newmark noted Malone was “the first coach we engaged with” during the search process. Newmark said Malone’s “reputation as a selfless teacher and innovator” set him apart.
“He is a brilliant coach who will deliver a modern and disciplined approach to leading our men’s basketball program,” Newmark said.
Newmark and UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham led the search committee which eventually recommended Malone’s hiring. The committee also included Malcolm Turner, chair of UNC’s Board of Trustees, as well as former Tar Heel All-American Antawn Jamison.
“Michael has proven he knows how to build strong, successful teams that can consistently compete in the postseason and win championships,” Cunningham said. “He understands how to build rosters and coach NBA players — which is exactly what our Tar Heels want to be.”
Jamison appeared on a special interview with Jones Angell and Adam Lucas of the Carolina Insider Podcast to explain the hire. Notably, Jamison played for the Cavaliers briefly during Malone’s time there after being traded midway through the 2009-10 season.
“First and foremost, unbelievable coach,” Jamison said of Malone. “He knows the game. But what really struck a chord with me is the way he’s able to be very relatable to his players. He was one of the guys on the team that could really talk to LeBron [James], get him on board, get him to really fall in line.”
A press conference to officially introduce Malone as head coach will be held at the Smith Center Tuesday night at 6 p.m. It will be open to the public, and the school is asking fans to enter the arena at Gate A. Doors open to the public at 5 p.m.
Featured image via Bubba Cunningham on Twitter
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