North Carolina Hires Former NBA Coach Michael Malone as New Head Coach

Tar Heels make surprise move to bring in Malone after striking out on other top candidates

Apr. 6, 2026 at 6:38pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a college basketball game in motion, with sharp, overlapping planes of royal blue, powder blue, and white representing the North Carolina Tar Heels.North Carolina's surprise coaching hire injects new energy and a fresh perspective into the storied basketball program.Greenville Today

The North Carolina Tar Heels have hired former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone as their new men's basketball head coach. The 54-year-old Malone, who led the Nuggets to an NBA championship in 2023, has no prior college coaching experience but brings extensive NBA expertise that the Tar Heels hope will help them return to national prominence after early NCAA Tournament exits the past two seasons.

Why it matters

North Carolina's head coaching search had dragged on for weeks as they struck out on top candidates like Tommy Lloyd and Dusty May. With the transfer portal opening on April 7, the Tar Heels felt a sense of urgency to make a hire and not miss out on potential impact players. Malone's NBA pedigree and championship experience make him an intriguing hire, but his lack of college recruiting and development skills raise questions about how he'll adapt to the collegiate game.

The details

After failing to land Lloyd, May, or Billy Donovan, North Carolina turned to the 54-year-old Malone, who has 12 years of NBA head coaching experience, including leading the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title. Malone has no prior college coaching experience, but the Tar Heels are hoping his extensive professional background will provide a smooth transition to the college game as they look to return to national prominence after early NCAA Tournament exits the past two seasons.

  • North Carolina officially announced Malone as their new head coach on April 6, 2026.
  • The transfer portal opened on April 7, 2026, adding urgency to the Tar Heels' coaching search.

The players

Michael Malone

The former head coach of the Denver Nuggets, who led the team to the 2023 NBA championship, is taking over as the new head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program.

Dylan Mingo

An incoming freshman with elite potential who could be a one-and-done player for the Tar Heels under Malone's guidance.

Maximo Adams

Another highly touted incoming freshman who will look to make an immediate impact for North Carolina.

Derek Dixon

A rising junior guard for the Tar Heels who could see a significant boost in production and efficiency under Malone, who has experience developing players with similar skill sets to Dixon.

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What they’re saying

“While the 54-year-old does not have any collegiate coaching experience, Malone has coached in the NBA for 12 years and led the Nuggets to their first NBA Championship in 2023.”

— Pete Thamel, ESPN Reporter

What’s next

With the transfer portal opening on April 7, North Carolina will look to quickly assemble a coaching staff and begin recruiting top talent to bolster their roster for the upcoming season.

The takeaway

North Carolina's surprise hire of Michael Malone as their new head coach represents a bold move to bring in an experienced NBA champion coach to help the Tar Heels return to national prominence. However, Malone's lack of college recruiting and development experience raises questions about how well he'll adapt to the collegiate game.