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UNC hires Michael Malone as next men’s basketball coach
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- UNC hires Michael Malone as next men’s basketball coach
North Carolina has hired longtime NBA coach Michael Malone as its next men's basketball coach, turning to the former Denver Nuggets leader to guide its blue blood program.
Malone, 53, spent 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Sacramento Kings and Nuggets, compiling a 510-394 record. He led Denver for 10 seasons, going 471-327 and delivering the franchise's first NBA championship in 2023. He is the winningest coach in Nuggets history.
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Malone left Denver on amicable terms after a power struggle with Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth, a rift that ultimately led to Malone's firing and, later, Booth's. Since leaving coaching, Malone has worked as an NBA analyst for ESPN.
Malone is the first North Carolina coach without prior playing or coaching experience at the school since Frank McGuire in 1952. His daughter, Bridget, is a member of UNC's volleyball team.
North Carolina fired Hubert Davis on March 24 after the Tar Heels' second straight first-round NCAA tournament exit, an 82-78 upset loss to VCU . Davis finished with a 125-54 record, a national championship game appearance in 2022 and an ACC regular-season title in 2024.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Tar Heels hire former NBA champion coach Mike Malone
