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There was always going to be something jarring about whoever North Carolina was going to hire as its next men’s basketball coach.
After firing Hubert Davis following a first-round NCAA tournament flameout last month, it was widely expected that for the first time in 74 years, the tradition-rich, arguably insular Tar Heels were going to get a replacement with no previous experience at the school as a student, player or assistant coach.
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Still, even with that assumption, the end of their search for Davis’ successor managed to raise more than a few eyebrows.
REQUIRED READING: Mike Krzyzewski says North Carolina’s Michael Malone will have ‘learning curve’
A storyline that loomed over the college basketball world for the past two weeks reached its conclusion on April 6, with North Carolina hiring longtime NBA coach Michael Malone to take over arguably the most prestigious and coveted job in the sport.
The move didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. Malone’s daughter, Bridget, is a sophomore on the Tar Heels’ volleyball team and, because of that, Malone has spent his share of time around Chapel Hill, all of which linked him to the job from virtually the moment it came open.
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There’s plenty of reasons to like the decision, too. He led the Denver Nuggets to the NBA playoffs six times over his 10-year tenure, highlighted by a championship in 2023. He oversaw Nikola Jokic’s development into a three-time NBA MVP. He was widely regarded as a sharp tactical mind who knew how to coach defense and push the right buttons at the right time.
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See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.
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See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.
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Publish date : 2026-04-06 21:24:00
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