The University of North Carolina intends to hire longtime NBA coach Michael Malone as its next basketball coach.<\/p>\n
ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported<\/a>\u00a0the news of Malone’s hiring. Two sources also confirmed the hire to WRAL. Other outlets have also confirmed the move<\/a>.<\/p>\n An unnamed source also told the Associated Press that UNC was working towards finalizing with Malone. The terms of Malone’s deal were not immediately available on Monday.<\/p>\n North Carolina has been searching for a replacement for Hubert Davis, who was fired after five seasons.<\/p>\n Malone, 54, won an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 led by stars Nikola Joki\u0107 and Jamal Murray. His daughter Bridget Malone is a sophomore volleyball player for the Tar Heels, and Malone attended five or six practices before the Tar Heels opened the season.<\/p>\n Davis invited Malone to watch practice on the floor and even speak to the team after practice, a vantage point that assistant coach Pat Sullivan said was reserved for family, Malone said on the “Carolina Insider” podcast in October<\/a>. Malone said “the amount of love and passion [Davis] he’s pouring into his players every practice has really been incredible to watch.”<\/p>\n Malone said he roots for all of UNC’s teams and had “fallen in love with Chapel Hill” from visiting his daughter.<\/p>\n Malone said his father, a former high school, college and NBA coach, always spoke fondly of former UNC coach Dean Smith and the Tar Heels.<\/p>\n The Tar Heels took big swings at Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd and Michigan coach Dusty May. Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was also on the team’s list. Lloyd signed an extension to stay<\/a> at Arizona, and May said recently he wasn’t leaving Michigan<\/a> for any college job. <\/p>\n May will coach Michigan in the national championship game Monday night.<\/p>\n