In a bizarre, out-of-left-field decision, the University of North Carolina has announced the hiring of former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone to lead its men’s basketball team, according to ESPN.
Malone had been out of a job after four straight losses in April 2025 that jeopardized their playoff spot.
He spent this past season at ESPN as a studio analyst for pregame and postgame shows in the NBA.
Malone is the first NBA head coach with no prior collegiate experience to take a head coaching job in the NCAA since former Knicks coach Mike Woodson got the Indiana job in 2021.
One of Malone’s two daughters, Bridget, is a sophomore playing on the Tar Heels’ women’s volleyball team.
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