The University of North Carolina is expected to hire Michael Malone as its next head basketball coach, according to multiple reports on Monday.
Malone has limited experience at the college basketball level, last serving as an assistant for Manhattan in 2001. But what he lacks at the collegiate level, he makes up for with a wealth of NBA coaching experience.
Malone spent 12 years as a head coach at the NBA level, including 10 years with the Denver Nuggets from 2015-25. Malone’s first season in Denver was also the rookie season of Nikola Jokic, who would go on to win three NBA MVP trophies under his longtime coach.
Malone and Jokic led the Nuggets to an NBA championship title in 2022-23.
On Monday night, Jokic recorded a monster 35-point, 14-rebound, 13-assist triple-double in an overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers. After the game, he was asked about Malone’s new job with the Tar Heels.
“I’m happy for him,” Jokic said. “I think he’s going to do a really good job because he can actually coach the guys and teach them how to play the game the right way.”
Jokic’s reaction to the news drew some attention on social media.
“Jokic talking about UNC is a genuine dream come true for me,” one fan wrote.
“This all i needed to hear,” another said.
“Interesting that Jokic references the actual time allotted to coaching in college vs the NBA,” another added.
The Nuggets fired Malone with just a few games remaining in the 2024-25 NBA season, after the team had already secured its spot in the playoffs and less than two years removed from the franchise’s first NBA title. He spent part of this past season as a broadcast analyst for ESPN, but vocalized his desire to return to the coaching ranks.
Malone will replace now-former UNC head coach Hubert Davis, who was fired after suffering his second consecutive first-round NCAA Tournament exit.