Michael Malone Leaving NBA to Coach North Carolina — First Outside Hire Since 1952

Michael Malone is trading the NBA for the ACC. North Carolina intends to hire the former Denver Nuggets head coach as its next men's basketball coach, making him the first UNC head coach without direct ties to the program since Frank McGuire in 1952.

The 54-year-old Malone won an NBA championship with Denver in 2023 and compiled 510 wins as an NBA head coach. But here's the twist — after Michigan's Dusty May, Arizona's Tommy Lloyd, and Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger all publicly committed to staying at their schools, UNC went with the NBA wildcard.

It's not as random as it sounds. Malone's daughter Bridget is a sophomore volleyball player at UNC, and he's been on campus throughout the season. The connection was already there. Meanwhile, Billy Donovan — the current Bulls coach — is reportedly already discussing potential UNC staff, raising even more questions about what Chicago's coaching future looks like after today's front office purge.