CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Michael Malone, a 24-year NBA coaching veteran who led the Denver Nuggets to a world championship title in 2023, is the University of North Carolina’s next men’s basketball head coach.
“Michael was the first coach we engaged with as part of the search process because of his reputation as a selfless teacher and innovator who brings an incredible ability to connect with players and get the absolute best out of those he mentors,” said Executive Associate Athletic Director Steve Newmark, who will become Carolina’s director of athletics on July 1. “He is a brilliant coach who will deliver a modern and disciplined approach to leading our men’s basketball program, which is critical in the current landscape of college athletics. Carolina basketball is unique and special – and we have hired a leader well-suited to continuing our championship tradition.”
Malone was recommended by a search committee led by Newmark and Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. The committee also included Board of Trustees Chair Malcolm Turner, Tar Heel legend Antawn Jamison and Rams Club Executive Board of Directors Vice Chair Vaughn Moore. Chad Chatlos from Turnkey ZRG Partners also assisted with the search. The Board of Trustees approved the terms of the deal Tuesday.
“Carolina is one of the most historic programs in college basketball, and I am honored to be the head coach of the Tar Heels,” Malone said. “It is humbling to follow so many legends in Chapel Hill. I know from the many Tar Heels in the NBA how special the Carolina Basketball Family is, and I will do everything I can to continue UNC’s championship legacy while preparing our players for professional careers and life after basketball. I offer my thanks to Chancellor Roberts, Steve and Bubba, the Board of Trustees and the search committee. I am proud to be a Tar Heel and can’t wait to get started.”
Malone will be welcomed to Chapel Hill at an introductory news conference at the Smith Center today at 6 p.m. It will be open to the public, and fans should enter the arena at Gate A. Doors will open to the public at 5 p.m.
“This is a defining moment for Carolina basketball and for our University, and it calls on all of us to embrace our shared responsibility to steward its future,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “Michael Malone brings a rare combination of experience across every level of the game, from roots in college basketball to an NBA championship that reflects both the evolution of the sport and the enduring values of this program. He has learned from some of the most respected coaching minds in the game and understands what it takes to develop players, lead teams and sustain excellence over time.”
Malone was an NBA head coach for 12 seasons, including 10 (2015-25) with the Denver Nuggets, whom he led to the 2023 NBA world championship and three 50-win seasons. He is the winningest coach in Nuggets’ history with 471 wins.
Over his last seven seasons, Denver averaged 50.3 wins, including a franchise record-tying 57 in 2023-24, 54 in 2018-19 and 53 in 2022-23.
Malone won a total of 510 regular-season games, combining two seasons as head coach of the Sacramento Kings and 10 years in Denver. His teams amassed five of the 10-winningest seasons in Nuggets’ history and his 44 postseason wins are 20 more than any other Denver coach has won.
“On behalf of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, it is my distinct honor to welcome Michael Malone as the next head coach of Carolina basketball,” said UNC Board of Trustees Chair Malcolm Turner. “Few programs in college athletics carry the legacy, expectations and enduring spirit of Carolina. That tradition – built on excellence, selflessness, discipline and integrity – demands leadership of the highest caliber. Coach Malone embodies those qualities.
A native of Queens, N.Y., he spent 24 years in the NBA. In addition to a dozen seasons as a head coach, Malone spent another 12 years as an assistant with the New York Knicks (2001-05), Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10), New Orleans Hornets (2010-11) and Golden State Warriors (2011-13).
He coached three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić in Denver and NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James while an assistant in Cleveland. His 2023 NBA championship team featured Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Among other notable players he coached in the NBA are Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul and Tar Heel alumni Jamison, Danny Green and Harrison Barnes.
“Michael has proven he knows how to build strong, successful teams that can consistently compete in the postseason and win championships – and he knows how to make everyone on the floor better,” Cunningham said. “He understands how to build rosters and coach NBA players – which is exactly what our Tar Heels want to be. We are excited to welcome Michael and his family to Chapel Hill.”
He also worked with some of the top coaches in the NBA, including Jeff Van Gundy, Lenny Wilkens, Mike Brown, Monty Williams and Mark Jackson.
While in Cleveland, the Cavaliers played in the 2007 NBA Finals, set a franchise record with 67 wins in 2008-09 and led the league in wins in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
He finished in the top five in NBA Coach-of-the-Year voting twice, finishing third in 2019 and fifth in 2023. Malone coached in the 2009 and 2023 NBA All-Star Games.
Denver won at least one playoff series five times and nine total under his leadership (the Nuggets had won five series in the previous 32 seasons).
Before joining the New York Knicks in 2001, Malone spent seven seasons in the college coaching ranks, serving as an assistant coach at Oakland University under Greg Kampe, at Providence and Virginia under Pete Gillen, and Manhattan College, where he was the lead assistant for two seasons.
His father, Brendan Malone, coached nearly 30 seasons in the NBA.
Malone attended Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey. He played point guard at Loyola (Md)., where he graduated in 1994, and was recently inducted into the Greyhounds’ Athletics Hall of Fame.
He and his wife, Jocelyn, have two daughters, Caitlin and Bridget, the latter a freshman at UNC, where she is a member of the volleyball team.
2026-27 Tickets
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Rams Club
As Carolina basketball enters a new era under Coach Michael Malone, The Rams Club invites Tar Heel fans to play an active role in supporting the program’s continued pursuit of excellence by making a gift to the Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund. Gifts to the fund support critical needs including student-athlete development, recruiting and program innovation. Click here to support.
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please visit ramsclub.com/coachmalone.
Excellence Fund
When it comes to Carolina basketball, the expectation for those invested in the program starts in the rafters of the Smith Center each season.
With the introduction of NBA champion Michael Malone as the head coach of the Tar Heels, this is a defining moment for the future of the program – and an opportunity to build on one of the most storied traditions in college basketball.
The Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund provides immediate, unrestricted support to ensure Carolina is positioned to lead in this new era. This fund allows the program to act decisively – meeting today’s demands while advancing a bold vision for sustained success.
Your support directly fuels the priorities that will shape the future of Carolina basketball, including:
- Investing in the Student-Athlete Experience: Delivering a championship-level environment through player development, academic support, performance training, nutrition and holistic wellness resources.
- Empowering Elite Leadership: Supporting Coach Malone and his staff with the tools, talent and infrastructure necessary to compete for ACC and national championships, year in and year out.
- Adapting to the Modern Game: Providing the resources needed to compete and excel in today’s landscape – supporting roster management, recruiting, innovation and emerging competitive advantages.
This is a moment that calls for the collective commitment of the Carolina Family.
Your investment in the Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund ensures Carolina not only meets the standard of excellence that has been created over the past 117 seasons but defines it for generations to come.
For more information or to contribute, click here.
