Photograph per NBA.com
On March 24, the University of North Carolina dismissed head coach Hubert Davis from his duties. The decision was heavily anticipated following a confusing coaching display during UNC’s first round contest against VCU. Though Coach Davis was without one of the best players he ever recruited at Chapel Hill, five-star Caleb Wilson, his choice to stick with a six man rotation for the second half of UNC’s biggest game of the year was puzzling to say the least.
Davis’ rotations were not the only thing in question though, as he called his last timeout in overtime with nearly a minute left in play. Also questionable, Davis elected not to call timeout during a lengthy inbounds play which ultimately resulted in a five second violation and a subsequent turnover. Davis’ decisions in this contest should’ve come as no surprise to any Tarheel fans though, as he is the only coach in UNC coaching history to oversee two 15 point plus half time leads that resulted in losses.
The general sentiment on Chapel Hill at this time appears to be “good riddance.”
As of 2:00 PM EST, Mike Malone and UNC have agreed to terms for Malone to become the program’s next head coach. Malone hopes to join the elite company of Frank McGuire (1957 National Champion), Dean Smith (1982 and 1993 National Champion), and Roy Williams (2005, 2009, and 2017 National Champion) as North Carolina’s next coach to win a national championship. It would appear that UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham has a formula, if you will, consisting of nabbing illustrious former professional coaches.
Bill Belichick’s hiring in 2025 serves as evidence that UNC would appear to have a “type”. Though attractive on paper, Malone’s hiring presents a mammoth challenge for the 54 year old. Despite an impressive NBA resume — 2023 NBA Champion and 500+ coaching wins — Malone has only ever served as an assistant coach in an NCAA context.
With the portal opening in a few hours and an ever-changing NIL landscape, Malone has been thrust into a compromising position. We will see how he reacts.
