New NBA Rumors Reveal Michael Malone Eyed by Team for HC Job Before UNC Hire

Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone is heading to Chapel Hill for his first collegiate job in more than two decades, but he reportedly could have had the chance to stay in the NBA.

Before taking the North Carolina job, Malone was a top target in the New Orleans Pelicans' head coaching search, per On3's Pete Nakos.

Malone last coached at the collegiate level in 2001 when he was an assistant for Manhattan. He's been in the NBA since the 2001-02 season, serving as an assistant coach for various squads.

Malone was the head coach of the Sacramento Kings from 2013 to 2014 before taking over in Denver in 2015.

As the coach of the Nuggets, Malone reached the playoffs six times, winning Denver its first title in franchise history in 2023. Last year, despite having the Nuggets in playoff position, Malone was fired 79 games into the season, a decision that stunned many around the league. Denver was 47-32 at the time of his firing.

"Everyone was shocked by the timing of this," ESPN's Shams Charania said at the time. "That included Michael Malone, Calvin Booth themselves. The players, I'm told, had a meeting where Josh Kroenke addressed them after the dismissal. He decided to flip the culture, didn't want to wait. He wanted to inject some life into this team going into the playoffs."

Malone didn't land an NBA job last offseason, but it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he would be back on the sidelines. Many likely assumed that he'd be working for an NBA team rather than a college team, though.

While the hiring might be a bit surprising from an NBA standpoint, it isn't all that shocking considering what we knew about UNC's coaching search.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello noted shortly after Hubert Davis' firing that the Tar Heels were expected "to take some massive swings." Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports added that North Carolina could hire someone "outside of the Tar Heels' family."

Malone is the first UNC head coach without ties to the program in 74 years.

College basketball is starting to resemble professional basketball in a lot of ways, so getting an NBA veteran coach could be the best move for the Tar Heels as they look to get back to their championship-contending ways.

As for the Pelicans, they'll have to cross one potential candidate off their list.