Everything Michael Malone Said After Signing UNC HC Contract, Reveals 'Amazing' Hubert Davis Message

Let the Michael Malone era begin for North Carolina men's basketball.

The new Tar Heels head coach held an introductory press conference Tuesday after he was hired to take over for Hubert Davis, and his predecessor apparently was rather positive about the entire situation:

"It wasn't an easy decision," Malone told reporters when explaining why he took this job over NBA opportunities. "This is the only college job I'd ever consider. Any other job, I wouldn't even answer the phone."

He also explained North Carolina legends had a role in the process:

Whenever a new coach arrives, there are always questions about the style of play he will strive for, and Malone addressed that issue when he said, "If you see us doing things a little bit differently, it's OK. Embrace that ... We're gonna do it our way."

He also added some more context:

Prior to the press conference, Malone released a video and said, "I just want to tell everybody I am so excited to be here, finally on campus. I cannot wait to get to work with everybody, get to know everybody. And, most importantly, I'm proud to be a Tar Heel."

Being the head coach of those Tar Heels means leading a program that has sky-high expectations every season.

And those expectations are there for a reason, as North Carolina has 21 Final Four appearances, six national championships and a long list of star players that includes Michael Jordan, Tyler Hansbrough, James Worthy, Vince Carter and many more.

While Davis made quite the initial impression in the face of those expectations by leading the Tar Heels to the national title game in his first season as head coach in 2021-22, the team has advanced past the first round just one time since that run.

This past season's first-round exit was particularly difficult, as Davis' squad blew a 19-point lead to VCU in what proved to be his final game.

VCU Rams-North Carolina Tar Heels Highlights

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Enter Malone, who was something of a surprising hire given his lack of overall experience at the college level. He has never been a college head coach and was last involved in the game when he was an assistant at Manhattan in 2001.

Yet it is impossible to ignore his resume as an NBA head coach for the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings, the highlight of which came when he led the Nuggets to the 2023 championship with Nikola Jokić as the team's star player.

Recruits and players in the transfer portal surely are familiar with Malone given his role with the Jokić-led Nuggets, and it will be up to North Carolina's new head coach to convince them to join the fold as he looks to return the Tar Heels to the top of the college basketball world.