04/06/26 06:33:00
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04/06 18:32 CDT North Carolina working to finalize deal to hire Michael Malone
as basketball coach, AP source says
North Carolina working to finalize deal to hire Michael Malone as basketball
coach, AP source says
By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer
North Carolina is working toward finalizing a deal with NBA
championship-winning coach Michael Malone to lead the Tar Heels' basketball
program, a person with knowledge of the situation said Monday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the
school hasn't publicly discussed its search. Malone would replace Hubert Davis,
who was fired March 24 after five seasons as the successor to retired Hall of
Famer Roy Williams.
ESPN was the first to report UNC moving toward hiring Malone.
The 54-year-old Malone spent 12 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, including a
10-year run in Denver. He led the Nuggets to the 2023 championship behind
three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets fired Malone last spring with less than a week left in that regular
season. Almost a year to the day later in another surprise move, Malone is on
the verge of taking over a blue-blood program with six national titles, a
record 21 appearances in the Final Four and alums including Michael Jordan,
James Worthy Vince Carter and Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring leader
Tyler Hansbrough.
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