North Carolina To Reportedly Hire Former Nuggets Coach Mike Malone As Hubert Davis Replacement

The University of North Carolina reportedly found its replacement for Hubert Davis, and it’s a surprising name. Former Denver Nuggets head coach — and NBA championship winner — Michael Malone will reportedly be hired to run the program following Davis’ firing, per ESPN.

Malone, 54, has experience as a college assistant, but has never been a head coach at a university.

The majority of Malone’s head-coaching experience came in the NBA, where — after many years as an assistant — he finally was elevated into the main role with the Sacramento Kings.

Malone spent one-and-a-half seasons with the team, going 39-67 before he was fired.

He landed on his feet quickly, joining the Nuggets. After two straight years of sub-.500 basketball, Malone turned things around in Denver, and made the Nuggets perennial contenders in the West.

After a 46-36 performance during the 2017-18 NBA season that left the team just out of the playoffs, Malone led Denver to six-straight playoff appearances. The team lost in the first round just once in those six trips, often making deep runs in the postseason.

Malone’s time with the Nuggets reached its apex during the 2022-23 NBA season, when he led the franchise to its first-ever title. The Nuggets — led by Nikola Jokić — defeated the Miami Heat in five games to win it all.

But that didn’t result in much job security for Malone. The Nuggets made the playoffs against the following season, though lost in the semifinals to the Minnesota Timberwolves. With the team heading for another postseason appearance during the 2024-25 NBA season, however, the Nuggets shocked the NBA world by firing Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with just three games left in the regular season.

Assistant David Adelman took over and led the Nuggets back to the semifinals, where they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Adelman has the Nuggets in strong playoff position again during the 2025-26 season.

Despite his excellent run with the Nuggets, Malone failed to get an NBA head-coaching job in the offseason. He instead opted to take the broadcasting route, appearing on ESPN during the 2024-25 NBA playoffs and then signing on to join the network for “NBA Countdown” after he wasn’t hired by a team over the offseason.

This story will be updated.