UNC Basketball: Marcus Paige joining coaching staff

A very familiar face is returning to Chapel Hill, as Marcus Paige will be added to the UNC basketball program’s coaching staff. 

During his time as a UNC basketball player, Marcus Paige became one of the biggest fan-favorites in the program’s rich history.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old is heading home to Chapel Hill, but this time in a coaching capacity.

As first reported by Adam Smith Inside Carolina, Paige is expected to replace Jackie Manuel as the program’s director of team and player development. He’ll join Hubert Davis’ staff, as he’ll bring plenty of UNC basketball experience with him.

Paige was a starter for the majority of his career at North Carolina, starting 139 of the 141 games he played in. He currently ranks as the program’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, attempts, consecutive games hitting a three-pointer, and three-point made in the NCAA Tournament.

Serving as Roy Williams’ floor leader, Paige was a three-time captain who made one of the more memorable shots in program history. If it wasn’t for an ensuing buzzer-beater in the 2016 NCAA championship contest, Paige’s acrobatic three-pointer would be talked about even more.

Paige is exactly what Davis is looking for on his staff. As he noted in his introductory press conference two years ago, Davis wants his staff to be Carolina guys, having the experiences that the current players will ultimately experience on their own.

Not many players can say that they have the resume that Marcus Paige put together during his UNC basketball career, as it’s no coincidence that his No. 5 hangs in the rafters of the Dean Smith Center. Now as a coach, Paige will look to help the program in a different way by helping the new generation of talent succeed just as he did on and off the court.

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