Trust us when we say you're not the only one who has been left speechless with the news that North Carolina has hired Michael Malone to be the new head coach. Outside of Tyler Hansbrough, perhaps no one was expecting this update to drop.
Derek Dixon makes quick decision UNC fans feared after Michael Malone was hired
When it comes to Mike Krzyzewski, it looks like even he was taken aback by this decision from North Carolina. As you'll be able to see in the video below, Coach K didn't hesitate in comparing this decision to the Bill Belichick hire, throwing shade at the Tar Heels over a loss to Duke on the gridiron last campaign. However, he also sees the bigger picture here, giving UNC credit for its 'pro model' that the university seems to be going in:
BREAKING NEWS: North Carolina intends to hire Mike Malone as the school’s next basketball coach#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VVDmFhbk8n
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 6, 2026
UNC hiring Michael Malone as new head coach has left plenty of people speechless
"Mike is a terrific coach and a terrific guy," Krzyzewski said. "There's a learning curve and if that is true, maybe they're changing - they now have two pro coaches coaching in college. The infrastructure of their athletic department, is it now going to become more of a pro organization? Which I think if that's true, I think everybody should be doing that and the fact that he (Malone) knows how to do that and so does Coach Belichick, maybe that's a sign that they're moving in that direction organizationally."
Leave it to Krzyzewski to be the voice of reason here a bit?
On one hand, yes, there are still some fans who are hitting the panic button due to the Malone news. We'll admit it without hesitation - he was nowhere near the top of our wishlist. Why didn't the Heels wait a little bit longer to see if things with Billy Donovan could get over the line?
Alas, with the portal about to open up soon, North Carolina decided it couldn't sit on its hands and wait for Billy D to be in or out, so a move was made to bring in Malone, who won an NBA Finals title with the Nuggets not too long ago. The haters are out in full force, ready to see him fail.
However, as Coach K mentioned, Malone is a great coach and a good dude overall. It's not going to be easy, but he could prove countless people wrong and get UNC back where it needs to be. Coach K won't be shocked if it happens, especially if the Tar Heels back Malone with the kind of NIL support he needs to be competitive from start to finish once the portal opens.