I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think UNC hiring Michael Malone was the right decision. Oh, how things can change. Ever since taking over for Hubert Davis, Malone has done so much good for the program that it's hard to keep track of things. He's been crushing it with recruiting while implementing a needed accountability mindset. On top of that, he's delivering for the fans.
Just recently, Malone hopped on a podcast with Jeff Goodman and UNC legend Tyler Hansbrough to discuss the state of the program and so much more. During the segment, Malone didn't hold back with a special message to the fanbase, and you know what? It's going to be tough for anyone to be anything other than FIRED up for this:
Michael Malone's MESSAGE to Tar Heel nation 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) September 3, 2026
"I've never walked away from a challenge. Coming to North Carolina is a challenge... But this is a storied program, and I would've really regretted it, if I didn't jump in and attack this head-on to try and get this program back to… pic.twitter.com/iWOLb3xXkL
"This is a storied program, and I would've really regretted it if I didn't jump in and attack this head-on to try and get this program back to where all of Tar Heel nation wants it to be. Will it be a hard task? Of course it will, but once again I'm not gonna shy away from that challenge. We will not shy away from that hard work, and it's something I'm putting all of my energy, all of my efforts into to try to get us back to where we all want to be," Malone said.
Michael Malone won't rest until UNC basketball is back to a level where it belongs
Malone sure sounds like someone ready to help Carolina get back to the glory days. This spring will mark 10 years since the Tar Heels last won the national title, as few people have forgotten about the magical night when Roy Williams and Co. took down Gonzaga in a thriller. While we'd love to think the Tar Heels will push for the title this season, it's likely not going to happen.
Still, Malone and his new staff are hungry to help turn things around after some recent brutal seasons under former head coach Hubert Davis. This isn't a knock on Davis, though, who helped the Tar Heels reach the national title game in 2022.
Still, UNC barely snuck into the NCAA tournament two seasons ago, and then the first-round loss to VCU last March is still haunting plenty of people. This is something Malone is fully aware of, which is why he wants to make sure everyone is working overtime to build a positive future for the storied ACC powerhouse.
Come next season, the right pieces are in place, with Matt Able, Terrence Brown, Neoklis Avdalas, Cameron Fens (hopefully), and others ready to bring their A game. Again, no one is expecting North Carolina to win it all, but it's all about creating a positive structure and putting things in place to make that attainable sooner rather than later. With Malone's fiery attitude about making fans happy too, it must have people believing that not only is he a solid fit for the UNC community, but he's also got what it takes to restore Carolina hoops to what everyone knows it to be: a dominant force.
Add us as a preferred source on Google