Michael Malone's new UNC staff hires were exactly what fans were hoping for

When Hubert Davis was relieved of his duties as the UNC basketball program's head coach, many wondered how the rest of the staff, one that featured all Carolina alums, would be impacted.

Marcus Paige left to join Wes Miller's staff at Charlotte, and it was rumored that Sean May was set to follow suit.

While the loss of Paige still stings a bit, the good news is that new head coach Michael Malone has found a way to keep three fan favorites on his staff moving forward.

Michael Malone keeping family ties on his first coaching staff at UNC

Sean May, Pat Sullivan, and Eric Hoots will reportedly be retained by Malone. Each of the aforementioned individuals was on the staff for the full five seasons of the Hubert Davis era at North Carolina.

May, the National Player of the Year and Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2005, has been a mainstay on UNC's coaching staff for the past 11 seasons.

Sullivan, who played on three separate teams at North Carolina that appeared in the Final Four, including the 1993 championship team, has been on the coaching staff at UNC under three separate regimes. He first worked on the staff during the Bill Guthridge era from 1997-2000, and returned to staff to serve as an assistant for Davis.

Hoots has been part of North Carolina's staff for the last 22 seasons, most recently serving as director of basketball operations and as an assistant to the athletic director. He was first hired by Matt Doherty and has been in Chapel Hill ever since. In case you're unfamiliar with Hoots' role, just read his bio to see all the things he's responsible for:

Hoots is the primary contact for former Tar Heel players and is the program's in-office academic coordinator. As the contact with the Student Academic Support office, he is responsible for monitoring the players' academic progress.  Hoots is also responsible for team travel and the team's equipment needs, including managing the budget, ordering apparel and serving as a liaison between Nike/Jordan and the basketball staff.  

All three are fan favorites at North Carolina, as Tar Heel fans are pumped to hear that they will be returning. When it became known that UNC was looking "outside the family" for their next head coach, the thought of losing the entire staff of former Tar Heels was bittersweet, but Malone is already making positive waves by ensuring that the family tradition remains intact even through this new era of Carolina basketball.