UNC makes coaching hire to replace Hubert Davis that will leave fans speechless

All you can say is... WOW!

North Carolina has found its next men's basketball coach. No, it's not Billy Donovan, who was considered to be the "favorite" once both Tommy Lloyd and Dusty May backed out of contention.

The next head coach of the UNC basketball program is...

Mike Malone hired as UNC's next men's basketball coach

Pete Thamel of ESPN was the first to report the news of Malone's hiring, an announcement that felt like it could've been fake. Given that all attention was focused on Donovan, this was certainly one that no one expected, even though Malone's name has been floated around in the mix since the job opening became available.

Malone, who most recently coached the Denver Nuggets in the NBA (winning a championship in 2023), has UNC connections, as his daughter is a current member of the UNC Volleyball team.

Now, Malone does have some college coaching experience, but hasn't worked in the college game since 2001. Since transitioning to the NBA, Malone made a few stops as an assistant before taking head coaching gigs with both the Sacramento Kings (2013-2014) and the Denver Nuggets (2015-2025).

Similar to Donovan, Malone doesn't have any players that will come with him to Chapel Hill, but he should be able to recruit well given his connection to agents who he has likely crossed paths with during his time in the NBA.

Of course, we all need some time to process this, as it's doubtful that anyone actually thought Malone would be the guy for the job. Did North Carolina panic as they waited for Donovan (given Lloyd and May already turned them down), or was Malone the guy all along, and we just didn't know it?

The good news is: this saga is over, and we can now focus on building a roster for next season as the transfer portal window opens up on Tuesday.

But hey, let's give Tyler Hansbrough some props: this dude nailed it with identifying Malone as a dark-horse candidate!