UNC head coach Mike Malone opened up about the differences between coaching in college and in the NBA.
The North Carolina Tar Heels hired Michael Malone as their new head coach after firing Hubert Davis.
Malone joins the Tar Heels after having a successful tenure as the Denver Nuggets head coach in the NBA. He coached the Nuggets for a decade, posting a 471-327 record, including an NBA Championship in the 2022-23 season.
Ahead of his first season coaching North Carolina, Malone opened up on the differences between college and the NBA.
"I was in the NBA for 25 years, and yesterday I was checking on classes," Malone said. "It's a completely different opportunity, but one that I'm embracing and excited about."
It's a major change for Malone, but he has done a great job thus far in transitioning to coaching at the collegiate level.
"People always ask me, 'What's the biggest difference between working in the NBA as a coach and college as a coach?' It's really simple. In the NBA, it's basketball. In college, a lot of times, the last thing is basketball."
USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectThis is a major difference between the NBA and college: in college, players attend classes, while in the NBA, players have their full focus on basketball.
Another change that Malone has faced is recruiting players to come play for the Tar Heels.
"The recruiting is the lifeblood of any program. You spend so much time trying to go out there and put yourself in a position where you can get the best players in the country to come to a school like North Carolina. I've not shied away from it. I've been in gyms since I've taken the job."
Malone is having a ton of success as North Carolina's head coach, and the team has a lot of promise heading into the 2026-27 season. The Tar Heels went 24-9 in the 2025-26 season and fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
With Malone taking over and talent on the roster, North Carolina could make a deeper run in March in pursuit of their first NCAA title since the 2017 season.
