UNC finally got their man! He wasn't their first choice, or maybe even second or third, but they finally have a head coach again after firing Hubert Davis, and it definitely most assuredly was NOT a panic hire made right before the opening of the Transfer Portal. No sir. Not a chance.
Michael Malone, who hasn't coached in college basketball in any capacity in 25 years and was fired twice as an NBA head coach, is the new savior in Chapel Hill, tasked with revitalizing a Blue Blood program that had gone dormant under Davis.
North Carolina fans would have you believe that this hire is about competing for national championships again, but it was obvious from Malone's introductory press conference that the Tar Heels only have one primary goal in mind: beating Duke.
“I love rivalries… I’m excited to be a part of that rivalry," Malone said. … I know that Duke is a program down the road and they’ve had success. But I didn’t come here to be second best, I didn’t come here to lose in the first round of the ACC Tournament. I came here to win and win at a big level.”
New UNC coach doesn't want to play second-fiddle to Duke
Unfortunately, Malone is going to have to get comfortable being in 2nd place out of two in this rivalry.
Because Duke isn't going anywhere. Scheyer has the Blue Devils positioned to be contenders for years to come. The March Madness meltdowns have been frustrating, but Duke has gone 70-7 over the past two years, advancing further in the NCAA Tournament than North Carolina four straight years. That 70-7 record includes a 5-1 mark against the Tar Heels, with the one loss coming on a total fluke ending in Chapel Hill this season.
Malone is a quality basketball coach. Of that, there is no doubt. But he's in for a culture shock after being out of the college game for so long, and Scheyer is going to make his head spin on the recruiting trail.