North Carolina is stepping into familiar territory with their basketball program like they did with football. The Tar Heels knew the risk of hiring Bill Belichick in that he could ditch Chapel Hill at any time for a return to the NFL. Mike Malone essentially has that same luxury as the head coach at UNC. Crazy enough, this could very well be a stepping stone for Malone to go back to the NBA. According to Pete Thamel, Malone’s annual average value is $8.33 million. That’s below the NBA market. 

Malone is the second highest-paid coach in college basketball behind Bill Self, who makes $8.8 million. There’s something that wreaks desperation about paying a coach with no head coaching experience in college like an elite coach — especially in the era of the transfer portal and NIL. UNC is desperate to get relevant in college basketball for the right reasons again. Going after Malone as aggressively as they did essentially gives them no way out. 

Mike Malone’s contract proves just how desperate UNC is for basketball relevance

There’s a reason college coaches don’t really survive in this modern era of college athletics. Players carry entitlement now that a check from the university hits throughout their school year, big programs poach the stars of mid-majors and the NCAA Tournament doesn’t have your typical March Madness darlings like it used to. For UNC to turn to a former NBA coach means they felt like they needed a big splash. 

But as UNC is finding out, pro experience doesn’t necessarily translate to success in college. Building a roster now might seem similar to the pros, but players aren’t really bound to contracts in college like they are in pro sports. That’s why giving Malone upwards of $8 million for his first collegiate head coaching gig is way more of a risk. 

Look at what Self has accomplished in his career. Not even Tom Izzo, Rick Pitino or Dan Hurley are getting paid like that and they’ve all won national championships. UNC is going to face a harsh reality if the Malone hire doesn’t work out. Moreso, they’re going to realize what they need to do for the next coach they have to hire if their current experiments flop in both football and basketball. 

UNC risking a one-and-done head coach isn’t how to regain its blue blood status

The only thing worse than paying Malone all that money when he hasn’t proven anything yet is doing that knowing he could be gone in a year — or sooner — and back in the NBA. For Malone, I’d be shocked if coaching at UNC is a long-term deal to him. This feels very much like the right time to try something new, build up enough early success that an NBA team comes calling. Former college coaches have made the transition to the NBA, so a former coach going back to the NBA is certainly realistic. 

Why would UNC put themselves in the position to possibly lose a coach one year after getting him? The Tar Heels needed to bring in someone who would build a program. I’m not saying Malone can’t do that, but programs aren’t built in one season. And if UNC has a solid season, there’s no telling if he comes back to continue to build on what he’s already started. That’s the chance the Tar Heels are taking with hiring Malone. He’s not motivated by money because he could make more waiting for an NBA job. But if he’s eager to get back to the pros, this is his shot to do that. He will probably leave UNC without any regret if he lands back in the NBA. Meanwhile UNC will be back at square one. 

There’s only a few ways this goes and for the most part, UNC is realizing the chance it took. Regardless of what happens, unless Malone succeeds and doesn’t want to leave Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels are setting themselves up for disappointment. If the football program is showing us anything, it’s that the former pro coach isn’t necessarily the best move and has more chance to backfire than it does work out. 

More NCAA men’s basketball news and analysis