For the North Carolina Tar Heel fans who didn't know a whole lot about Michael Malone before he became the men's basketball program's new coach, all it took was his introductory press conference on Tuesday to win them over. They started to understand why Denver Nuggets fans are still rooting for him a year later.
It's not only that Malone led Denver to its first-ever championship, although that's kind of important. His passion for the game, his energy, and his authenticity make it hard not to like him, and all of that was on display in Chapel Hill.
What fired up UNC fans the most, though, is when he referenced Duke, saying, "I didn't come here to be second best."
Michael Malone on the Duke/UNC rivalry 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 7, 2026
“I love rivalries… I’m excited to be apart of that rivalry… 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… pic.twitter.com/4jbPWfu8Nj
That's the Michael Malone that Denver knows and loves.
It's hard not to love Michael Malone's energy
Uncertainty swirled around North Carolina's future the past couple of weeks, with plenty of people questioning whether the Tar Heels still had the allure of being a top program in the country. Fans didn't think it could get worse than the team's first-round tournament loss to VCU after being up by as many as 19, but the coaching search had fans questioning everything.
Little did they know who was coming in their direction.
Malone stopped fans from spiraling by saying all of the right things in a way that made it clear that he meant every single word.
He talked about how there was only one college job he would consider — the one he has now. He said how much it meant to him to represent a program that's home to legendary coaches like Dean Smith. He got a little emotional when he mentioned his father, saying he wished he could've shared that moment with him.
Malone faces quite the tall task at UNC after not coaching at the collegiate level since 2001, but if there's someone who can do it, it's him. News of the hiring came out of left field, but when you think about it, it somehow makes perfect sense.
North Carolina fans got a glimpse at who Malone is, but that's all it took. If they're lucky, they'll get to see the version of him who is so happy and carefree after winning a championship that he lets two giants launch him in the air. They hope to see a version that does to Duke what the Nuggets did to the Lakers in the conference finals.
And it feels like they just might.