North Carolina didn’t make these changes to be patient.
After last season’s collapse, the Tar Heels overhauled the coaching setup with a clear message baked into the money: win now. Hubert Davis’ group looked outmatched schematically throughout the 2025 season, and those issues came into full view in the first-round loss to VCU. That finish pushed North Carolina to act, and act aggressively.
The search didn’t land on the first choices, but it eventually led to longtime NBA coach Michael Malone, who most recently coached the Denver Nuggets. The two sides reached an agreement, and Malone is now set to take over in Chapel Hill.
His deal tells you everything about how North Carolina views the moment. Malone signed a six-year, $50 million contract and will make $7.5 million in 2026.
That kind of commitment signals real belief from the top - and it also removes the comfort of a slow build. The Tar Heels are paying for immediate results, not a long runway.
Malone’s first major staff move was to target Martin, the former Arkansas assistant whose recruiting work under John Calipari has produced top-five classes in each of the last two seasons. Martin will earn $500k this upcoming season as assistant head coach, and North Carolina’s early haul in the portal and recruiting class suggests that investment is already paying off. His value, though, won’t stop with recruiting; the expectation is that it will show up on the floor, too.
The rest of the staff mixes continuity with new voices. Pat Sullivan, who worked under the previous regime, was kept on and will earn $390k in 2026.
Malone also brought in Bryan Tibaldi, who was an assistant at Providence last season, and he’ll make $365k this season. Sean May, another holdover from Davis’ staff over the last two years, re-signed and will be paid $344.6k in 2026.
Brandon Robinson, a former North Carolina player, rounds out the group and will make $125k in his first year in Chapel Hill.
The bigger picture is hard to miss. North Carolina has spent the last five years drifting into the background under Davis, even with a national championship appearance in the 2021-22 season, his first year in Chapel Hill.
Since then, the slide has been steady. Two straight first-round NCAA tournament exits have only sharpened the pressure.
That’s why these salary figures matter. They’re not just numbers on a page; they’re a declaration. North Carolina expects significant wins right away, and anything close to last season’s finish will be treated as a failure.
The talent is there. The staff is expensive. Now the only question left is whether Malone can turn all of that into real chemistry, cohesion, and the kind of basketball that actually matches the size of the investment.
In Other News...
Belichick Just Changed Where UNC Looks Strongest Entering Camp
Bill Belichicks first offseason in Chapel Hill has already changed the way North Carolina looks at itself, and the clearest shift may be in the second level of the defense. With the front office now in place and the roster mostly settled, the Tar Heels have spent camp prep leaning into the additions and returns that should make this group feel sturdier than it did a year ago.
The linebacker room in particular has a different feel now, helped by transfer help and by Abou-Jaoude deciding to stay put after drawing interest from several top programs. North Carolina also kept Shipp in the fold on a revised deal after there were real questions about whether he would test the portal, a move that matters just as much for the offense as the defense does for the overall outlook heading into the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
Belichicks Rebuild Faces Its First Real Judgment In Chapel Hill
Bill Belichick is heading into his second season in Chapel Hill with the Tar Heels still trying to prove the rebuild is moving in the right direction. The biggest focus has been on reshaping the offense, while the defense has remained the more established part of the roster, and that balance is about to get a real early-season examination against one of the sports standard-bearers.
For North Carolina, the matchup offers a chance to show the program is more than a work in progress, and for the opponent it carries its own stakes in the national picture. An upset would not just be a feel-good result for the Tar Heels, it would demand a huge showing from the quarterback and one of the best defensive efforts Chapel Hill has seen in years, which is why this game already feels like an important checkpoint rather than just another date on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Another Belichick Defensive Building Block Just Entered UNC's Countdown
Bill Belichicks first season in Chapel Hill has been about laying a new foundation after North Carolinas 4-8 finish and missed bowl trip, and the rebuild has leaned heavily on both the transfer portal and a strong 2026 recruiting push. On the defensive side, Steve Belichick has made it clear the emphasis is on development and learning, with the staff trying to stack enough young talent to give the Tar Heels a sturdier long-term base.
One of the more intriguing pieces in that plan is a defensive back who brings some real versatility to the table, having played both cornerback and safety. He enters the picture with a national profile that fits the kind of class UNC is trying to build, and while the path to a major role may not be immediate with veterans already in front of him, his arrival adds another important layer to the countdown of players who could matter most for the Tar Heels down the road. [Read more 🡒]