CHAPEL HILL — Creating a culture of accountability has been a priority for UNC basketball coach Michael Malone since he was hired to lead the Tar Heels.
Known for his fiery coaching style as an Irishman from New York, the 54-year-old Malone is never one to shy away from confronting his players. It’s a trait that helped him guide the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA title. It’s one he hopes will lead UNC back to the top of college hoops.
“I think a lot of people are afraid to hold people accountable,” Malone said Sept. 3 during his first press conference since being introduced as UNC’s coach in April.
“If you don’t hold people accountable, you don’t have discipline. If you don’t have discipline, what are your standards? What do you have? … If I ask you a question and you can’t answer that, that means that you aren’t prepared. If you’re not prepared, that means you’re not getting better. When you don’t get better, unfortunately the opposite happens, you get worse.”
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During his time with the Nuggets, Malone said, people often told him he had publicly called out his team during press conferences. The veteran coach never saw it that way.
“I don’t think I called my team out, I think I gave you an honest answer,” said Malone, who spent 25 years in the NBA, including 12 seasons as a head coach. “If we’re not doing what we need to do, that’s coaching. I am not afraid to coach my team, I am not afraid to coach my players,” Malone said.
Malone then referenced legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi while discussing the value of accountability.
“I think, and I think Vince Lombardi probably said it a lot better than I could ever say it. But deep down inside, the great players want to be coached,” Malone said.
“Deep down inside, the great players want to be disciplined and held accountable. That is just how I think you build a culture that has a chance to win and win at the highest level, and that’s what we did in Denver. And that’s one of the reasons I came to Carolina, because I think we have the same opportunity to do something special here in Chapel Hill.”
However, in addition to checking classes for the first time as a head coach, Malone is aware of the differences in dealing with college athletes and the importance of displaying love while instilling discipline.
“I think I have challenged myself to make sure that I am being demanding, holding you accountable, but also making sure – most importantly – that our players know that I love ’em and I care about ’em,” Malone said.
“If they don’t know that, and you’re being hard on them, that’s only gonna go so far.”
Emphasizing positivity and encouragement were among the lessons he learned from his father, Brendan, a longtime NBA coach who died in 2023.
“He taught me so many different things, but one of the greatest things he taught me was the greatest gift I can give any player is confidence. So I try to pour love and confidence into our players every day,” Malone said.
“You can do both. I can get on you, I can demand more from you, but I can also wrap my arm around you so you know I care about you and I have your back. When you do that, you have a chance to really build a deeper and more meaningful relationship, one that’s gonna last for a very long time.”
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Michael Malone’s championship blueprint for UNC basketball, ‘greatest gift’ for Tar Heels
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