Former UNC coaching legend led Michael Malone to Chapel Hill

Arguably the greatest coach in UNC men's basketball history, Roy Williams still delivers a lasting impact on his longtime program today.

That impact includes playing a large role in North Carolina hiring its now-head coach, Michael Malone, who spent 12 seasons as an NBA boss.

During a Tuesday interview with college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Malone revealed he turned down the Tar Heels' job three times before talking to Ol' Roy.

“Coach Williams had a lot to do with me taking this job,” Malone said via Tar Heel Tribune's R.L. Bynum. “I like to say I turned the job down three times, and I felt finally at peace about that, and I was going to stay in the NBA and continue my NBA journey. And I had a couple of great conversations with Hall of Famer Coach Roy Williams, and I had just met him. I just got to know him, but I feel like I’ve known him for years. Coach Williams has that kind of impact on you."

Williams won 485 games across his 18 seasons at UNC's head coach, highlighted by the 2005, 2009 and 2017 National Championships. Upon stepping down, Williams turned his program over to longtime assistant Hubert Davis, whom North Carolina fired shortly after its latest NCAA Tournament disappointment.

Malone won 510 games across his 12 seasons as an NBA head coach, highlighted by his 2023 Championship with the Denver Nuggets. Malone developed Nikola Jokic into a 3-time NBA MVP and now, in his first taste of collegiate recruiting, has a strong roster on paper that should easily excite Tar Heel Nation.

Expect Williams to be in attendance for plenty of games in the Dean Dome. Will Malone become UNC's next great coach, just like the man who helped convince him to take the job in Chapel Hill?

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Former UNC coaching legend led Michael Malone to Chapel Hill