Mike Krzyzewski says Michael Malone faces studying curve at UNC like Invoice Belichick

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NBA champion or not, legendary Duke Blue Devils head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski isn’t too nervous about Michael Malone, who was reportedly employed to exchange Hubert Davis with the UNC Tar heels, getting this system again on monitor.

In spite of everything, Krzyzewski’s greatest rival throughout his illustrious Duke tenure was UNC. And he invoked Bill Belichick when requested in regards to the Malone rent throughout his look on "The Pat McAfee Present" on Monday.

"They'd an NFL champion employed because the coach, and Duke beat Carolina soccer this yr," Krzyzewski advised McAfee and A.J. Hawk with a smirk on this system. "That doesn’t imply coach Belichick isn’t a terrific coach, however there may be time for changes. It takes longer coming from the professionals to school."

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Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils appears to be like on throughout follow earlier than the 2022 males's basketball match Ultimate 4 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on April 1, 2022. (Jamie Squire/Getty Pictures)

Belichick discovered that firsthand final season, his first in school soccer with the Tar Heels. Whereas Duke completed with a 9-5 total document, and gained the ACC title, UNC was a paltry 4-8 with a 2-6 ACC document.

Additionally, as Krzyzewski talked about, Duke defeated Belichick’s UNC crew, 32-25, to finish his first season with a loss.

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After all, the college game has fully modified now, with title, picture and likeness (NIL) offers paving methods for richer applications to pay for the cream of the crop within the switch portal in addition to out of highschool.

Belichick and his workers will should be extra inventive, and maybe open the checkbooks extra, as this new school system continues to remain in place.

However soccer isn’t king at Chapel Hill – basketball reigns supreme. Krzyzewski is aware of this, because the Blue Devils had been normally pitted in opposition to the Tar Heels as prime groups within the nation combating for not simply bragging rights, however nationwide titles.

Head coach Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets watches the sport in opposition to the Golden State Warriors through the second quarter at Chase Middle in San Francisco, Calif., on April 4, 2025. (Eakin Howard/Getty Pictures)

Malone coached the Denver Nuggets for 10 seasons, which included an NBA title in 2023. Nevertheless, he was fired in April 2025, shortly taking a sports activities media function with ESPN one month later.

The Tar Heels, who fired Davis following UNC’s crushing loss to VCU within the first spherical of the NCAA Event, are taking an analogous route because the soccer program – a coach with a terrific monitor document within the professionals, however no head teaching expertise in school.

Malone was an assistant at Oakland, Windfall and Manhattan earlier than transitioning to the NBA with the New York Knicks in 2001. His first NBA head teaching gig got here with the Sacramento Kings earlier than cementing his spot in Denver.

Mike Krzyzewski hosted a Jimmy V Basis occasion in his hometown of Chicago final month. (Fox Information)

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"Mike is a terrific coach and a terrific man, there’s a studying curve," Krzyzewski added. "Regardless of the reasoning is, possibly they’re altering; they now have two professional coaches teaching in school. The infrastructure of their athletic division is now going to change into extra of a pro-organization, which I believe all people must be doing that. He is aware of how to do this, and so does coach Belichick. Perhaps it’s an indication that they’re shifting in that route organizationally."

Malone is hoping for a greater inaugural season in Chapel Hill than Belichick, who returns for an additional soccer season seeking to flip the tides on the gridiron.