If the college sports world has learned one thing about North Carolina’s administration in recent years, it’s that it loves glitz.
A year after coaxing legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick out of retirement to run their football program, the Tar Heels formally hired Michael Malone on Tuesday to run their men’s basketball team. Just three short years ago, Malone raised the Larry O’Brien Trophy after leading the Nuggets to the first NBA championship of their 56-year existence.
Some observers chalked the move up to the financials of college sports—why navigate the buyout of a prominent college coach when an accomplished NBA boss was right there for the taking?
If you thought North Carolina acted with frugality in mind, however, let this report from Brian Murphy of WRAL-TV in Raleigh dispel your illusions.
Malone will rank among the highest-paid coaches in the game
Per Murphy, the Tar Heels will pay Malone an eye-popping $50 million over six years—or $8.3 million a year through the 2032 season. Brendan Marks of The Athletic reported that he’ll make $7.5 million in salary in 2027, with substantial revenue-share and assistant-coaching pools. The university will also reportedly owe him 80% of his remaining salary if it fires him before his contract is up.
The move would make Malone the second-highest paid coach in the game of men’s college basketball, trailing only Bill Self of Kansas. With Malone included, here’s a look at the 10 highest-paid coaches in the game (per this 2025 USA Today database), their accomplishments, and how they fared in 2026.
| COACH | TEAM | APPROXIMATE AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY | NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS | HOW HE FARED IN 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Self | Kansas | $8.8 million | Two national championships | 24–11, lost in second round |
| Michael Malone | North Carolina | $8.3 million (reported) | NBA championship | N/A |
| John Calipari | Arkansas | $8 million | National championship | 28–9, lost in Sweet 16 |
| Dan Hurley | UConn | $7.8 million | Two national championships | 34–6, lost in national championship |
| Tom Izzo | Michigan State | $6.2 million | National championship | 27–8, lost in Sweet 16 |
| Mick Cronin | UCLA | $6.1 million | Final Four | 24–12, lost in second round |
| Rick Barnes | Tennessee | $5.8 million | Final Four | 25–12, lost in Elite Eight |
| Scott Drew | Baylor | $5.4 million | National championship | 17–17, lost in CBC semifinals |
| Tommy Lloyd | Arizona | $5.3 million | Final Four | 36–3, lost in Final Four |
| Nate Oats | Alabama | $5 million | Final Four | 25–10, lost in Sweet 16 |
Note that ex-Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is on USA Today’s list, but he stepped down on Sept. 22.
Do Malone’s achievements justify his price tag?
His résumé is difficult to argue with: a 510–394 NBA record in the regular season, a 44–36 record in the playoffs, and the 2023 NBA championship. On top of that, Malone had a hand in one of the great player-development coups in world sport this century: the progression of center Nikola Jokić from a second-round draft pick in 2014 to a three-time NBA MVP. In a boom era for European talent flocking to play college basketball, are the Tar Heels betting that Malone will have allure from working with the greatest European player ever? That does not seem like an extreme leap of logic.
On the other hand, Malone’s salary is enormous for someone whose most recent college basketball experience came as a Manhattan assistant in 2001. Also, lest we forget, Denver fired Malone on April 8, 2025—and seems to have fared just fine with his replacement, David Adelman. North Carolina—which has not hired outside the so-called “Carolina family” since luring Frank McGuire away from St. John’s in 1952—is taking a considerable risk.
One thing is clear: business as usual is no longer acceptable for the Tar Heels. The ACC has been put on its heels by the Big Ten and SEC’s post-pandemic financial explosions, and as Hurley said in March, it’s no longer enough just to point toward a trophy case. By hiring Malone, North Carolina—a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament as recently as 2024—seems to be betting that it can remain vital in a rapidly changing landscape, where the line between collegiate and professional has blurred and the chess board can flip at any time.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Breaking Down Michael Malone’s Reported North Carolina Salary—And Whether He’s Worth the Cost.
