Michael Malone was officially announced as North Carolina men’s basketball’s new head coach on Tuesday in a press conference on the University’s campus.
The NBA championship-winning coach dove into various topics during his introductory press conference, including how Hubert Davis and Roy Williams helped him make his decision to join the program. Of course, Malone also addressed now joining college basketball’s most storied rivalry between UNC and Duke. There’s rivalries in the NBA, but it’s hard to argue that any of them are as intense as the Tobacco Road rivalry.
Malone provided an answer that surely will get Tar Heels fans pumped up for the future.
“I love rivalries. I’m ready to get into that,” Malone said. “... I’m excited to be a part of that rivalry. I want to add to that rivalry. I want to win. I know that Duke is a program down the road and they’ve had success. But, as I said earlier, I didn’t come here to be second best, I didn’t come here to lose in the first round of the ACC Tournament. I came here to win and win at a big level and at a high level.
“If you’re a competitor, that’s what you want. You don’t shy away from that, you don’t run from that, you run towards that. That’s how I’m wired, that’s in my DNA. Our team’s going to take on that character as well.”
Michael Malone on the Duke/UNC rivalry 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 7, 2026
“I love rivalries… I’m excited to be apart of that rivalry… I know that Duke is a program down the road and they’ve had success. But I didn’t come here to be second best, I didn’t come here to lose in the first round of the ACC… pic.twitter.com/4jbPWfu8Nj
Malone shared an anecdote about how his daughter Bridget, who plays volleyball at North Carolina, facetimed him after attending February’s 71–68 victory over the Blue Devils. He said he and his wife were at home watching the game, and jumped up and down when UNC won. It’s as if he was destined to be involved in the rivalry less than two months later.
The Tar Heels face the Blue Devils at least twice a season. The two teams can also meet in the ACC tournament or the NCAA tournament depending how the cards fall.
These comments from Malone come one day after legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski dropped a savage response to finding out Malone was hired live on the Pat McAfee Show. Coach K referenced the school’s hiring of former NFL coach Bill Belichick last year by saying “Well, they had an NFL champion hired as the coach and Duke beat Carolina in football this year.” The rivalry is alive and well in not just basketball, but all college sports.
Krzyzewski praised Malone as a person and a coach after making this mic drop comment. Coach K may never root for Malone while he’s at North Carolina, but he’s definitely a fan of him.
Duke vs. UNC all-time record
Since their first meeting in 1920, the Tar Heels hold a 146–121 head-to-head lead in their storied rivalry against the Blue Devils.
This past season, UNC and Duke faced each other twice, like normal. The Tar Heels won the first meeting 71–68 on a thrilling buzzer-beater from Seth Trimble, but then the Blue Devils got revenge and won 76–61 in their regular season finale.
Coach Davis finished his run at North Carolina with a 5–7 record against Duke.
More College Basketball from Sports Illustrated
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Michael Malone Addressed His Excitement for Joining UNC–Duke Rivalry.
