UNC's Mike Malone hire is an odd move that might just work

When North Carolina fired Hubert Davis, I wasn't sure which direction they'd turn for a replacement. Apparently, they didn't either. The Tar Heels landed on Mike Malone as their new coach Tuesday in what feels like a fallback plan if I ever seen one.

But in the off chance it's not, and Malone was their primary target all along, I'd really like to know why. That's not to say Malone isn't a good coach, or even a great one. He's an NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets after all, and once had the Sacramento Kings trending up, which might be his most impressive accomplishment.

But the transition from NBA to college (or vice versa) hasn't traditionally been a popular or smooth one to make. So for UNC of all places to grab a career NBA coach with no ties to Chapel Hill is a complete shock. Even Malone was initially uninterested in the jump, admitting at his introductory press conference he had no interest in the college ranks and required a bit of courting to end up at UNC.

However, as much as this move has the potential to backfire, it could also work. With the professionalization of college athletics, where players can be paid and a coach's ability to recruit is less important, the move might have even been a tactical one by UNC after also hiring Bill Belichick to coach the football team last year. "They have now two pro coaches coaching in college," Mike Krzyzewski said on The Pat McAfee Show .