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. "The infrastructure of their athletic department, is it now going to become more of a pro organization, which I think everybody should be doing that. And the fact that [Malone] knows how to do that, and so does coach Belichick, maybe that's a sign that they're moving in that direction organizationally."

Maybe. Regardless, Malone still has to prove he can get the right players in the door and adjust his coaching style for college-aged adults. Then, make Final Fours and win championships -- this is still UNC after all. Oh, and beat Duke. Can't forget about that one.

Anything short of all that will be a failure. Which is why grabbing an outsider who has to learn it all at once was so odd.

Geno Auriemma apologizes again

Geno apologized again.

Following one bad apology and Dawn Staley's gracious call for everyone to "turn the page," Geno Auriemma issued a second apology Tuesday for his heated exchange with the South Carolina coach at the Final Four.

And this time he actually mentioned Staley by name.

"This morning Dawn Staley and I spoke about our interaction after the game last Friday. I apologized to Dawn, her staff and her team. I've lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday I lost something more important. I lost myself. ...

"Dawn and I have agreed to move on, and we hope the focus will shift back to the growth in women's basketball. The game deserves."

That's more like it.

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: North Carolina hires Michael Malone in odd move that might work