Malone Continues To Improve UNC's Coaching Staff With Stellar Hire

Less than 24 hours after hiring former forward Deon Thompson as a graduate assistant on Tuesday, head coach Michael Malone continued to add to the staff, bringing in Bryan Tibaldi.

Tibaldi has extensive experience at the NBA level and at high-profile college programs. Last season, the 41-year-old coach served as an assistant at Providence, ironically under Kim English, who originally joined North Carolina this offseason before backing out of the deal days after. Tibaldi offers another perspective on the staff that should benefit the players. Here is what he said last offseason about his coaching tactics.

What Tibaldi Said

Apr 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

“I’ll always use that video background and that skill in my coaching,” Tibaldi explained. “It’s going to be a part of my coaching. I think it’s the best teaching tool. Everyone says, obviously, the film doesn’t lie. But also, catching our players doing things right and showing them what that looks like."

"From the standpoint of teaching, I think film, especially now even more so because guys are more visual than ever before," Tibaldi continued. "I think you’re always using that to supplement your identity that you’re trying to form on a day‑to‑day basis, the habits that you’re trying to build, and also your principles of play, too.”

Mar 24, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone gestures in the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

With NIL and player movement, Tibaldi feels film study is more important than ever, as players switch systems every year.

“From that first standpoint, just the day‑to‑day teaching, growth and improvement, we’re going to use film a lot,” Tibaldi said. “And then, from an evaluation standpoint, absolutely, it’s a narrow window in the spring and so you have to try to accelerate your knowledge of these guys."

"Film is certainly the best quick solution to that, just to try to speed up your learning curve and evaluate whether guys would be a fit, what they can do, what they’re bringing to your program. And then certainly you’ve got to do all the background work and intel to try to understand the person that you’re bringing into the program, too.”

Overall Thoughts

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) celebrates after a play against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Considering that Malone's roster construction has revolved around developmental players, this is a terrific hire by the 54-year-old head coach. Tibaldi has a knack for expediting the development process, and with the amount of pressure surrounding North Carolina next season, that could be a monumental influence on the sidelines.

The Tar Heels have been up against it this offseason, but Malone and the administration have done a tremendous job of assembling a well-rounded coaching and personnel department.

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