What North Carolina’s Coaching Staff Salary Means

The Tar Heels are expecting great things in 2026. Here is what you should know about the coaching staff.

Mar 27, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The North Carolina Tar Heels logo on the video board during practice prior to NCAA Tournament at West Regional at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

After what transpired last season, it was the right time for the North Carolina Tar Heels to make seismic changes on the coaching staff.

Throughout the 2025 season, it was apparent that the Tar Heels were outmatched schematically under Hubert Davis, especially against formidable competition. Those glaring concerns and shortcomings were exposed in the Tar Heels' first-round exit at the hands of VCU.

After missing out on their initial preferred targets, North Carolina zeroed in on longtime NBA head coach Michael Malone, who had last coached the Denver Nuggets. The two parties eventually agreed to terms, making Malone North Carolina's next head coach.

The Tar Heels' brass invested plenty of resources into the roster, but we are going to focus on the coaches' salaries and the narratives created by the figures of the contracts.

Michael Malone

Feb 11, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The 54-year-old head coach signed a six-year, $50 million contract with North Carolina and is set to earn $7.5 million in 2026.

By these numbers, it is apparent that the Tar Heels' brass has immense confidence in Malone's ability to turn things around immediately. While it is always a good feeling for a coach to be supported by the front office, as reflected in the amount of money invested in the head coach and roster, it also means there will not be a grace period. North Carolina expects to win significant games right away.

Chuck Martin

Nov 13, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks assistant coach Chuck Martin looks on as head coach John Calipari reacts to a non call in the second half against the Troy Trojans at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 65-49. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Malone identified Martin as his top target to join the coaching staff, as the former Arkansas assistant coach has produced top-five recruiting classes in each of the last two seasons under John Calipari.

Martin will earn $500k this upcoming season as the assistant head coach, and so far, that price tag has been worth it, as North Carolina has accumulated elite talent via the transfer portal and recruiting class. Additionally, Martin's effectiveness and impact will extend into the on-court performance.

Other Assistant Coaches

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the North Carolina Tar Heels logo on the shorts of forward Caleb Wilson (8) during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pat Sullivan served under the previous regime, and Malone retained the veteran coach, who will earn $390k in 2026. Malone hired Bryan Tibaldi, who formerly served as an assistant coach at Providence last season.

He will earn $365k this season. Sean May, who also worked with Davis over the last two seasons, re-signed with North Carolina and will be paid $344.6k in 2026. Then there is Brandon Robinson, a former North Carolina player, who will make $125k in his first year in Chapel Hill.

Overall Takeaways

Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; View of the team logos in a hallway after the game between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. North Carolina defeated Gonzaga 71-65. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite being a blue-blood program, North Carolina has slipped into the background as an afterthought in college basketball over the last five years under Davis. Yes, the Tar Heels reached the national championship in the 2021-22 season, which was his first year in Chapel Hill, but since then, it has been a steady decline.

Evidently, the Tar Heels have been eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament in two consecutive seasons. These total investments indicate that North Carolina's brass expects immediate results, and anything remotely close to last season's finish will be viewed as an outright failure.

At the moment, I am supremely confident in Malone and his staff, but the product on the court remains to be seen. Possessing surplus talent is never a negative, but it is also not everything. We have seen elite teams fall short of their goals in recent memory. Success comes down to establishing chemistry and cohesion, with coaching maximizing the talent on the floor.