Michael Malone, UNC makes first major staff decision
· Yahoo Sports
New North Carolina Tar Heels' head coach Michael Malone is close to completing his first staff hire, with Arkansas assistant Chuck Martin expected to join the Tar Heels as associate head coach.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported Wednesday that the deal is being finalized for Martin to take the associate head coach role. Martin has 14 years of experience at major conference programs and spent the past two seasons at Arkansas under John Calipari as an assistant and the Razorbacks’ recruiting coordinator.
Visit chickenroad-game.rodeo for more information.
Sources: Arkansas' Chuck Martin is finalizing a contract to be the Associate Head Coach at North Carolina under Michael Malone.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 8, 2026
Martin --- who worked with Malone many years ago at Manhattan --- was instrumental in back-to-back top-five recruiting classes for the Razorbacks.
“As I hire my staff, I want to hire guys that have great contacts, not only in the country, but around the world, so we can continue to bring the best players here and help them develop so we can field the best team,” Malone said Tuesday.
Before following Calipari to Arkansas, Martin spent the 2023-24 season on his staff at Kentucky. The Wildcats signed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class that cycle, according to both 247Sports and On3.
At Arkansas, each of Martin’s recruiting classes has ranked in the national top five. The Razorbacks’ 2026 class is currently listed at No. 2 in the country.
Martin has more than 25 years of college coaching experience. Prior to his recent stops with Calipari, he worked as an assistant at Oregon, South Carolina, Indiana, Memphis, St. John’s, Drexel, UMass and Manhattan.
He also has a previous connection to Malone: the two were on Bobby Gonzalez’s staff at Manhattan during the 1999-2000 season.
Martin’s only head coaching job came at Marist from 2008-13, where he went 41-118 before being dismissed. He then spent the 2013-14 season as a scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Tar Heels add Chuck Martin as associate head coach