Yardbarker
x
Meet Michael Malone's Daughter, A UNC Volleyball Player
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Meet Michael Malone's Daughter, A UNC Volleyball Player

Originally posted on The Spun  |  By Andrew Holleran  |  Last updated Apr 6, 2026 8:16 PM ET

UNC's hiring of former NBA head coach Michael Malone shocked the sports world on Monday afternoon, but those familiar with the ex-Denver Nuggets leader might not be too surprised.

North Carolina was linked to several high-profile college coaches, including Michigan's Dusty May, Arizona's Tommy Lloyd and Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger, but ultimately decided to go with Malone.

Malone, who has won more than 500 career NBA games and led the Nuggets to a championship in 2023, has a strong family connection to the Chapel Hill, North Carolina program. His daughter, Bridget Malone, is a women's volleyball player at the University of North Carolina.

No one was hiding that fact, but no one really knew about it until Monday afternoon, either. It makes sense that a great coach like Malone would enjoy a landing spot at the college level, where he can be close with his daughter.

Bridget Malone, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, is from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where her dad used to coach in the NBA.

Meet the daughter of the new UNC basketball coach

Bridget Malone is a soon-to-be fan favorite in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She's a sophomore on the UNC volleyball team and already has a pretty big following on social media.

The 6-foot-1 volleyball star was a standout player in high school, at Mountain Vista, before committing to UNC.

Malone has more than 5,300 followers on her Instagram profile, where she shares a lot of volleyball content.

She had some impressive accomplishments at the high school level, too, according to her official UNC bio:

  • Colorado All-State
  • Colorado All-Academic
  • USA NTDP Athlete

Malone has set some impressive marks thus far in her collegiate career, too. She has career highs of:

  • Digs: 6 at Boston College (10/17/25)
  • Kills: 9 at Syracuse (10/19/25)
  • Blocks: 2 vs Oral Roberts (9/7/25)
  • PCT: .500at Clemson (10/10/25) and Syracuse (10/19/25)

Bridget Malone will probably have a lot of new fans in her University of North Carolina volleyball career, especially if her dad can lead the Tar Heels' program back to a nationally dominant level.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!