Up next in 10
Executive Associate Athletic Director Steve Newmark answers questions after the Malone presser #UNC
Apr 7, 2026
Executive Associate Athletic Director Steve Newmark answers questions after the Malone presser #UNC
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
components go into when you're looking
0:01
at a compensation package, what buyouts
0:03
there were and things of that nature.
0:05
So, you know, this this process was
0:07
actually not a difficult one. I mean, I
0:08
think once coach Malone and I came to a
0:10
meeting of the minds, it moved pretty
0:11
quickly.
0:12
>> You mentioned you mentioned like wanting
0:13
he the a coach of this university and
0:15
the caliber deserves that sort of
0:17
compensation to that point, the staff
0:18
pool, the revenue sharing allocations.
0:20
How important is that for allowing him
0:22
to sort of get off to a strong start and
0:24
UNCC continuing to lean into the modern
0:25
era? you know, we we need to provide him
0:27
the resources that enable him to
0:30
succeed. And I think we all recognize,
0:32
you know, we we talk a lot about NIL,
0:34
Revshare. That is one piece of the
0:36
puzzle. It's still coaching, player
0:40
development, recruitment, retention.
0:42
There's all other pieces that go into
0:43
it. We we fixate a lot on the the
0:45
economics, and I understand it because
0:47
it's it's new and different in college
0:48
sports. But, you know, it's it's our
0:50
obligation, the athletic department, to
0:51
equip coach Malone with what he needs to
0:53
be able to succeed. You said that you
0:55
reached out to him first. Why did you
0:57
think about going so far outside the NFL
1:00
box?
1:01
>> Yeah, I think we recognized when we
1:04
started this process that, you know,
1:05
we've had an unbelievable history
1:07
starting with Dean Smith and we've
1:09
always had an opportunity to stay in the
1:11
family and it has actually served this
1:13
university extremely well. That that
1:16
continuity and something that we take
1:17
pride in. I believe there was a
1:19
consensus at this time that we needed to
1:22
look broader. And so, you know, that was
1:24
something we had never done before. And
1:25
so, when you sit down with a blank sheet
1:26
of paper and look at every elite coach
1:30
in the country, college or NBA, it's a
1:32
it's a it's a pretty big list. And like
1:34
I said, we we really coalesed around a
1:37
small few at the top and that's where we
1:38
started it. Uh, you know, it's a nice
1:41
story for me that the beginning is also
1:42
where we where we ended. I think coach
1:44
Malone could have saved us all a lot of
1:46
angst if he had just after the same
1:47
conversation said I'm I'm I'm all in.
1:50
But you know we had a lot of help. I
1:52
mean you know coach talked to other
1:54
Carolina alums and I think a lot of that
1:56
really compelled I mean he kept saying
1:58
to me you know we would talk and then he
2:02
would text me and say you know I know I
2:03
said this but can we you know can can we
2:05
re can we re-engage? And so you could
2:07
tell it was kind of in his mind and he
2:09
kept telling me that his dad would have
2:12
been so proud because this is an
2:14
opportunity and to be the first non-
2:15
Carolina coach since essentially Frank
2:18
McGuire was something was special.
2:20
>> How important do you think it was that
2:22
the family brought him in? What you're
2:24
saying is a family brought him in.
2:25
>> Yeah. I I mean I I think it's maybe not
2:28
necessarily that the family brought him
2:29
in, but he was so familiar and
2:31
understood the family. I mean you go
2:33
through that list. I mean you just saw
2:34
him hugging Coach Fustster. I mean, his
2:36
connection, he told me a story about
2:39
having to, you know, shoot free throws
2:41
with Ed Cota back in the day. Uh, you
2:43
know, he talks about Jameson, he talks
2:45
about Harrison Barnes, he talks about
2:46
Jawan. I mean, you just go through the
2:48
list and he saw that and he used to
2:51
share with me, he said, you know, every
2:52
school out there in college claims they
2:55
are family, he said, but Carolina lives
2:58
it and I saw it every day in the NBA,
3:00
the connection between those players.
3:01
So, I do think that was a pivotal piece
3:04
of him saying, "I want to be part of
3:06
that and I want to help continue."
3:07
>> Given the fact that his daughter is
3:08
already here, does it kind of feel like
3:10
he really is already part of the plan a
3:12
little bit?
3:12
>> I mean, it does. I mean, he he you you
3:14
heard him up there, you know, refer to
3:16
himself as an outsider in New York, but
3:17
I mean, literally, there's not there's
3:19
not a lot of people who were sitting in
3:20
practice in the fall. And what he didn't
3:21
tell you is that he'd bring a notebook
3:24
in there and take notes. And he said, "I
3:26
I was not trying to be critical. I was
3:28
being curious." And that's just the way
3:29
his I think you know he's a he's a
3:31
basketball junkie. He's a gym rat and so
3:33
you know I think you know he is familiar
3:35
to a lot of people around here.
3:36
>> Was there going back to the Easter
3:39
meeting um you know coach gave his
3:42
perspective on you said that you shared
3:43
your vision for you know the program
3:46
obviously it's not just a head coaching
3:48
hire but there may be certain structural
3:50
changes staffing changes. What what is
3:52
your vision in terms of those pieces
3:54
that go beyond just the head coaching?
3:55
Yeah, I mean I think what really matters
3:58
is is his vision. I I talked a lot about
3:59
where college sports is, where it's
4:01
going, the impact that he can have, but
4:03
at the end of the day, you know, coach
4:05
Malone is the captain of the ship and
4:06
that's the way UNCC basketball should
4:09
work. The coach is the one that dictates
4:12
how we operate and so he understands
4:14
that he has a lot of autonomy as did
4:16
coach Davis, as did coach Williams, and
4:18
we think that's the right way to run a
4:20
program. And I know he also talked about
4:22
the sunny thing. I assume you guys are
4:24
going to delete out all the reference to
4:26
not bringing flowers.
4:27
>> Yeah.
4:28
>> Like I just flown from Indianapolis, you
4:31
know, and it rented a car and we headed
4:33
right there. So, it was Easter Sunday.
4:35
But
4:37
>> what's the uh the that first meeting
4:41
with him that wasn't to feel out what
4:43
you should be looking for in a coach.
4:44
That was to feel out whether he should
4:45
be your coach. It wasn't like
4:47
>> the f the first call with him is because
4:50
we had him in that top view that we
4:52
thought checked all of the boxes for
4:55
what we wanted in a coach and a person
4:58
and a representative and an ambassador.
5:00
And so, you know, it was an interesting
5:02
conversation because it was an
5:03
introductory call, right? We were just
5:04
talking about our histories and
5:06
experiences. And like I said, at the at
5:09
the end of it, he he said, you know,
5:10
because we talked for quite a while, he
5:12
said, you know, I'll be honest. I I did
5:14
think this was just a cursory call. I
5:15
thought you were doing this as a favor
5:16
to Sully just to give me a ring. He
5:18
said, "It sounds like you guys are
5:19
really serious in in potentially having
5:22
me come consider this job." So, I think
5:24
that light bulb went off and and he was
5:26
open. He said, "I've been so fixated on
5:28
the NBA." And he has job opportunities
5:30
there as you guys were aware. And he
5:32
said that was the that was, you know,
5:34
kind of the plan. He's like the the
5:35
collegiate opportunity wasn't really on
5:38
my on my radar screen, but he said this
5:40
this changes this. And then he said,
5:42
"It's because it's it's Carolina." And
5:44
then how many other people did you have
5:45
those kind of conversations with?
5:46
Obviously Tommy Lloyd said, "I spoke
5:49
with North Carolina. They were great."
5:50
He he really praised North Carolina.
5:52
>> Yeah. I mean, there's no doubt that we
5:54
we talked and engaged with other people.
5:57
Not always the people that came out in
5:58
the press that said they had engaged
6:00
with us. Um, and we gave out one offer
6:03
and that was to coach one.
6:05
>> Was there a moment during
6:07
>> Thank you, Steve. Appreciate you.
#Sports News
#College Sports