North Carolina head coach Michael Malone is putting the finishing touches on his first coaching staff, and a familiar name from the NBA ranks has emerged as a top candidate. Former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Bryan Tibaldi is in Chapel Hill this week for an interview, according to Inside Carolina, as Malone looks to round out his bench.
The Tar Heels were close to finalizing their staff with the planned hiring of former Providence head coach Kim English, but English pulled out late in the process. In an interesting twist, Tibaldi—who served as one of English's assistants at Providence—has now stepped into the spotlight as a potential fit for UNC.
At 41, Tibaldi brings a blend of NBA and major college experience that could energize the Tar Heels' sideline. He spent the last six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, earning a promotion to assistant coach under Kenny Atkinson in September 2024. Prior to that, he worked three seasons as a player development coach under J.B. Bickerstaff and two years as an assistant with Cleveland's G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
A native of Traverse City, Michigan, Tibaldi's basketball journey started on the court as a walk-on at Michigan State under Tom Izzo from 2005 to 2007. He stayed with the Spartans as a graduate assistant for two more seasons, culminating in a run to the 2009 national championship game—where Michigan State fell to North Carolina in Detroit. That history adds a subtle layer of intrigue to his candidacy.
After his college days, Tibaldi cut his teeth in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls as an assistant video coordinator and basketball operations assistant. He later reunited with Kim English as video coordinator at Missouri, then became director of basketball operations there in 2013. He held the same role at DePaul from 2015 to 2017 before transitioning to an assistant coaching position at Cleveland State from 2017 to 2019.
With his combination of high-level coaching, player development expertise, and ties to both the college and pro ranks, Tibaldi could be the missing piece Malone needs to build a competitive staff for the Tar Heels' upcoming season.