It's a homecoming fit for a champion. Deon Thompson, a key forward on North Carolina's 2009 national title team, is returning to Chapel Hill—this time as a graduate assistant on Michael Malone's coaching staff. After a remarkable 15-year professional career that spanned 13 countries, Thompson is trading his jersey for a whistle and beginning his transition into coaching.
Thompson, who played four seasons for the Tar Heels from 2006 to 2010, was a model of consistency. He started every game but one from his sophomore through senior years, averaging 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting nearly 50% from the field. Now, he'll pursue his master's degree while learning the ropes under first-year head coach Michael Malone.
“Coach Malone gave us a feeling of respect and understood what Carolina basketball means to everyone who was standing in that room,” Thompson said, referencing Malone's introductory address to former players. “He said he wants to honor the tradition and it is important to him that we are heard. He wants to bring us together even more than ever before.”
Thompson's journey took him to Greece, Slovenia, Germany, China, Israel, Turkey, Serbia, Spain, Lithuania, Japan, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Libya—a globetrotting career that has given him a wealth of basketball experience to share with the next generation. He joins a staff already rich in Carolina blue blood, alongside fellow former Tar Heels Pat Sullivan and Sean May.
Malone, who took the helm last month, has made it clear that reconnecting with the program's storied past is a top priority. “I know I’m not a guy that has been here before, but I want to do everything I can to make sure the former players are coming back,” he said at his introductory press conference. “One of my goals is not just on the court—wins or losses—but how can I strengthen that family atmosphere and get guys coming back.”
For Tar Heels fans, seeing a 2009 champion return to the fold is a powerful reminder that the Carolina family never really leaves. And for Thompson, this is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting new chapter.