Marcus Paige, a former UNC basketball player and assistant coach, is joining Wes Miller’s coaching staff at Charlotte.
Miller, a fellow Tar Heel who was named head coach of the Niners on March 23, announced the move to add Paige on Wednesday, April 1. “I’m thrilled to add Marcus Paige to our staff. He is a rising star in coaching,” Miller said in a school-issued statement.
“I’ve gotten to know him well during his time as an assistant at UNC and have been blown away by him as a young man and coach. He works hard, he’s curious, and he understands the game at an extremely high level. What I’m most impressed with is how naturally he communicates and connects with young people. He was a great player. And I’m convinced he’ll be an even better coach!”
Paige, 32, was an assistant coach for three seasons under Hubert Davis before UNC decided to fire Davis after five seasons on March 24. The only three-time captain in the 116-season history of the Tar Heels’ program, Paige racked up more than 1,800 points to finish 11th among UNC’s all-time leading scorers.
The Marion, Iowa, native finished his career as one of just two players in ACC history to record at least 1,800 points, 500 assists, 350 rebounds, 275 3-pointers and 200 steals. With 39 3-pointers in the NCAA Tournament, Paige made more than any player in UNC’s postseason history. He’s the only player in March Madness history to knock down multiple 3-pointers in each of his 13 games in the tournament.
One of three players in AC history to earn Academic All-America honors three times, Paige was a two-time recipient of the ACC’s Skip Prosser Award as the league’s top scholar athlete. Paige is the second coach to be announced as part of Miller’s staff at Charlotte, joining incoming associate head coach Chad Dollar, who was at Cincinnati with Miller.
