Atlanta ? Michael Jordan criticized his alma mater Thursday, saying North Carolina shouldn’t have forced coach Matt Doherty to resign.

Doherty, who played with Jordan on the Tar Heels’ 1982 national championship team, stepped down Tuesday after several players complained about the coach’s intense demeanor.

“I’m very disappointed,” Jordan said, commenting after his Washington Wizards lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 91-89. “I don’t think it was handled properly. There’s no way that 18- and 19-year-old kids need to be dictating a situation for the coach.”

Remembering his days at North Carolina, Jordan said the school should have sided with the coach instead of malcontent players.

“Kids get yelled at. I was yelled at, and there were times when I probably felt like I wanted to go home,” he said. “But I’m a firm believer that 18-year-old kids shouldn’t be able to determine a coach’s future.”

Doherty resigned shortly after athletic director Dick Baddour concluded a series of meetings with players and parents, some of whom complained about the coach’s intense practices and drastic mood swings.

Three players transferred last season and others talked about leaving this year.

A North Carolina spokesman said the possibility of players transferring played a role in Doherty’s departure, but wasn’t the main reason the coach lost his job.

After going 26-7 in his first year with the Tar Heels, Doherty’s team slumped to 8-20 last season — the worst record in the program’s history. This year, a young team finished 19-16, failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

“I thought he did a pretty good job,” Jordan said.

Jordan was among the influential North Carolina alumni who pushed for Doherty to get the Tar Heels’ job three years ago, following the retirement of Bill Guthridge, Dean Smith’s successor.

“Me and a lot of other people persuaded him to go to North Carolina,” Jordan said. “I hope this experience doesn’t keep him from getting another job.”