UNC Basketball: Five Coaches worth considering to succeed Roy Williams

Roy Williams can’t coach the Tar Heels forever. When he does leave Chapel Hill, who should take his job?

North Carolina coach Roy Williams has experienced great success throughout his coaching career. Since taking the reigns in Lawerence, Kansas back in 1988, Williams has been one of the winningest coaches in college basketball. He has come out victorious 783 times in his career, winning two NCAA Tournament titles, and guiding eight separate teams to the Final Four.

At age 65, Williams is on the tail end of his coaching career. North Carolina, his alma mater, certainly will not force him out. Williams will most likely choose when and how he departs, similar to Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. Coach Williams is under contract with the university through the 2019-20 season.

Historically, North Carolina hasn’t conducted coaching searches, hiring basketball coaches with strong ties to the program. Both Dean Smith and Billy Guthridge were promoted from within, Roy Williams being a former assistant under Dean Smith. This time around, the Tar Heels could very well look outside of their own program when hiring their next leader.

When that time comes around, which candidates should be atop Carolina’s wish list? We break down five upper echelon candidates that deserve serious consideration for the UNC gig.

Next: Billy Kennedy