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UNC Basketball: Will Wes Miller be a candidate for head coaching job?

By Richard Adkins

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 20: Head coach Wes Miller of the UNC-Greensboro Spartans reacts on the sideline during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 20, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 20: Head coach Wes Miller of the UNC-Greensboro Spartans reacts on the sideline during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 20, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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Could a former UNC basketball player have a shot at the vacant head coaching position at North Carolina?

On April Fool’s Day, news broke that the legendary and beloved UNC basketball head coach Roy Williams would be retiring from coaching.

The news left many fans heart-broken and in hopes that it was all prank, but as media outlets began to thank Coach Williams, it became very real.

And then reality started to sink in even more.

Filling the shoes left by Williams will not be an easy task.  As head coach of North Carolina, Williams won 485 games and made the NCAA Tournament 16 times.  Out of those 16 appearances, Carolina made five Final Fours, four national championship games, and cut the net down three times as national champions. Williams is also a two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year and his name has already been cemented in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame.

The abrupt and shocking news became the top story across the nation, but with Coach Williams stepping down the next question is who will be stepping up?

Related Story. What does Williams retirement mean for two UNC recruits?. light

One candidate to consider is UNCG head coach and former Tar Heels guard Wes Miller, who won a national title with the team in 2005. Miller holds a record of 185-133 in overall play and 109-66 in conference play with the Spartans. Under Miller, the Spartans have won the Southern Conference regular season four times and have appeared in the NCAA Tournament twice.

Many Tar Heel fans have been recruiting for Wes Miller on social media, signifying their desire for Miller to be the next head coach. In a report from ESPN in 2020, Wes Miller was listed as the top college basketball coach under 40. Although Miller has less experience due to his age, do not count him out in the hunt for the UNC’s next head coach.

Expect North Carolina to explore their options with coaches like Hubert Davis as well as Jerry Stackhouse.  Davis, Miller and Stackhouse could get calls to be interviewed and are likely potential candidates early on.

Next. UNC players show appreciation for Roy Williams. dark

Make sure to check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the search for their next head coach.

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