Tar Heels fans are slamming the panic button with Tommy Lloyd staying at Arizona

For at least a week, most of us assumed Tommy Lloyd was going to be in Chapel Hill hours after Arizona's season ended, whether that was with a championship ring or not. I was guilty of it as well. But today's announcement of Lloyd signing a new deal with the Wildcats and turning down crazy money to come to Chapel Hill means UNC is starting all over again.

There's no need to speculate on what might come next. Maybe Billy Donovan. Maybe Dusty May is still in play, but that doesn't look promising. North Carolina will get a new coach, and it will probably a damn good one, but this journey has been one bump after another for a fanbase that just wants some in there that can win some basketball games in March and early April

UNC fans are not having a good day

I think most Tar Heel fans were getting used to the idea of Lloyd wearing the Carolina blue, running the practices, recruiting and getting top kids out of the portal to come to Chapel Hill. Whether he was their absolute first choice or not is one thing, but it's tough to hear that he doesn't want the job.

Donovan's name seems to be the one that North Carolina fans are mentioning most. The Chicago Bulls coach is reportedly considering leaving the team at the end of the season. He hasn't coached college in over a decade, but has two national championships from his time with the Florida Gators.

Other fans are hoping for options that are currently in college. However, they are weary of this coaching search as it continues forward and have brought up past experiences to support that.

But maybe the biggest message this sends is that college basketball has changed and evolved. Coaches want NIL commitment and an administration that runs the program more professionally and less like a family business. 

How Bubba Cunningham responds to this disappointment will tell a lot about how much the administration wants to change the way they operate to placate the top coaches in the game.