Tyler Hansbrough is ready to see someone come into North Carolina and start winning games. That won't be Tommy Lloyd, and it probably won't be Dusty May, but it has to get done and get done soon.
The former Tar Heels four-time All-American has a few names in mind that he believes would be the best fit — May is at the top of the board, obviously, and then it's Iowa's Ben McCollum, former Florida Gators coach Billy Donovan and former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who has a family tie to the school with his daughter playing volleyball for the Tar Heels.
"I want to see us start to win some games and make deep tournament runs," Hansbrough said. "That's what you've got to do at Carolina. We've got to get guys that want to go to Carolina and stay at Carolina. That's going to take a lot of NIL money and the support from the boosters and the fans."
"The North Carolina job just might not be as heralded as I once thought" - @THANS50
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 3, 2026
LIVE from @WatchAtToms in Indy ⬇️https://t.co/8utLZcrrtHhttps://t.co/7YxzGwmm0T
"Dusty May, we have to make him say no, and who knows if he wants to leave Michigan...probably now, a little too early," Hansbrough said.
Tyler Hansbrough wants to see the Tar Heels make a move quickly
Hansbrough is the most intrigued by McCollum, who led Iowa to the Elite Eight this season and coached Northwest Missouri State to four Division II national championships.
"That's a guy that's won at every level. I like his story," Hansbrough added. "He's a hard worker. I like that. Bring in someone that's pretty hungry."
With Donovan and Malone, it might be tougher to get them to leave life in the NBA. Donovan, who basically had a Hall of Fame career as a college coach, might be more open to returning, but he might be satisfied with what he's done in his career already.
Get Donovan and be done with this @BubbaUNC @NewmarkUNC. We need to be able to retain our recruits & some of the roster if possible. Close to portal window. It's about fielding a great team next season. Billy needs to win right away at his age. Have him for 8 years max anyway.
— UNIFIED (@U_N_I_F_I_E_D) April 3, 2026
Hansbrough, however, concedes that North Carolina isn't necessarily in a position of power right now. Tommy Lloyd appeared to be the top choice and he said no. If they are going to go after Donovan (or Malone), they don't have time to beat around the bush with a dog and pony show or bring in a ton of different candidates.
"We have to make the decision that if [Donovan] is our number one candidate," Hansbrough said. "We need to approach it as that and say this is our guy,"