When a coaching search starts with a call to Brad Stevens, you know that program is swinging for the fences. However, so far, Bubba Cunningham and the North Carolina brass have swung and missed.
Stevens said no, and so did TJ Otzelberger. Mark Byington landed an extension at Vanderbilt, and they took a gamble not pursuing Nate Oats or Todd Golden, so everything pointed to either Michigan head coach Dusty May or Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, who are set to meet in a monumental Final Four clash on Saturday night in Indianapolis. And Lloyd, in an active power struggle with his athletic director in Tucson, appeared most likely to leave.
Well, on Friday, he won the power struggle. Lloyd landed a massive extension to stay at Arizona, including a clause that states he does not have to report to Desireé Reed-Francois. His victory is North Carolina’s loss, as the Tar Heels’ coaching search is now sent into chaos.
Yet, there are still a few intriguing candidates on the board for UNC who can salvage this situation without having the fanbase somehow regret moving on from Hubert Davis.
1. Dusty May, Michigan
Jeff Goodman has reported that Dusty May is unlikely to leave Michigan for the UNC job, and May did his best to tamp down the rumors in Indianapolis during his second trip to the Final Four. Still, he’s yet to sign an actual extension like Lloyd. Even though he just got to Ann Arbor two years ago, until that happens, his name is technically still in the mix for the Tar Heels, and he has to be priority No. 1.
May led FAU to the Final Four in 2023, and three years later, he’s back as the head man at a major Power Conference program. Both times, he did it with very different teams stylistically. The Owls played small-ball around Vladislav Goldin, their seven-foot center, shooting threes at a high clip. The Wolverines are bullies with a three-big lineup that has been a wrecking ball all season.
At 49-years-old, he has a full resume of experience, but he’s still young enough to lead the Tar Heels for the next 10-20 years. He’s the ideal candidate if Cunningham can somehow pry him away from Ann Arbor, and that’ll get a whole lot tougher if he beats Lloyd on Saturday night.
2. Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
It’s unconventional, and after considering two coaches who are actively in the Final Four, it feels like a serious letdown. But it’s important to remember that Billy Donovan hasn’t just led the team to the Final Four, he’s won it… twice.
He’s been out of college basketball for 11 years, and that’s a concern, but he’s still been on the sidelines in the NBA the entire time. He never won a title with OKC or led the Bulls to much success at all, but Chicago’s failures began before he ever arrived, and they’ll continue long after.
Donovan is an excellent coach. It’s a risk because of how much college basketball has changed with the rise of NIL, revenue-sharing, and the Transfer Portal, but those changes only make it more like the NBA, and he’ll have a staff around him to help ease the transition. This isn’t Bill Belichick 2.0. Donovan still has a lot of good years left.
3. Ben McCollum, Iowa
Ben McCollum shut down the rumors of North Carolina’s interest in him during Iowa’s remarkable run to the Elite Eight. He flat-out called them “lies” and has said that he will remain at Iowa for next season.
Well, if the rumors of UNC’s interest were lies, of course, he would intend on staying home in Iowa City after a successful first season leading the Hawkeyes. But what if Bubba Cunningham and the Tar Heels started showing real interest? If they threw the Lloyd deal at him, could he actually turn down a chance to come to Chapel with championship resources for over $7 million a year? Maybe, but it’s at least worth a phone call.
The way McCollum manipulates pace and game flow, especially in the postseason, is otherworldly. He can throw opposing teams completely off kilter, and managed to bully the defending national champion Florida Gators in the paint with an undersized roster. He already has a case as a top-five game-planning head coach in the country, and UNC recruits itself, so that’s really all he’d have to do.