Even we have to admit that maybe this ended up being a mistake.
Following the loss to VCU, everyone was livid. A first-round exit while blowing a 19-point lead in the NCAA Tournament simply had to be the final straw for Hubert Davis. He ended up getting fired, which we all thought was the right move.
UNC gets its most painful 'no' with Tommy Lloyd sending the search into chaos
Well, how is everyone feeling about things now? To say North Carolina has blown it with its search to replace Davis thus far would be an understatement. Things reached a new low when Tommy Lloyd said no to the Tar Heels, signing an extension with Arizona. So, now what for the UNC administration?
Top names to know for UNC after Tommy Lloyd’s decision to stay at Arizona:
— Isaac Trotter (@Isaac__Trotter) April 3, 2026
Dusty May, Michigan
Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt
Ben McCollum, Iowa
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
Josh Schertz, St. Louishttps://t.co/fRFDXRRAAc
UNC has totally botched the search to replace Hubert Davis as head coach
When the difficult decision to fire Davis was made, the assumption was that North Carolina had a good idea of who would be coming in to take over. Fast forward to present time and everyone is finding out the hard way that's not the case.
Lloyd isn't going anywhere, Dusty May continues to silence rumors he's interested in the job and Billy Donovan likely won't be available until the NBA season officially ends. The transfer portal opens up on Tuesday and the Heels have to be aggressive in not only landing top talent, but also retaining key players. UNC can't wait on Donovan to decide if he's interested or not.
What about Nate Oats? That seems unlikely, as does Todd Golden. Vanderbilt's Mark Byington and Iowa's Ben McCollum keep getting thrown out as options, but would they really be a step up from Davis? If anything, that'd feel like a lateral move and not the kind of splash hire the fanbase was waiting on.
Shortly after the Lloyd news dropped, Tyler Hansbrough said he was starting to think that maybe the job wasn't as coveted as many of us thought it was. For plenty of us, the assumption was that North Carolina would be able to dangle the job in front of anyone and they'd rush to sign.
We've been humbled a bit, with Lloyd reminding everyone that UNC can't simply go out and get anyone it wants. That was the assumption, but the program is learning the hard way that's not the case. And on top of that, maybe UNC is learning that moving on from Davis very well could end up being a giant mistake.