UNC's Billy Donovan pursuit just got more complicated than the Tar Heels can afford

Billy Donovan remains a prominent name in the UNC basketball program's head coaching search.

Let's face it: when you have a national championship pedigree, college programs in need of a new leader, especially a Blue Blood program like UNC, will certainly have interest.

While Donovan hasn't coached at the college level for over a decade, he's still been very much active in the coaching world. He's been in the NBA ever since departing Florida, but a return to college, one that might be the final stop of his coaching career, may be something he's heavily interested in.

However, one major factor may keep that from happening, at least in regard to UNC's current vacancy.

This factor alone may force UNC to look elsewhere

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports has discussed the potential of Donovan being the next head coach at North Carolina, citing a major concern in the potential timing of this all to play out.

According to Rothstein, Donovan is fully focused on finishing out the season with the Chicago Bulls, one that ends on April 12.

Now, college basketball fans know that the transfer portal officially opens for business on April 7. That would put UNC back by at least five days, and it's likely to be even longer, given that Donovan will likely take time to reflect on what he plans to do next.

Add all that, plus the need to sort through the current roster to see who may or may not stay in Chapel Hill, it would essentially put UNC way, way behind in terms of constructing a roster for next season.

North Carolina has to decide what's more important: having a coach in place as soon as possible (putting them in a better position to build a roster for next year), or wait a little longer for the right candidate, understanding that it could impact next year's roster construction.

If Donovan is their guy, expect this situation to drag outeven longer than we all hoped it would.