Hiring a new men's basketball coach isn't going to be cheap for North Carolina.
Not only is the university responsible for Hubert Davis' buyout (approximately $5.3 million), they will also be on the ropes to potentially have to pay a buyout fee to get the coach they want.
Hubert Davis’s statement makes it crystal clear that UNC parting was not mutual
Plenty of names will be thrown around as potential candidates, but it's also important to keep tabs on some of the "top-tier" candidates and their buyouts. These figures might lead North Carolina to pursue other opportunities, but it's also possible that they don't care about forking up the money in order to get their guy.
Elite coaching= significant buyout numbers
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports did plenty of research to get the key buyout figures for some of the most prominent coaching candidates for North Carolina, as the numbers are (as expected) very steep.
Key buyout numbers for North Carolina's head coaching search:
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 25, 2026
Florida's Todd Golden: $16 million
Arizona's Tommy Lloyd: $11 million
Alabama's Nate Oats: $10 million on 4/1
Michigan's Dusty May: $7.5 million
Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger: $4 million https://t.co/nLRrTnK7GV
Florida's Todd Golden leads the way, having a $16 million dollar buyout in his current contract. Arizona's Tommy Lloyd ($11 million) and Alabama's Nate Oats ($10 million on April 1), also have double-digit buyout figures tied to them, as all three programs want to make every effort to avoid having their elite coach poached from them.
3 head coaching candidates UNC needs to avoid after firing Hubert Davis
On the more "reasonable" side, Michigan's Dusty May comes with a $7.5 million buyout, while it would take $4 million to lure T.J. Otzelberger away from Iowa State.
Good coaching ain't cheap
With the decision to fire Hubert Davis, the University of North Carolina has indicated that they are fully invested in finding an elite-level coach to take over the reins. They understand the financial implications finding that new leader brings, as the buyout figures shouldn't be a deterrent to finding their next head coach.
If there's a coach out there that the Tar Heels covet, no buyout is going to keep them from getting him to Chapel Hill.