Hubert Davis stands in a pool of quicksand wearing concrete shoes after a second straight early out in the NCAA Tournament.
Yes, UNC was without its best player, Caleb Wilson, because of injury, but this is the type of job where no excuse is satisfactory for a Day 1 NCAA Tournament exit — particularly, when the previous season also ended in the first round.
Davis sits on the hottest seat in college basketball, his future in doubt.
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If UNC opts for a change, it should strongly consider looking outside of the family to replace Davis, after the succession plan of Roy Williams to Davis fizzled.
Even well-resourced blue-bloods can’t expect to just call their shot, though. Kentucky learned the hard way in 2024. Big Blue Nation harbored a wish list of Billy Donovan, Dan Hurley and Scott Drew. Kentucky set its aim high after John Calipari left, but it wound up settling for Mark Pope, a humbling hire of an alumnus who would’ve crawled from Brigham Young to UK for the job. So far, Pope is striking out.
That warning aside, North Carolina remains an attractive job where a coach can sign top-10 recruiting classes. If UNC is willing to spend $10 million a year on Bill Belichick, what would it pay for a top-shelf basketball coach?
Jay Wright, retired coach
Here’s the classic “Make him say no!” candidate. And, he’d probably say no, but you don’t know if you don’t ask.
Wright went out at the top of his game, retiring from Villanova in 2022 after a Final Four finish at a school where he won two national championships.
When Wright stepped down at Villanova, he didn’t pin it on NIL or the transfer portal. Instead, he explained he felt like he’d lost his competitive edge. Did four seasons away from coaching allow him to regain that edge?
If so, he could return to coaching at a program where he’ll enjoy the resources necessary to compete at the highest level, right from the jump.
Four years into his coaching retirement, Wright, 64, works as a special assistant to Villanova’s president. He’s not shown much public interest in coming back to coaching. Still, considering his resume, it’s worth kicking the tires.
Nate Oats, Alabama
If UNC wants to fix its NCAA Tournament woes, then how about a coach who’s gone to the Sweet 16 four straight years at a football school? Oats' success includes a Final Four trip in 2024, with the Tide upsetting North Carolina along the way.
Before the NCAA Tournament, Oats fielded questions from reporters about whether Alabama had the necessary NIL support. He said his program can “be competitive” in that space. His remarks didn’t leave you thinking Alabama would outspend a program like UNC. No matter how much Oats wins, football comes first at Alabama.
That’s not such a bad thing. Oats, 51, won’t face the same type of feverish expectations as Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer does. He’ll be celebrated when his teams reach the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight, instead of questioned as to why he didn’t win a national title.
However, if Oats wants to be at a school where basketball rules, he’ll need to leave Alabama.
Oats’ teams shoot a lot of 3-pointers, but they usually make a lot of 3s. They’re an offensive force. His winning ways in March go back to his years at Buffalo. His Bulls pulled off upsets in consecutive years.
Drama accompanies Oats' program. Just this season, you had the Charles Bediako circus, then Aden Holloway’s arrest just before the tournament. That’s nothing compared to the black eye the program endured in 2023, a situation that still lingers today, with one former Alabama player facing a capital murder charge.
If you can stomach controversy, Oats wins.
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt
Byington played in college at UNC Wilmington, and he’s been an assistant within the ACC. So, he knows the terrain but wouldn’t face the type of crippling pressure that comes with coaching your alma mater. That’s a potential sweet spot.
Byington, 49, thrived at a mid-major, taking James Madison to the second round in 2024. Then, he fixed a Vanderbilt program that had been stuck in a rut for the better part of a decade. This isn’t Jerry Stackhouse’s Vanderbilt anymore. Thanks in part to Byington and some NIL support, Vanderbilt is a solid job. Byington has a top-20 recruiting class lined up for next season. He could settle in for a nice ride at Vanderbilt, but with his stock hot, if he craves a program with the loftiest of ceilings, now probably would be a good time to strike.
Other names on this list are splashier, but Byington’s career is on the rise. You could sell this hire to a fan base that knows ball.
Todd Golden, Florida
Golden was ahead of the curve recognizing the power of building an older team through the transfer portal and spotting undervalued talent who’d polished their skills at mid-majors. That strategy resulted in Golden last year becoming the youngest coach to win a national championship since Jim Valvano. The 2025 Gators' stars included included Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin, who were one-time zero-star recruits before growing their game at mid-majors.
Golden’s Gators inexplicably fizzled this March. That included some bad defensive strategy from Golden in Florida's second-round loss to Iowa. Even so, Golden's stock remains as hot as Moderna on the NASDAQ.
The big question: Why would he leave? He can win at the highest level at Florida. He’s proven that. So did Donovan. And, Golden can do it at Florida without facing UNC-level pressure. Football acts as something of a heat shield for Florida basketball coaches, and yet there’s nothing a good basketball coach can’t achieve in Gainesville.
The North Carolina job is the ultimate ego stroke. If the Tar Heels promised to make Golden the sport’s highest-paid coach and to spare no expense on his roster, perhaps that’s enough to make him at least consider leaving his great situation at Florida for a premier opportunity at UNC.
Scott Drew, Baylor
Two years ago, Drew claimed a spot near the top of Kentucky’s wish list. He turned down the Wildcats, a humbling blow to UK. Two years later, you must wonder whether Drew would benefit from a restart. His Baylor team went 16-16 and got trampled within the Big 12. Drew last reached a Sweet 16 in 2021, when he produced a national title.
Take the macro view, and Drew’s Baylor accomplishments are phenomenal. He rescued from the trash bin a program that had been rocked by a deadly scandal. He took the Bears up, up, up, until they reached the top of the sport.
Zoom in, and you realize Drew’s best days at Baylor are behind him. He’s still widely respected, and if Drew, 55, is ever going to leave Baylor, right now is likely his last best chance.
T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
This here falls into the category of meat-and-potatoes hire. Otzelberger has become a wins machine in Ames, Iowa. A Midwest native, he suits Iowa State.
Iowa State does not have a rich history of Final Fours or Elite Eights. Could he level up at a program that demands banners? It’s a fair question. He tends to do more with less at Iowa State, and that’s a compliment to his abilities. Until this year, though, Iowa State typically struggles to play up to its seed line once the tournament starts.
Otzelberger builds blue-collar teams known for defense and discipline. UNC must ask itself if that’s what it craves. If it is, then Otzelberger should get a look if and when the bigger names say no.
Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UNC basketball coaching candidates if North Carolina fires Hubert Davis
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