North Carolina Losing Mystique after Three Major Names Turned Down Head Coaching Job

The Tar Heels might not be at the top of college basketball like they once were

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams is seen in the crowd against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It’s been a tough go lately for North Carolina, even with the rare success of former head coach Hubert Davis.

After firing Davis following the team’s Round of 64 loss to VCU in the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heel vacancy became the biggest job opening in the sport and the administrators and boosters acted like it.

Yet nobody wanted the job.

Michigan’s Dusty May turned the job down as did Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd and – shockingly – Iowa’s Ben McCollum. Three of the biggest young stars in the sport electing to stay at their current schools instead of one of the biggest brands in the sport.

But why?

Years ago, head coaches would have crawled to Chapel Hill to coach UNC men’s basketball. It was arguably the best job in the sport and now the school needed to go to Michael Malone, a coach who has not worked in college basketball since 2001, to lead its program.

Despite what Carolina officials say, Malone was nowhere close to its top option. In fact, it had to grossly overpay to pry him away from any potential NBA head coach openings this spring with a contract that will pay him $8.6 million, which is second in the sport only behind Bill Self.

“People keep asking me, 'Coach, why would you leave a chance of coaching in the NBA? You're an NBA coach,’” Malone said at his introductory press conference on Tuesday.

“It wasn't an easy decision, but what I kept thinking about was, I had a chance to be a part of something special, the history and tradition. Be a part of something much bigger than myself. This was the only college job I ever considered. Any other job, I wouldn't even answer the phone."

The expectations are massive, especially within the university, and it’s a risk hiring Michael Malone but it was the best North Carolina could do with the transfer portal opening and the desperate need to flip its program back with the elites of college basketball.