Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland Could Be Target For North Carolina HC Job

Mar 19, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland looks on during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland could be a candidate for North Carolina’s head coaching vacancy.

According to Pete Nakos of On3, McCasland is among the candidates who could land the prestigious gig.

The North Carolina Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis last week; however, they are taking their time to hire their next head coach in program history.

Nakos indicated the plan may be to pursue top-tier talent across college basketball, some of whom are still in the tournament.

"With Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd and Michigan’s Dusty May both advancing to the Final Four, two of the top names in North Carolina’s search will be focused on winning a national title for the next week."

Among other names possibly in the running to be the next head coach of the Tar Heels are Gonzaga's Mark Few, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, Vanderbilt's Mark Byington and Iwoa's Ben McCollum.

McCasland, 49, just completed his third season at the helm at Lubbock. He's built the program into a formidable one and certainly a juggernaut in the Big 12 Conference.

McCasland has guided the Texas Tech Red Raiders to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first three seasons, compiling a 74–31 record. His tenure has been highlighted by a run to the program’s third-ever Elite Eight in 2025, when the team finished 28–9 overall and set a program record with 15 wins in Big 12 Conference play. He followed that up with another tournament appearance, advancing to the second round in 2026.

Tech fell short against the Alabama Crimson Tide this past season.

Although McCasland has only been at Tech for three seasons, he's done great work in his entire coaching career. He's compiled a 285-120 overall record in 12 seasons as an NCAA head coach and is the first Texas Tech coach in program history to lead the program to the NCAA Tournament in his first three seasons. 

McCasland started his college coaching career at Midwestern State in 2009, a Division II program. In two seasons there, he led Midwestern State to a 56-12 record, leading the Mustangs to two NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances. He won consecutive South Central Region championships and the 2010 Lone Star Conference tournament title before moving on to Division I coaching roles,

After his time there, he was hired by Arkansas State, but only lasted one season there before leaving for North Texas.

During his six seasons at North Texas, McCasland elevated the program to unprecedented levels. He finished with a 135–65 overall record, marking the third-most career wins in school history at the time of his departure, while his .675 career winning percentage also ranked third all-time. In conference play, the Texas native posted a 71–35 (.669) record over his six-year tenure at North Texas.

His success there earned him the job with the Red Raiders in 2023. Now, there is a chance that McCasland's success in Lubbock could land him in Chapel Hill.

All that remains to be seen.

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