UNC Coaching Search Speculation Rampant as Interviews Start
As athletics director Bubba Cunningham promised, North Carolina is moving quickly in its search for a head coach to replace Roy Williams.
Cunningham said that he prioritized previous head coaching experience but wasn’t going to be “myopic,” taking a similar approach to a candidate being a member of the UNC playing and coaching “family.” Cunningham also said that he would reach out to former UNC players who helped make the program what it is.
According to multiple reports, the school has conducted several interviews with candidates over the last few days.
Current UNC assistant Hubert Davis is widely believed to be a front runner, despite not having any experience running his own program. Davis is believed to be the choice of former coach Roy Williams and has support from several other former Tar Heels.
Former Carolina players with coaching experience, including UNC-Greensboro’s Wes Miller, Vanderbilt’s Jerry Stackhouse and Monmouth’s King Rice have also been mentioned by multiple outlets as candidates. Steve Robinson, a Roy Williams assistant for two decades with previous head coaching experience, is also believed to be a candidate.
Inside Carolina reported that three candidates from outside the UNC family include Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics, Villanova’s Jay Wright and Gonzaga’s Mark Few. The outlet also reported that Michael Jordan has been contacted by Cunningham for input on the search.
Andy Katz reported that Carolina has reached out to Kenny Smith for input as well and said that Smith “could be” a candidate for the job, again, despite no previous coaching experience. Katz also said that Davis appears to be the frontrunner at this point.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has been mentioned as a potential "outside the family" candidate, although there have been no reports of an interview with the school yet.
