Dan Hurley Could Be Next Man Up in Tar Heels' Pursuit of a Winner

After an entire weekend of speculation and polarizing discussions, the North Carolina Tar Heels finally ended the drawn-out saga and fired former head coach Hubert Davis on Tuesday night.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis instructs his team 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. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Although it was a monumental decision by the Tar Heels' administration, it was also inevitable after North Carolina's second-half collapse against the VCU Rams in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Shortly after the news broke, it did not take long for analysts and experts to give out their suggestions for the next head coach in Chapel Hill.

That included one of the leading athletic directors in the NCAA, who told UNC Tar Heels on SI exclusively that the program should exert all efforts in hiring this former college coach who led a small program to back-to-back national title game appearances.

UNC's Future

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis in the huddle with his team during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

“North Carolina is one of those schools where it doesn't matter who the coach is; failure is absolutely unacceptable," the Athletic Director said. "I would immediately start chasing Brad Stevens and make him get a restraining order to get me to leave him alone before I started looking at who is the next best available college coach in America."

“North Carolina has every resource and no excuses for failure," he went on to add. "If you’re a winner, you can be a Tar Heel. But it’s unacceptable to be a Tar Heel and not a winner.”

Sep 29, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens talks to reporters during media day at the Auerbach Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The 49-year-old, who is the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, quickly shut down these rumors by removing himself from consideration for the head coach vacancy. However, the athletic director brought up a compelling point that North Carolina should pursue a "winner", and that's exactly what it would be doing if it went after this controversial, yet effective head coach.

Strike Fear in the ACC by Hiring Dan Hurley

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) reacts with head coach Dan Hurley in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Hurley took over as Connecticut's head coach in 2019, and while it took time to revive a winning culture, the 53-year-old head coach has established dominance in recent years. The Huskies won back-to-back national championships in 2023, which was the first time since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007 under Billy Donovan.

Many people may not like how Hurley carries himself on the sidelines, constantly berating officials and being too emotional, but all he cares about is winning - something that has escaped North Carolina over the last half-decade.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA;.UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Prying Hurley from Connecticut would require boatloads of money, as the two-time national title-winning head coach turned down a six-year, $70 million contract offer from the Los Angeles Lakers in June 2024. However, that shouldn't matter to North Carolina, which has more than enough financial resources to provide Hurley with an offer too good to pass up. It would trigger a bidding war between North Carolina and Connecticut, but the program in Chapel Hill can win that contest if it is aggressive enough.

If the Tar Heels want to re-establish themselves as perennial contenders moving forward, there is no better option than Hurley, who has only won big games over the last three years.