UNC Cannot Afford To Wait for This HC Candidate

The Tar Heels have to shift their focus to other possibilities after Tommy Lloyd signed an extension with Arizona.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) bites his jersey 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

The North Carolina Tar Heels' head coach search took an unfortunate turn on Friday, as Tommy Lloyd signed a five-year contract extension with Arizona.

It took some time for a name to separate itself from the pack, but the 51-year-old coach emerged as the favorite to take over as the head coach in Chapel Hill. Obviously, that will not transpire, and CBS Sports' College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein provided an update on the latest in North Carolina's pursuit of its next head coach.

Rothstein's Report

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May speaks during a press conference ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

• "North Carolina moves down its list, and moving down its list is going to include the guy Tommy Lloyd is coaching against on Saturday, Michigan head coach Dusty May," Jon Rothstein said of what is next for the Tar Heels.

• "I have talked to Warde Manuel three times in the last week, Michigan's athletic director. He has said every single time, 'We are going to do everything we have to do to retain Dusty May as the head coach.' And talking to a lot of people close to Dusty May, he's not really interested in going to a fishbowl like North Carolina."

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

• "Then we look at Chicago Bulls' head coach Billy Donovan," Rothstein continued. "I have been told that Billy Donovan will not entertain a conversation with North Carolina until after the Chicago Bulls' season is over on April 12, out of respect for the Chicago Bulls. With that said, Billy Donovan is not going to be ready to get on Zoom on April 13 at 9 A.M. He is going to process the Bulls' season, and could also entertain other NBA head coaching opportunities."

Apr 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reacts during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

• "What's that mean? North Carolina is going to go down its list," Rothstein elaborated. "I would expect names like Texas Tech's Grant McCasland, Vanderbilt's Mark Byington, and also Iowa's Ben McCollum to be on that list."

Thoughts and Takeaways

Mar 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reacts during the second half of an NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

There is a lot to unpack here, but as Rothstein stated, North Carolina will have to pivot and assess its other options for its coaching vacancy. Donovan has been a popular connection with this opening, but the timelines between the program and the 60-year-old coach do not correlate.

The transfer portal opens on April 7, and by the time Donovan is ready to just consider starting conversations, marquee players in the portal will already be making their decisions to sign with programs that offer them the most money. Because of this, Donovan may already be off the Tar Heels' radar, as they cannot afford to wait that long.