Wild Card Head Coach Candidate UNC Should Consider

This ACC head coach should get a look from UNC for their opening.

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

The North Carolina Tar Heels are still in search of their next head coach, and a fellow ACC rival could make sense if UNC wants to take a chance on a younger voice.

The vacancy now nears its third week after Hubert Davis was fired after five seasons with the team. The Tar Heels had been competitive with Davis, going 125-54 over that span, but have seen themselves dropped from the tournament in the first round in each of the last two seasons. 

Lloyd Snubs UNC

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd directs players during a practice session ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

A major development in their coaching search occurred earlier this week, after Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd opted to sign an extension with the Wildcats rather than entertain offers from North Carolina. Now that Lloyd is out of the picture, the list of coaches they are targeting gets shorter and shorter. 

Nonetheless, an up-and-coming head coach has been finding his name in rumors of late, that being Miami head coach Jai Lucas, who is considered the next prodigy in the coaching sphere. 

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Miami (FL) Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Jai Lucas’ Resume

An assistant with several power conference programs since 2016, Lucas landed his first head coaching gig prior to this season with the Hurricanes. In his first season, he helped revamp Miami’s men’s basketball program. After losing records in each of the last two seasons prior to this year, Lucas’ team went 26-9 in his first season, reached the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed, and advanced to the second round for the first time since their run to the Final Four in 2023. 

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Miami (FL) Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas reacts from the sidelines during the first half against the Missouri Tigers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

At 37-years-old, Lucas wouldn’t be the prototypical candidate for such a high-caliber job, but if UNC wanted to try and take a risk on a young up-and-comer rather than bringing in a veteran, then Lucas would be their guy. 

It has only taken one season for Lucas to prove that he can win in the ACC and win a game in the NCAA Tournament — something that UNC has been unable to do in three years. Despite his age, Lucas has been around good programs for the majority of his coaching career, and other young good coaches, such as Duke’s Jon Scheyer, have been just fine in their respective roles. 

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

While the Tar Heels will certainly consider only the best of the best for the position, they should at least give Lucas a look. A younger face could be what the Tar Heels need to bring the program back to prominence, and Lucas is one of the best young head coaches in the country, and is already familiar with the ACC landscape.