The year was 1952, Harry Truman was entering the third year of his second term as President of the United States. Puerto Rico became a self-governing commonwealth of the United States. In college basketball, Kansas defeated St. John’s 80-63 to win the school’s first national championship in what would turn out to be Frank McGuire’s last game with Redmen (now known as the Red Storm).
The following fall, McGuire took what was perceived as a demotion to become the head coach at the University of North Carolina. Since the NCAA Tournament began in the 1938-39 season, the Tar Heels had appeared in only two tournaments. Bill Lange led them to the Elite Eight in 1941, while Ben Carnevale’s 1946 squad lost 43-40 to Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) in the championship game.
In his fifth season, McGuire led the Tar Heels to their second-ever undefeated season, culminating in a triple-overtime victory over Kansas to win their first national title.
Every coach hired by UNC since then has either played for or served as an assistant with the Tar Heels. That streak may now be in jeopardy.
North Carolina announced Tuesday evening that Hubert Davis had been dismissed after completing his fifth season as Roy Williams’ handpicked successor.
“We appreciate all that Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader — he has helped make special memories we will never forget,” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said. “This was not an easy decision because of Hubert’s tremendous character and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to compete more consistently at an elite level.”
Davis, who returned to Chapel Hill in 2012 as a assistant coach under Williams, said in a statement: “Tonight, I was let go by the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill. My desire was to continue to coach here. This opportunity has truly been such a blessing.”
Now, the search begins, and it appears the administration may look outside the Carolina family for the first time since McGuire’s hire in 1952.
Here are some possible candidates, including one who would satisfy the “Carolina Family” portion of the fan base:
Nate Oats
Oats parlayed back-to-back second round appearances while at Buffalo—including a dominate victory over No. 4 seed Arizona in the 2018 first round—into getting hired at Alabama.
Before his arrival, the Crimson Tide had advanced past the Sweet 16 only once, in 2004. Between 2006 and 2019, Alabama made just two NCAA Tournament in 13 seasons under three coaches.
Aside from a first-round loss to Notre Dame in the 2022 tournament, Oats has turned Alabama into a national power, with 25 or more wins in five of the past six seasons.
Oats agreed to an contract extension in March 2024 that included an $18 million buyout for the first two years. That figure drops to $10 million on April 1.
One concern for North Carolina fans could be Alabama’s off-court issues. Recently, Aden Holloway was arrested March 16 and faces two felony drug charges. In January 2023, Darius Miles was arrested for his alleged involvement in a shootout that killed Jamea Harris. (The trial, originally set for Dec. 1, 2025, is on pause pending appellate review.)
Oats’ comments at the time drew criticism, as reported by Front Office Sports: “Can’t control everything everybody does outside of practice. Nobody knew that was going to happen.”
Oats was asked Wednesday as he prepares for the Sweet 16 about the vacancy. “I’m not a guy that’s always trying to jump around. The grass isn’t always greener.”
Billy Donovan
Only four coaches in NCAA history have won back-to-back national championships — including Donovan, who did so at Florida
After 19 seasons in Gainesville and his first losing season since 1997-98, Donovan was hired by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2015 offseason.
After failing to agree to a contract extension in September 2020, he signed with the Chicago Bulls. Donovan has had one winning season in Chicago, reaching the playoffs in 2022 and losing in the first round.
North Carolina fans may point to his college success, which includes eight Sweet 16 appearances. However, his NBA postseason success peaked in 2016, when his Thunder team lost to Golden State in the Western Conference finals.
Unlike candidates from other college programs, Donovan would not require a buyout. However, the Chicago Sun-Times has reported that he could step away from coaching to “reevaluate what he wants from the profession.”
The Bulls were 29-42 as of March 24, sitting 8 1/2 games behind of Miami and Charlotte for the final Play-In Tournament spot.
When asked about the vacancy before Chicago’s game against Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, Donovan said: “My main focus is on these guys and this new team.”
Dusty May
May rose to national prominence in his fifth season at Florida Atlantic, leading the Owls to the Final Four — just the fourth Conference USA team to do so and the first since Memphis in 2008.
Despite a first-round exit in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, his 60-13 record over two seasons led Michigan to hire him after a downturn under Juwan Howard.
In Ann Arbor, May delivered consecutive 25-win seasons for the first time since John Beilein’s final three years (2016-19). Michigan reached the Sweet 16 last season and, as a No. 1 seed, did so again this year.
His buyout is a more manageable $7.5 million.
When asked last February about the Indiana opening, May said: “[Indiana] is my foundation, but I’m very, very happy at the University of Michigan.”
Like Alabama, Michigan is primarily a football school, which can limit basketball scrutiny — something that would not be the case at North Carolina.
Jerry Stackhouse
A native of Kinston, North Carolina, Stackhouse helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1993 national championship as a freshman. He left after his sophomore season and was selected No. 3 overall in the NBA draft by Philadelphia 76ers.
A two-time All-Star, Stackhouse played for eight teams over a 17-year career before beginning his coaching career in 2015 as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors.
He was hired by Vanderbilt in 2019 but failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in five seasons. The Commodores did reach the NIT quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023 but finished 9-23 in his final season.
Stackhouse has spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors.
Vanderbilt has since made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances under new coach Mark Byington, which may give Carolina fans pause. Still, Stackhouse would be a leading candidate if the program prioritizes its alumni ties.
Ben McCollum
McCollum built a powerhouse at Division II Northwest Missouri State, winning four national championships and posting 13 consecutive winning seasons after being hired in 2009.
He moved to Drake in 2024 and, in his only season, set a school record with 31 wins and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 1971.
That success led to his hiring at Iowa last offseason.
In his first season, McCollum finished ninth in the Big Ten but gained national attention after leading Iowa to an upset of defending national champion Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
While he has only two seasons of Division I head coaching experience, that is still more than Davis had when he was hired. If he leaves before April 1, he would owe Iowa $5 million; that figure drops to $4 million on April 2.
Other reported candidates include Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington, Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Florida’s Todd Golden and Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger—the last of whom denied any and all speculation that he was shopping ahead of the Cyclones’ Sweet 16 matchup against Tennessee. Saint Louis’ Josh Schertz was also a possibility before signing a contract extension.
No matter the outcome of the coaching search, a new era of Carolina basketball will be on display when the Blue-White Scrimmage comes to the Smith Center in October.
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