One of the top head coaching openings in college basketball is officially open with North Carolina firing Hubert Davis after five years leading the Tar Heels program. With the pedigree and tradition of North Carolina, the Tar Heels can set their sights high for their next head coach.
Three SEC coaches are popular candidates to potentially replace Davis at North Carolina. Florida’s Todd Golden, Alabama’s Nate Oats and Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington are all on hot boards from both CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter and Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney.
Sweeney tiered his list between “The Big Swings” and “More Realistic Targets” tabbing Golden and Oats as big swings and Byington as a more realistic option.
Golden is one of the hottest commodities in the sport after leading Florida to the National Championship last season. The Gators followed up the title with a SEC Regular-Season Championship and a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament before Iowa upset them in the Round of 32 last weekend.
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Oats is in his seventh year at Alabama, turning the football school into a consistent basketball power. The Crimson Tide have mad the Sweet 16 each of the last four seasons and five times in his seven seasons as head coach. Alabama made the 2024 Final Four and has won two SEC Regular-Season and Tournament titles during Oats’ tenure.
Byington has not had the same level of success at Vanderbilt but has rejuvenated the Commodores’ program in his two seasons as head coach. The 49-year old led the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament in his first season before they lost to Saint Mary’s in the first round. This season, Vanderbilt earned a five-seed before four-seed Nebraska beat them in the Round of 32.
Other coaches on the North Carolina hot board include the Chicago Bulls’ Billy Donovan, Michigan’s Dust May, Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger, Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd and Texas Tech’s Grant McCastland.
