It’s been well-documented that the North Carolina Tar Heels moved on from former head coach Hubert Davis last week after five seasons.
Obviously, that opens one of the most sought-after coaching jobs in the country. Several names have been suggested as legitimate options for North Carolina. However, Arizona Wildcats’ head coach Tommy Lloyd has emerged as the most plausible candidate, according to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman, and several signs point to this report coming to fruition.
Goodman’s Report
“My sources have told me it’s unlikely Dusty May takes it,” Goodman explained. “I’m not going to say there’s no chance, but as I’ve said before, Dustin May is very happy at Michigan. To me, it falls to Tommy Lloyd being the guy at the top of the list. Arizona doesn’t have the money like people think. The other part is, how happy is [Lloyd] with the administration and does he want to travel across the country.”
First Sign: Lloyd’s Comments
“You know, the sun may be shining on this team and me coaching it right now, but when it’s shining on you, you got to fight to protect it and build it,” Lloyd said. “So that’s what I feel like my number one responsibility is, to fight to protect the program and fight to build it for those who came before me and for those that are going to follow after me, because you know what, Arizona is going to have another good coach after me. I promise you. The place is special.”
The 51-year-old head coach said this during his postgame press conference following Arizona’s win over Purdue in the Elite Eight. There were several red flags in this quote from an Arizona fan’s perspective, but the most alarming one may be, “Arizona is going to have another good coach after me.” That foreshadows Lloyd’s potential arrival at Chapel Hill in the coming weeks.
Second Sign: North Carolina Putting Off Venue Discussions
“The University of North Carolina is suspending ongoing discussions about the future of the Smith Center in order to focus on identifying and selecting a new head men’s basketball coach,” The university said in a statement. “Arena discussions will resume after the new coach has had time to acclimate to the program and focus on future needs.”
Throughout the season, the future of the Dean E. Smith Center has been a polarizing topic amongst former players, current players, coaches, and supporters of the university. North Carolina releasing that statement shows the urgency and that details are being worked through behind closed doors.
Third Sign: Timing
To make a cross-sport comparison, the Las Vegas Raiders exited last season needing a new head coach. While coaches were being hired left and right, the Raiders remained status quo and were among the last teams to address their head coach vacancy. It had been rumored that Las Vegas had identified former Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as the ideal candidate. However, the Seahawks were preparing for Super Bowl LX, which delayed the hiring process.
North Carolina is in a similar situation, as Lloyd prepares for a Final Four matchup against the Michigan Wolverines. With the transfer portal opening on April 7, it would be prescriptive for the Tar Heels to orchestrate a hire as soon as possible. With that in mind, North Carolina would have already hired someone due to that factor, but it is waiting for Arizona’s season to conclude.
