Who will be the next UNC basketball coach? Here’s who could be on the short list
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The end of an era: Roy Williams announces retirement
Read more coverage about Roy Williams’ retirement as coach of the UNC men’s basketball team.
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As many came to grasp Thursday that Roy Williams was in fact retiring as North Carolina’s basketball coach, that it was no crazy April Fools type of thing, the question quickly arose:
Who’s next at UNC?
There appears to be no ready answer about the next head coach — no Roy Williams, a member of the UNC “family” and a big winner at another major school, to come in and take over. The continuum of Frank McGuire to Dean Smith to Bill Guthridge to Matt Doherty to Williams might finally end with the naming of the next coach. Or not.
It’s easy to start reeling off possible candidates, a wish list of those who might wind up being interviewed by UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham.
“I’m not one to keep a written list,” Cunningham said on a Thursday media call. “We all know who the best coaches are in college basketball.”
Cunningham said he planned to move “as fast can I can” to get the new coach. He said previous experience as a head coach was not a requirement, nor were ties to the university.
“Just finding who is the right leader,” he said. “I don’t want to be myopic.”
Here are some names to consider:
Wes Miller, UNC Greensboro
Here’s the way to keep it in the “family.” Miller played for Williams at UNC, learned under Williams, won a national championship with Williams in 2005.
Miller, 38, has made his own mark at UNC Greensboro. The Spartans have won 20 or more games in the past five seasons, going 21-8 in the challenging pandemic season of 2020-21. They reached the NCAA tournament for a second time under Miller, who was named head coach in 2011.
Hubert Davis, UNC assistant
Another family member. Davis, 50, has waited his turn as a hard-working, loyal assistant coach for Williams. He played for Dean Smith. He played in the NBA, was an assistant coach in the NBA. Hired by Williams in 2012, he coached the UNC junior varsity team, as Williams did many years ago.
Is the natural progression now to have Davis moving into the big seat? This might be the time for a man who has always been popular with UNC fans and alumni.
Steve Robinson, a longtime assistant for Williams and former head coach at Tulsa and Florida State, could get some consideration but Davis probably is the top choice among those at UNC.
Jay Wright, Villanova
Wright’s name inevitably comes up when major coaching positions come open. With his success, with two national titles, it’s understandable.
Wright, 59, has been at Villanova since 2001. Like Few, he might be looking to start a new coaching chapter. While surely comfortable with his situation, the UNC position might be attractive.
The credentials are there: more than 600 wins, NCAA titles at Villanova in 2016 and 2018, six Big East championships. The name value is there. It could be a home-run hire for UNC, if he’s interested.
Mark Few, Gonzaga
Few might be on the verge of his first and the Zags’ first national title. Gonzaga made it to the championship game in 2017 but was beaten by Williams and UNC 71-65.
Few, 58, is a West Coast guy. He was born in Creswell, Oregon. He went to the University of Oregon. He’s a Gonzaga guy, through and through, coaching Gonzaga since 1999 and winning more than 600 games.
Would Few consider making a change? For UNC, he might. If Gonzaga wins a national championship, he might consider a new professional challenge.
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Who will be the next UNC basketball coach? Here’s who could be on the short list."
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