Written by MICHAEL KOH
Bubba Cunningham and UNC are confident they’ll have their pick of the litter for a new men’s basketball coach.
Cunningham and incoming athletic director Steve Newmark appeared on a special edition of the “Carolina Insider Podcast” earlier this week, and both detailed the decision making which led to Hubert Davis’ exit. Cunningham also described the thought process behind retaining the services of Turnkey ZRG to assist in the search. In Cunningham’s words, UNC will be “inundated” with interest in the days ahead, and needs a filter to find the best candidates.
All trustworthy local reporting indicates Carolina will be aiming high to find its next coach, prioritizing someone with high-level experience and success on the college circuit. Names which have been floated as potential candidates include Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd and Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger. The question is whether either of those men would leave their very stable positions, with a unified fanbase and top-notch facilities, to enter the hornet’s nest that is the Dean Smith Center debate.
Neither Lloyd nor Otzelberger are part of the mythical “Carolina Family,” and thus have no emotional attachment to the Dean Dome. Were they to come to Chapel Hill, they would likely just want the best facilities possible. That stance would draw some blowback from folks who have already made their voices heard about the Smith Center. Needless to say, this would not be an issue in Tucson or Ames.
Otzelberger and Lloyd have both been asked about the UNC opening. Otzelberger flatly denied any connection, and while Lloyd wasn’t quite as outright, he still called his position at Arizona one of the best in the country.
To be clear, a prospective candidate will never come out and say they’re interested in another job while still leading their teams through the postseason. Lest we forget when Roy was asked about UNC shortly after his Jayhawks lost the 2003 national championship game. Still clearly upset about the loss, Williams was in no mood to talk about his future and declared, I could give a… you know what about North Carolina.
Whether or not Otzelberger, Lloyd or other name brand coaches are actually interested in UNC will be worked out in the coming days or weeks. If Cunningham is to be believed, he, Newmark and Lee Roberts are practically drowning in job applications. And particularly after what just went down over in Raleigh, it’s critical that triumvirate pick the right one.
Featured image via Todd Melet
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
