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A once-paltry coaching carousel has just been whipped into a frenzy. The Hubert Davis era is over and proud North Carolina is on the prowl for a new head coach -- itching to return to the top of the ACC, national relevance and cement itself as an unquestioned college basketball powerhouse. 

The blue blood will have cache to make major money moves. North Carolina hasn't hired outside the family since Harry Truman was in office. Carolina power-brokers know to keep pace with ever-elevating Duke and the rest of a changing college basketball landscape, the status quo has to change. 

Let's dive into the pros and cons for a heavy-hitting list of names that are on the board.

Tommy Lloyd, Arizona head coach

Age: 51

Buyout: $11 million

Why it would make sense: Tommy Lloyd has crushed it at every stop. He was one of the top assistants in the country, helping Gonzaga turn into a national powerhouse. He's been equally as impressive at Arizona, leading the Wildcats to three second-weekend appearances in his first four seasons. Arizona has earned two No. 1 seeds, two No. 2 seeds and a No. 4 seed in Lloyd's five-year tenure. Lloyd is 135-45 across five seasons in Arizona.

Lloyd's fifth team could be his best team. Arizona is a legitimate National Championship contender this season, and Lloyd has done it with expert recruiting in every avenue: He's a feared recruiter in the international market, he can dip into the portal for studs, and he can land five-star talent consistently, including Koa Peat and Brayden Burries in the 2025 class.

Offense-first team? Sure. Defense-first team? No problem. Little bit of this, little bit of that? Indeed. Lloyd can win with any style, although his ethos is built on dominating the paint and crushing opponents with a powerful transition attack.

Lloyd has outstanding ties to Team USA as well. He is as connected as anybody at the top of the food chain.

Why talks could fizzle: Lloyd's buyout is a steep $11 million if he leaves for a job after the 2025-26 season. Lloyd, who was previously an assistant at Gonzaga, is entrenched on the West Coast, so packing his bags for The Triangle would be a major swerve.

Nate Oats, Alabama head coach

Age: 51

Buyout: $18 million

Why it would make sense: It's North Carolina basketball, arguably the pinnacle of the sport. Basketball at UNC is on a different tier than it will ever be at football-crazed Alabama, despite the fact that Nate Oats has led the Crimson Tide to historic heights. Oats may enjoy being the most powerful coach on campus for a change. 

While it hasn't come without some concerning off-the-court headlines, Alabama has made the second weekend in four of the last five seasons. Oats has a Final Four on his resume. He is one of the elite offensive masterminds in the sport, and his offenses generate corner 3s at an absurdly high rate. Brandon Miller became a lottery pick at Alabama, and guards would flock to Chapel Hill to play in this backcourt-friendly scheme.

Why talks could fizzle: Oats' buyout is historically large. If he left before the end of March, UNC would have to cover $18 million. So that's $23 million in buyouts for Davis and Oats before you factor in Oats' new glitzy contract, money for top assistants and whatever needs to be allocated for the roster. Oats' buyout would drop to $10 million on April 1, for what it's worth. 

Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls head coach

Age: 60

Why it would make sense: There are only four coaches who have won back-to-back National Championships: John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Dan Hurley and Billy Donovan. If North Carolina is serious about making the ultimate splash hire, Donovan fits the bill. 

Donovan's future with the Chicago Bulls is also cloudy. While he did quietly sign an extension last July, the Bulls are mired in mediocrity and facing a long rebuild.

North Carolina could serve as a new challenge and a breath of fresh air after years of being destined for the play-in. 

Why talks could fizzle: Donovan, simply, could be done with the college game altogether, especially one that includes a 12-month grinding schedule with little downtime. He's been in the NBA for 11 years, and he's still chasing that elusive title. 

Todd Golden, Florida head coach

Age: 40

Buyout: $16 million

Why it would make sense: Todd Golden led Florida to the National Championship in Year 3, and he did it without a single top-100 recruit on the roster. That feat had never happened in the modern era. Then, at 39, Golden became the youngest coach to win the National title since Jim Valvano in 1983. Golden is clearly at the absolute top of his craft. 

Florida is at the cutting edge analytically. Golden's eye for talent and sharp player development has ushered in a rebirth of the golden era at Florida. Walter Clayton Jr. went from a good Iona transfer to a first-round pick. Tommy Haugh went from a lowly-rated three-star recruit to a first-round pick. 

North Carolina would flip from a reactive program to a proactive outfit with Golden at the helm.

Why talks could fizzle: Golden's got a good thing going at Florida. The Gators are the unequivocal bullies of the SEC. Golden has excellent resources in Gainesville, and Florida has separated itself from the rest of the pack in the league. Kentucky -- arguably Florida's biggest challenger -- is dealing with more dysfunction right now. At Florida, Golden's perch atop the SEC is clear. At North Carolina, he'd have to elevate past big, bad Duke and fellow boy wonder Jon Scheyer. 

Golden's new six-year, $40.5 million extension also includes a ballooning $16 million buyout if he leaves for another program before April 15, 2026. That number drops to $11 million after that date. It's a completely different number ($3 million) if Golden left for the NBA. Make no mistake, the NBA is certainly going to sniff around Golden, who is revered as an X's and O's mind.

T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State head coach

Age: 48

Buyout: $4 million

Why it would make sense: T.J. Otzelberger revived Iowa State into an annual Big 12 contender immediately after inheriting a program that won just two games in 2020-21. Otzelberger won games at South Dakota State and UNLV, but he's found his identity at Iowa State. Otzelberger's defenses are not just good, they are special. The Cyclones use all-out pressure to rate inside the top-15 nationally in defensive efficiency in all five seasons under Otzelberger's steely-eyed gaze.

Iowa State doesn't have elite resources, but Otzelberger has done more with less every single season because of his outstanding eye for talent both at the high school ranks and in the portal.

Otzelberger also only has a $4 million buyout at Iowa State. It's a top-tier coach that UNC could get without breaking the bank, which is an important variable in Chapel Hill these days amid the Bill Belichick era and swirling questions about the future of the Dean Dome. North Carolina would also double -- or maybe even triple -- the buying power that Otzelberger would have in free agency. When Penn State called, Iowa State was not able to keep football coach Matt Campbell. If it couldn't keep its football coach, could it realistically keep its basketball coach? 

Why talks could fizzle: Otzelberger has never made it past the Sweet 16. He hasn't won at the highest level of the sport. There are other options here who have proven they can scale the mountain and make the Final Four. Otzelberger can't say that, although a bad-luck injury to Keshon Gilbert last year sapped an Iowa State team that earned a No. 3 seed and clearly could've done damage.

Otzelberger's military-like schtick has worked wonders at blue-collar Iowa State. Would his no-nonsense approach be embraced at a blue blood, where almost every player in his lineup is a millionaire? 

Dusty May, Michigan head coach

Age: 49

Buyout: $7.5 million

Why it would make sense: Dusty May took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four. Do you need to hear anything else? 

If so, May has also quickly steered Michigan from a last-place team in the Big Ten in Juwan Howard's final season to the runaway Big Ten Champion just two years later. May is a highly competitive, stone-cold killer who majors in building teams with elite positional size and plus passers.

The double-big lineup was awfully good for North Carolina in the past, so it'd be easy for that fanbase to embrace May's ethos to winning ballgames.

Why talks could fizzle: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. May had his pick of the litter two years ago and chose Michigan over a place like Louisville because he could have elite resources without quite as much of the paparazzi. Plus, May was born and bred in Big Ten country, which made the Michigan fit so snug.   

Grant McCasland, Texas Tech head coach 

Age: 49

Buyout: Over $10 million

Why it would make sense: Grant McCasland is deeply admired in the coaching industry. He won at North Texas using defense. He has won at Texas Tech using elite offenses. 

McCasland is a chameleon who will adapt to his current landscape to win ballgames. He's won 68% of his Big 12 contests after winning 67% of his games in the C-USA. McCasland's roster-building decisions always make sense, and his teams play tough, scrappy and smart. Texas Tech was on the doorstep of the Final Four a year ago and could've easily made it to Indianapolis this season before JT Toppin's season-ending injury.

Why talks could fizzle: McCasland is right at home in West Texas, and if you haven't heard, Texas Tech has fat stacks. He fits like a glove in everything that Lubbock is about. Packing up his farm (including all the animals) to zip to North Carolina would be … something. The money is a factor, as well. McCasland's buyout is 40% of his remaining contract value, so North Carolina would be on the hook for over $10 million. 

McCasland is not in a hurry to leave, and Texas Tech can win bidding wars.

Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations

Age: 49

Why it would make sense: Brad Stevens is one of college basketball's best coaches of all-time for the work he did at Butler, and he has shifted into one of the best roster-builders for a storied NBA franchise. Stevens is well on his way to being a Hall of Famer.

Why talks could fizzle: Stevens has all the power for one of the most noteworthy franchises in all of sports. Enough said. 

Mark Byington, Vanderbilt head coach

Age: 49

Why it would make sense: Mark Byington is a basketball junkie who has exceeded expectations at every stop. Georgia Southern was a perennial bottom-feeder in the SoCon, until Byington came along and led the Eagles to Its best season in the KenPom era, which dates back to 1997. Byington parlayed that into leading James Madison into the Top 25 for the first time in school history and into the Round of 32 of the 2024 Big Dance. The same story, just in a different zip code, is developing at Vanderbilt. Byington has elevated the 'Dores from the SEC basement into one of the best teams in the league.

Byington is a program-builder at his core, who maximizes each roster and has beaten his preseason KenPom projection in nine of the 13 seasons at the helm. His offenses are top-shelf, and he's proven to be a sharp evaluator in free agency. Evaluation is everything right now, and Byington is as good as it gets on that front.

Byington may not win the press conference, but he would win basketball games.

Why talks could fizzle: If UNC wants to make a cannonball splash, Byington may not be a big enough name to wet the beak. Frankly, there aren't many actual basketball reasons why Byington would not do well. A deep March Madness run is all that's left to accomplish to eliminate all doubt about his coaching acumen