North Carolina is reportedly expected to go after a high-profile college basketball coach to replace Hubert Davis, if he's fired.
While UNC wasn't expected to be a threat to make the Final Four after star freshman Caleb Wilson suffered a season-ending broken thumb injury earlier in March, the way North Carolina lost in the first round has put Davison the situation on Saturday morning.
No decision has yet been made on the future of Davis, who is 125-54 overall during his five seasons as head coach. UNC must consider his $5.3 million buyout and the timing of the coming transfer portal, which opens on April 7. The program is also dealing with a succession at athletic director, with Bubba Cunningham planning to step down on July 1 with Steve Newmark as his replacement. Per Nakos, sources believe UNC will take"big swings" to replace Davis if indeed the head coach is fired. The potential opening would create a"domino effect" in this year's hiring cycle, with more high-profileto potentially replace Davis than Florida head coach Todd Golden, who won a national championship with the Gators last year and has his team as a No. 1 seed in this year's tournament.However, the program apparently wants to find a proven winner for its next hire, something that did not happen when Davis, a long-time assistant at North Carolina, replaced Roy Williams. North Carolina must feel more urgency to get things turned around quickly with the recent success of rival Duke. The Blue Devils made the Final Four last year and are the No. 1 overall seed in this year'sOpinion