After a surprising first-round exit in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the North Carolina Tar Heels will now look to revamp the entire basketball program heading into next season.

According to NCAA insider Pete Thamel on Tuesday night, the Tar Heels and head coach Hubert Davis have officially parted ways after spending the last five seasons with the program.

During his time in Chapel Hill, Davis posted a 125-44 record, along with four NCAA Tournament appearances. But unfortunately for the former highly touted North Carolina guard, his inability to elevate the program to the next level led to his departure from the program.

Now, the Tar Heels will begin their search for a new head coach leading up to next season. While there are plenty of coaches that the struggling program could pursue this offseason, such as Alabama’s Nate Oats and Florida’s Todd Golden, the answer could lie in the NBA with Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan.

Donovan, despite his most recent stint in the NBA, was once one of the best college basketball coaches prior to becoming the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls. The 60-year-old coach began his coaching career at Marshall, leading the program to a 35-20 record. This prompted him to take the next step in his career, as he landed the head coaching position with the Florida Gators in 1996.

Throughout his 19 seasons with the program, Donovan helped to turn the Gators into one of the best teams in all of college basketball, ending his coaching stint in the SEC with a 467-186 record. In addition to his incredible record, Donovan and Florida made the NCAA Tournament 14 times, while also winning back-to-back National Championships in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Now, with Donovan struggling to find his footing with the Bulls this season, the Tar Heels could capitalize on this opportunity and bring in a decorated head coach to the struggling program. Despite not having experience in this new era of college sports with NIL, Donovan’s resume in the NBA should help him excel in the transfer portal and acquire talented players for the prestigious school.

If he is willing to return to the college level, North Carolina should seriously consider Donovan for the head coach position.

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