North Carolina recently fired its head coach, leading to a massive amount of speculation over the Tar Heels' new leader, with Texas Tech's Grant McCasland reportedly in the mix.
After surrendering a 19-point lead to VCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, North Carolina relieved head coach Hubert Davis of his duties.
Davis had led the blue blood since the retirement of UNC legend Roy Williams in 2022. The Tar Heels now begin a coaching search that sent shockwaves across the entire sport of college basketball.
While the program has been notoriously picky about its leaders, with an emphasis on connection to North Carolina, it is now reportedly willing to look past this in its pursuit of the newest coach.
Several big-name coaches have been pegged to be top choices to fill the vacancy in Chapel Hill, including Florida's Todd Golden, Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger and former college legends in Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens.
The North Carolina coaching carousel is an intriguing story for the entire sport but why does it matter for Texas Tech? Well, in addition to the aforementioned names, the Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland has been rumored to a contender for the job.
It is no surprise that McCasland has emerged as a candidate for one of the sport's most prestigious jobs. He has returned Texas Tech to the college basketball limelight, with three NCAA Tournament bids in all three seasons of his seasons in Lubbock. This includes a trip to the Elite 8 last season and a win over Akron this year before injuries hampered the true potential of the team.
Before taking the reins at Texas Tech, McCasland showcased his winning ways at North Texas. He led the Mean Green to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021, where the 13-seed knocked off Purdue for its first tournament win in program history. Since his departure, North Texas has yet to return to the Big Dance.
While no one in Lubbock wants to consider the possibility of losing McCasland, especially after the Chris Beard fiasco, it should come as a compliment that blue blood programs, like UNC, believe that Texas Tech is home to a coach worthy to lead its program.
In all honesty, it seems unlikely that McCasland would ship out of Lubbock, as he has invested heavily in the Texas Tech program and established roots in the city. Additionally, his son, Jett, is currently playing basketball for Division II Lubbock Christian just down the road from his current job.
For argument's sake, if McCasland were to become the top-target of the Tar Heels, they would have to pay Texas Tech around $14 million to poach him from the program. That is a hefty asking price for anyone, even for the mighty North Carolina.
Speaking of finances, Texas Tech has quickly become one of the leaders in NIL funds in the modern age of college athletics, and it is not hard to imagine that the Red Raiders are ready and willing to shill out whatever resources are necessary to keep McCasland in the Hub City. While they may not be as prestigious as the Tar Heels historically, in this new era Texas Tech can compete with anyone in the fight for funding.
Regardless of how the coaching cycle plays out, it is a great sign for Texas Tech that its head coach is so well respected in the sport that his name would even be listed alongside a potential opening at North Carolina.
As long as McCasland's in Lubbock, it seems that the Red Raiders will never have to worry about the success of men's basketball.