Tommy Lloyd listed as early candidate to lead North Carolina basketball after Hubert Davis firing

North Carolina has fired men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis after five seasons, and Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd is among the early replacement candidates to lead the storied program.

CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander and The Athletic’s Brendan Marks listed Lloyd, who is currently prepping to face No. 4-seed Arkansas in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, as a potential favorite to take Davis’ place.

Marks broke down why Lloyd may be the “current front-runner” though there is “serious logistical complications,” with Arizona poised to make a deep tournament run.

Lloyd, 51, has been a rock star since taking over in Tucson in 2021, going 146-35 with six combined conference regular-season and tournament titles over that stretch, between the former Pac-12 and current Big 12. He’s twice been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament — including this season — and never lower than a No. 4. He’s had a top-11 offense in the sport every season on the job, plus a top-10 defense in two of the past three seasons. He’s one of the elite high school recruiters, a savvy transfer portal evaluator and the country’s foremost expert on international recruiting.

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But the complications are substantial. If Arizona makes the Final Four, can UNC afford to wait for Lloyd, who has also spent his career in the West? Then there’s the matter of his buyout, about $11 million, the largest of any candidate.

On Lloyd’s contract buyout, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello said his would be “between $9 million and $12 million, depending on timing (of the possible deal).”

The firing of Davis comes after the Tar Heels squandered a lead that got as big as 19 points in a Round of 64 loss to No. 11 VCU.

“We appreciate all that Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader – he has helped make special memories we will never forget,” North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in an announcement Tuesday night. “This was not an easy decision because of Hubert’s tremendous character and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to compete more consistently at an elite level.”

Davis pieced together a record of 125-54 with one ACC regular-season title (2023-24) and led the Tar Heels to a runners-up finish in the 2022 national tournament, which was his first year on the job. He was 8-4 overall in the NCAA Tournament.

The biggest shortcoming Davis had to deal with, however, was back-to-back national tournaments (2025-26) his team did not make it past the first round. That had never happened in program history.

Lloyd’s 146 career wins entering Thursday’s West Region semifinal are the most by a NCAA men’s basketball coach over their first five seasons with a program. He earned Big 12 Coach of the Year for the 2025-26 season and was the 2022 AP Coach of the Year.

His teams have not made it past the Sweet 16 in three previous tries, but the Wildcats have the chance to get past that barrier in San Jose.

Other potential North Carolina head coaching candidates that Norlander mentioned include another Big 12 name, Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger, while Michigan’s Dusty May was thrown out as well.

Florida’s Todd Golden, only a year removed from winning a national championship, and Alabama’s Nate Oats are other current college head coaches that Norlander believes “could emerge as targets.”

Marks and Norlander didn’t only overlap on Lloyd, the two writers agreed on a possible NBA-experienced name: Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan.

Norlander also said Brad Stevens, current general manager of the Boston Celtics, is a name to watch in this search.

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