College Hoops Coaching Carousel Is Almost Done Spinning, and UNC's Still the Prize

The men's college basketball world is in Indianapolis for the Final Four, and the 2026 coaching carousel has basically wrapped up. But here's the thing: one of the biggest jobs in the sport is still wide open, and the drama around who fills it isn't over yet.

Out of 49 jobs that opened this cycle, nine are still waiting to be filled. That's a lot of movement, but the real story is about the marquee programs and the names still in play for Chapel Hill.

Lloyd Off the Board, May Staying Put

Arizona's Tommy Lloyd just killed the suspense. He agreed to a new five-year deal with the Wildcats and announced it Friday before the Final Four tipoff. This wasn't a cheap extension either. Per ESPN sources, the new deal makes Lloyd one of the five highest paid coaches in college basketball. His buyout was already sitting at $9 million under his old contract, and it's expected to stay high.

That takes one of the top candidates off the UNC board. Michigan coach Dusty May had also been connected to the Chapel Hill opening, but he made his position crystal clear just before Lloyd's announcement. "It's well-documented how happy I am at Michigan," May said. His current deal runs through 2030 with a $7 million buyout if he leaves this spring. Like Lloyd before him, May wouldn't directly address the vacancy, but the message was loud.

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan remains the other big name floating around for the UNC job, but the field is shrinking fast.

Power Conference Dominoes and the Mid-Major Invasion

The rest of the carousel has been a mix of assistant coach promotions and mid-major coaches landing power-conference gigs. Boston College and NC State went the internal route, with BC hiring UConn's Luke Murray and NC State bringing back alum Justin Gainey from the same program.

Arizona State landed Arizona native Randy Bennett from Saint Mary's. Cincinnati went with alum Jerrod Calhoun from Utah State. Providence picked Bryan Hodgson from South Florida. Syracuse brought in program legend Gerry McNamara from Siena. Kansas State, the first high-major job to open this cycle, hired Belmont's Casey Alexander. Georgia Tech grabbed Scott Cross from Troy. And Creighton let coach-in-waiting Alan Huss take over from Greg McDermott.

The biggest shock of the cycle was LSU's move to bring back Will Wade, who had been fired four years ago and left the program dealing with NCAA sanctions. The Tigers pushed to land Wade from NC State while current coach Matt McMahon was still employed, with both moves happening officially within hours of each other.

One Spot Left That Everyone Wants

UNC is still waiting. And with Lloyd locked in and May not budging, the Tar Heels are running out of obvious options for one of the most prestigious jobs in college basketball.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.