6 Replacements if North Carolina Fires Hubert Davis Soon, Including Todd Golden

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images When Hubert Davis made his head coaching debut with North Carolina in 2021-22 and took them to the NCAA Tournament final, it looked like the school had found the man to oversee the program for the next decade. However, the Tar Heels didn’t even make the tournament the following season, and have been ousted in the opening round the last two years. It’s why ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that the coach’s future is currently “in flux.

” The basketball insider claims a decision won’t come until next week, but at the very least, the entire staff under Davis will be out. If North Carolina were to go with a total overhaul and move on from Davis, let’s look at six replacement options for, arguably, the best job in college basketball. Brad Underwood, Illinois Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images While it took some time, Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a legit force in a stacked Big Ten.

They have won 20 or more wins in each of the last seven seasons, went 25-8 in 2025-26, and the coach has a couple of conference tourney championships on his resume. Underwood has done a lot with a second-tier school in the conference. With UNC’s resources and brand recognition, he could get the consistent results the program is looking for.

Todd Golden, Florida Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images North Carolina’s dream target would be Florida head coach Todd Golden. After a notable run legitimizing San Francisco, the coach has made an immediate impact on the Gators. In his third season, he led the program to a national title, and after a bumpy start to the 2025-26 season has them in position to repeat this month.