Now that the Tar Heels are in the market for a head coach, many outlets have started tossing around potential candidates for the school to hire. The tricky thing, though, is that hiring a current college basketball coach comes with a cost, and UNC has to be willing to pay it. On one hand, it’s very possible that the school is willing to write a blank check if it means that the basketball program can return to glory. On another hand, the cost could scare them away, which is how we end up with some
unconventional candidates.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the buyouts for some of the candidates that are being mentioned the most in UNC’s coaching search by various outlets. Please note that there could be some coaches that have announced that they aren’t interested by the time this is published.
Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls)
Contract: Received a multi-year extension in July 2025 per CHGO Sports
Buyout: No Buyout
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan could be stepping down following the 2025-26 season to “re-evaluate what he wants from his profession” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. What he means by this is unknown, but one of a few things are likely: he could take a front office position with the Bulls, he could drop to the college ranks, or he could retire entirely. Depending on who you believe, agreeing to coach UNC is possible, but the other two options are probably more likely.
Tommy Lloyd (Arizona)
Contract: Received an extension that goes until the 2029-30 season per Yahoo Sports
Buyout: Before April 15, 2026: $11 million, Before March 31, 2027: $9 million
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd’s situation is tricky. Right now his team is still playing in the NCAA Tournament, could very well make the Final Four, and the Heels would have to have him sign a contract after April 15th if they wanted to save $2 million. What would be likely is that they agree to terms and the contract isn’t signed until much later, and while $9 million seems steep, it’s nothing compared to some of the other buyouts on our list.
Dusty May (Michigan)
Contract: Under contract until 2030 per Yahoo Sports
Buyout: $7.5 Million
How do you evaluate someone who has been coaching a Power Four team for 10 seconds? The answer is easy if the person being evaluated is Dusty May. He has gotten the Wolverines to the Sweet Sixteen in back-to-back seasons, and they could still make it to the Final Four if they can survive this weekend. Plus his buyout is cheaper than Lloyd’s, so it is a better situation financially if that is something you care about.
T.J. Otzelberger (Iowa State)
Contract: Under contract until 2032 per KCCI
Buyout: $4 Million
Otzelberger has done some impressive things at Iowa State, but hasn’t been able to get further than the Sweet Sixteen in six seasons. That is far from a critique, though — imagine what he could do with UNC’s resources should he decide to bring his talents to Chapel Hill. This would be a buyout-friendly option for a head coach who still has his team humming in the NCAA Tournament, but how much weight would the school put on his success this season as opposed to the previous seasons? Would the 10+ losses in three of his five seasons with the Cyclones be counted against him despite getting to the second weekend more often than not?
Grant McCasland (Texas Tech)
Contract: Under contract until the 2029-30 season per Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Buyout: 40% of the rest of his deal, and it has to be paid within 60 days
The Red Raiders ended up in a similar situation to UNC this season: they will be left wondering what their season could’ve been if JT Toppin never got injured. Still, McCasland deserves a lot of credit for what he did this year, and it’s hard to imagine that UNC won’t be at least a little interested. But the buyout situation is pretty gross, and also Texas Tech would likely back up the Brinks truck in NIL money to make sure he stays. How high on the list is he for UNC? Guess we will find out.
Nate Oats (Alabama)
Contract: Under contract until 2030
Buyout: $18 million before April 1st, 2026, $10 million after April 1st
What can be said about this situation without laughing? It’s clear that Alabama wants Oats to stay at any cost, but also his buyout does drop each year. $10 million is one of the steepest buyouts on this list, and for what? A great offensive mind, sure, but isn’t it a little strange that all his players keep ending up in legal trouble? UNC would have to do a thorough cost-benefit analysis for this guy.
Ben McCollum (Iowa)
Contract: Under contract until 2031-32 per Newsweek
Buyout: $5 million before April 1st, $4 million after April 1st
The Iowa Hawkeyes currently have 12 losses under first year head coach Ben McCollum, but he also has the team dancing in the Sweet Sixteen. Prior to that, he won four Division II national championships with Northwest Missouri State, which is an incredible feat. This would be a low risk option given the buyout amount, but high risk when it comes to whether or not he’d be ready for a job like UNC.
Todd Golden (Florida)
Contract: Under contract until 2031 per The New York Times
Buyout: $16 million before April 15, $11 million after
Let’s keep this short and sweet: Florida is in the process of offering Golden yet another extension, and they are willing to go down swinging to keep him. Throw in what his buyout is set at, and it’s hard not to look at this situation, laugh, shake your head, and walk away. But perhaps UNC is willing to fight that fight? Guess we’ll see.
Mark Byington (Vanderbilt)
Contract: Unknown
Buyout: Unknown
While the details of Byington’s contract are a bit of a mystery, this would be an interesting direction for the Heels to go in. There’s a chance that the buyout would be very friendly, but of the head coaches mentioned, he has arguably been the least successful. That isn’t to say he isn’t doing well — Vanderbilt was in the pits before he took it over, and he deserves a lot of credit for reviving them. But Carolina is Carolina, and this may not be the opening for him.
What do you think about some of the buyouts on this list? What amount do you think UNC would be willing to pay to steal one of these head coaches away from their current teams? Let us know in the comments below.
