2026 Coaching Carousel

[MuggsyB]

So you're surprised that UNC has higher standards for who the person is and how they conduct themselves than LSU and Florida?

Really?

Culture fit there is someone without baggage , who won't embarrass them.....and who will win a lot.....

I'm sure they'd love to have someone like Tommy Lloyd but don't know if he will move either......especially if he wins it all.

I'm sure they'd love will get somebody good.......but Kentucky had to settle for Mark Pope so..........

I'll concede the perception is the SEC has lower (or no) standards compared to other schools, but it's hard to really know whether scumbaggery among big-time coaches is night and day school to school.  Especially massive state schools whose main priority is to win. 

[JWags85]

Didn't see this coming ...

https://x.com/TheFieldOf68/status/2038642803018764505?s=20

Unexpected, but Groce is only 54 and presumably didn't want to be a MAC lifer, so making the jump to a program where it's fairly easy to win (4 of the last 5 coaches have been success) and the last 3 coaches all got $1MM+ promotions out of it...makes sense. He's done really well at Akron, but anamoly of this year aside, the MAC is a one bid league and you risk getting stuck in coaching purgatory as an older coach if you don't win the MAC tourney (shout out Tod Kowalczyk who would have multiple NCAA bids and have gotten a high mid major/low P5 gig if he did what he's done at Toledo in the early 2000s MAC or current MVC/A10/CAA).  Also, fairly certain Akron isn't putting much more into the program resource-wise. Good move by Groce 

[JWags85]

Woj media influence getting On3 to provide a glowing review of him hiring his good friend and alumni buddy at St Bonnie...

https://x.com/JoeTipton/status/2038632478898889066?s=20

He's had 2 good years the last 2 seasons in a HORRIBLE conference.  9 team conference, only had 1 other team above .500 overall this year, 2 other teams over .500 last year.  In his 11 previous years at Daeman, in said terrible conference that doesn't have a track record of teams succeeding in the D2 tourney, he only won the conference 2 other years besides 25/26 (Tobin Anderson, recently fired at Iona, owned him annually).  In those previous 11 years, he only won 4 D2 NCAA tourney games (3 of which were in 2021 in a tourney played without fans).  Last year they were upset in the second round as the #1 seed despite playing the regional at home.

In 8 years at D3 Medaille prior to Daeman, he made the tourney only 3 years and won a single game.

And that's his positive resume to get him hired, cause he previously was the HC at Canisus where he finished 30 games below .500 in conference in 9 years in which he finished above 7th in the MAAC just once.

I'm sure Woj and St Bonaventure decision makers will say they are trying to replicate the success of D2 coaches given how well McCollum and Schertz have done.  But that's like somebody poaching Wojo cause of the success of the previous 2 MU coaches and he was also a MU coach that made the NCAA tourney.

Last 10 years in D2 before being hired...

McCollum: 305-48, 10 conference titles (1 shared), 4 national champions, 3 S16s, 9 of 9 tournaments made (1 cancelled for COVID), 1 first round loss

Schertz: 276-43, 8 conference titles, 1 runner up, 2 F4s, 2 S16s, 8 of 9 tournaments made (1 cancelled for COVID), no first round losses

McDonald: 225-77, 3 conference titles, 2 E8s, 5 of 9 tournaments made (1 cancelled for COVID), 2 first round losses


Oh and for fun, ol Bruce when he got hired from D2 Southern Indiana in 9 years:
231-46, 5 conference titles, 1 natty, 1 runner up, 4 S16s, 9 of 9 tournaments made, 2 first round losses.

And Schertz/McCollum/Pearl were in their early/mid 40s at their first HC gigs, not 60 year old failed D1 coaches.  And Schertz/McCollum were hired to the MVC, which I'd argue is a step down from the A10 as it currently stands.  Obviously Pearl was hired into the much lower Horizon.

[Tarragona]

Maybe it's me, but I'm a bit perplexed why UNC would want Billy Donovan.  Among the younger coaches, they'll land one.  I mean why would you hire Donovan over say Todd Golden or T.J.? 

My understanding is the UNC list is:

1) Lloyd
2) May
3) Donovan

That's the top 3, in order. Some reports have said that TJ isn't interested, and UNC may not be interested in Golden. (Reports of $16 million buyout that drops to $11 million in mid April) There would be a next tier. But that is supposedly the top tier or first tier until after the NCAA Tourney is complete.

[Tarragona]

Woj media influence getting On3 to provide a glowing review of him hiring his good friend and alumni buddy at St Bonnie...

https://x.com/JoeTipton/status/2038632478898889066?s=20

He's had 2 good years the last 2 seasons in a HORRIBLE conference.  9 team conference, only had 1 other team above .500 overall this year, 2 other teams over .500 last year.  In his 11 previous years at Daeman, in said terrible conference that doesn't have a track record of teams succeeding in the D2 tourney, he only won the conference 2 other years besides 25/26 (Tobin Anderson, recently fired at Iona, owned him annually).  In those previous 11 years, he only won 4 D2 NCAA tourney games (3 of which were in 2021 in a tourney played without fans).  Last year they were upset in the second round as the #1 seed despite playing the regional at home.

In 8 years at D3 Medaille prior to Daeman, he made the tourney only 3 years and won a single game.

And that's his positive resume to get him hired, cause he previously was the HC at Canisus where he finished 30 games below .500 in conference in 9 years in which he finished above 7th in the MAAC just once.

I'm sure Woj and St Bonaventure decision makers will say they are trying to replicate the success of D2 coaches given how well McCollum and Schertz have done.  But that's like somebody poaching Wojo cause of the success of the previous 2 MU coaches and he was also a MU coach that made the NCAA tourney.

Last 10 years in D2 before being hired...

McCollum: 305-48, 10 conference titles (1 shared), 4 national champions, 3 S16s, 9 of 9 tournaments made (1 cancelled for COVID), 1 first round loss

Schertz: 276-43, 8 conference titles, 1 runner up, 2 F4s, 2 S16s, 8 of 9 tournaments made (1 cancelled for COVID), no first round losses

McDonald: 225-77, 3 conference titles, 2 E8s, 5 of 9 tournaments made (1 cancelled for COVID), 2 first round losses


Oh and for fun, ol Bruce when he got hired from D2 Southern Indiana in 9 years:
231-46, 5 conference titles, 1 natty, 1 runner up, 4 S16s, 9 of 9 tournaments made, 2 first round losses.

And Schertz/McCollum/Pearl were in their early/mid 40s at their first HC gigs, not 60 year old failed D1 coaches.  And Schertz/McCollum were hired to the MVC, which I'd argue is a step down from the A10 as it currently stands.  Obviously Pearl was hired into the much lower Horizon.

Bonnies have to be creative. It's tough to get to Olean, and it's tough to convince some to go to Olean.

They recently hired a soccer coach (Ray Leone) whose resume includes stops at:

Berry (HC)
Creighton (HC)
Clemson AC
Clemson (HC)
Arizona State (HC)
Harvard (HC)
Maryland (HC)
IMG Academy (AC)
Northern Arizona (AC)
United States Sports Academy (HC)
New College of Florida (AHC)/FC Sarasota

Some stops were co-coaching with his wife Tracey, who is currently an AC at UNC. (Former standout player at UNC and with the USWNT)

[The Sultan]

MacDonald and Woj knew one another back when they were at St. Bonnies as students.  Don't over think this. He hired his friend.

[Uncle Rico]

MacDonald and Woj knew one another back when they were at St. Bonnies as students.  Don't over think this. He hired his friend.

It's the A-10.  No one wants to coach there unless they have to.

[MU82]

My understanding is the UNC list is:

1) Lloyd
2) May
3) Donovan

They're probably gonna have to expand their list.

[JWags85]

MacDonald and Woj knew one another back when they were at St. Bonnies as students.  Don't over think this. He hired his friend.

I don't know of if that was to me or shoot, but that's 1000% what it is.  I just found the tweet funny, as if winning 100 games at each level is impressive when you spend 10 years at a stop.  Also I realize that Woj still is incredibly well connected media wise so the various tweets/posts spinning this as a smart hire is a result of that, I imagine you wouldn't see the same if Duquesne made a similar hire. 

Olean may not be Orlando, but there are dozens of coaches with a better resume who'd jump at an A10 job paying high 6 figures (Schmidt made $1.5MM but supposedly they aren't trying to spend more than $750K on a new coach). 

Woj is looking like an absolute mess as a GM.  Hasn't used his connections to retain talent, hasn't been able to leverage them into better NIL funding, and now an incredibly underwhelming buddy buddy hire after firing the second best coach in program history.  I can understand maybe wanting a change, been an underwhelming few seasons after those top 25 level teams 4-5 years ago.  But not if you don't have an exciting option in the wings, especially given the aforementioned challenges and failings since he became GM.

Dayton/VCU/SLU adapting to the new game, Woj and SBU gonna have a fun few years on the other side of the coin before they end up backsliding into the MAAC or NEC.

[Zog from Margo]

Zens asked for his release from Northern Iowa. Not sure if MU had much interest. 6'7" and can shoot. Also pretty strong. Likely need more transfers than expected to add to that class.

[Tarragona]

They're probably gonna have to expand their list.

They might. But for now it's 1 of those 3. And Donovan is apparently more of a candidate than some may think.

If Kansas opened, McCollum, Otzleberger, McCasland would likely be some of the targets there.

[The Sultan]

Woj is looking like an absolute mess as a GM.  Hasn't used his connections to retain talent, hasn't been able to leverage them into better NIL funding, and now an incredibly underwhelming buddy buddy hire after firing the second best coach in program history.  I can understand maybe wanting a change, been an underwhelming few seasons after those top 25 level teams 4-5 years ago.  But not if you don't have an exciting option in the wings, especially given the aforementioned challenges and failings since he became GM.

Honestly I never quite understood how Woj was going to get more NIL for St. Bonnies. The entire model never made much sense to me.

[MU82]

They might. But for now it's 1 of those 3. And Donovan is apparently more of a candidate than some may think.

Well, UNC hired a 106-year-old football coach who had never coached in college. So I guess I'm not surprised they're interested in a 61-year-old guy going through the motions in the NBA who hasn't coached in college for more than a decade - when the landscape was nothing like it is now.

I'd be more surprised if Donovan actually were interested in getting back into the rat race at this stage, but then again Thad Matta was ...

And I'd be REALLY surprised if Lloyd or May left pat situations.

[brewcity77]

My understanding is the UNC list is:

1) Lloyd
2) May
3) Donovan

My guess is it's one of the first two, probably Lloyd. The fact that there's so little talk around the biggest open job leads me to believe Carolina already knows they've got their man. Think about Kentucky when it opened, we knew everyone who was turning them down.

Seems like the reason we aren't hearing that is because the coach they're getting is still coaching.

[MU82]

My guess is it's one of the first two, probably Lloyd. The fact that there's so little talk around the biggest open job leads me to believe Carolina already knows they've got their man. Think about Kentucky when it opened, we knew everyone who was turning them down.

Seems like the reason we aren't hearing that is because the coach they're getting is still coaching.

$$$ being equal, I wouldn't leave what Lloyd has going at Arizona for UNC ... but if he's the choice, we don't know what would be part of the deal. Gotta say I'd still be a little surprised, but not shocked or anything.

[Zog from Margo]

$$$ being equal, I wouldn't leave what Lloyd has going at Arizona for UNC ... but if he's the choice, we don't know what would be part of the deal. Gotta say I'd still be a little surprised, but not shocked or anything.

Lloyd might do it if UNC will leave the ACC and head to the Big Whatever.

[Uncle Rico]

$$$ being equal, I wouldn't leave what Lloyd has going at Arizona for UNC ... but if he's the choice, we don't know what would be part of the deal. Gotta say I'd still be a little surprised, but not shocked or anything.

It could be one of the top 2 is unhappy for some unknown reason at their current position, even as they have great success.  As outsiders, we don't really know the inner workings of the athletic departments.  Michigan, in particular, has been messy the last few years.

I'd also say, being the first outside the Carolina family in 70+ years and establishing your own lineage has to be appealing.  While you can win just as easily elsewhere, these guys may still see it as special and have the egos to be the next legend in Tar Heel blue.

[Uncle Rico]

Lloyd might do it if UNC will leave the ACC and head to the Big Whatever.

I think that makes the Carolina gig way less attractive.

[Pakuni]

Well, UNC hired a 106-year-old football coach who had never coached in college. So I guess I'm not surprised they're interested in a 61-year-old guy going through the motions in the NBA who hasn't coached in college for more than a decade - when the landscape was nothing like it is now.

I'd be more surprised if Donovan actually were interested in getting back into the rat race at this stage, but then again Thad Matta was ...

And I'd be REALLY surprised if Lloyd or May left pat situations.

If I'm UNC, I would have no qualms about bringing in Donovan despite his time away from the college game. Historically speaking, guys who went from college to the pros then back to college have done pretty well upon their return (thinking Pitino, Hoiberg, Calipari, Kruger, Larry Brown, even Leonard Hamilton). And Donovan doesn't seem like a guy who would struggle with the new dynamics of college sports. He's not some crotchety old-school guy.

People would be glazing UNC if they pulled Brad Stevens out of Boston, even though he's been away from the college game longer than Donovan and out of coaching entirely for five.

[Uncle Rico]

If I'm UNC, I would have no qualms about bringing in Donovan despite his time away from the college game. Historically speaking, guys who went from college to the pros then back to college have done pretty well upon their return (thinking Pitino, Hoiberg, Calipari, Kruger, Larry Brown, even Leonard Hamilton). And Donovan doesn't seem like a guy who would struggle with the new dynamics of college sports. He's not some crotchety old-school guy.

People would be glazing UNC if they pulled Brad Stevens out of Boston, even though he's been away from the college game longer than Donovan and out of coaching entirely for five.

I'd also trust Donovan to put together a top notch staff more so than Belichick.  I'd bet he'd have his pick of assistants.

[79Warrior]

Lloyd might do it if UNC will leave the ACC and head to the Big Whatever.

I would be very surprised if he left Arizona.

[brewcity77]

$$$ being equal, I wouldn't leave what Lloyd has going at Arizona for UNC ... but if he's the choice, we don't know what would be part of the deal. Gotta say I'd still be a little surprised, but not shocked or anything.

Maybe it's Dusty. But if it's not one of those two, we'd probably have some indicators by now. There would be extensions announced or bold statements. Instead, Tommy Lloyd talked about how Arizona had good coaches before him and will have good coaches after him.

[MU82]

If I'm UNC, I would have no qualms about bringing in Donovan despite his time away from the college game. Historically speaking, guys who went from college to the pros then back to college have done pretty well upon their return (thinking Pitino, Hoiberg, Calipari, Kruger, Larry Brown, even Leonard Hamilton). And Donovan doesn't seem like a guy who would struggle with the new dynamics of college sports. He's not some crotchety old-school guy.

I'd also trust Donovan to put together a top notch staff more so than Belichick.  I'd bet he'd have his pick of assistants.

All of this is reasonable.

[Tarragona]

My guess is it's one of the first two, probably Lloyd. The fact that there's so little talk around the biggest open job leads me to believe Carolina already knows they've got their man. Think about Kentucky when it opened, we knew everyone who was turning them down.

Seems like the reason we aren't hearing that is because the coach they're getting is still coaching.

At the very least it seems to be a clear top 3.

After that it gets interesting as they might skip over Oates and Golden and go to McCasland. I would think Kansas would be more of a fit for McCollum. Even though some say extensions don't matter, I don't see Byington signing one and going there a few weeks later.

But it doesn't seem like it is going to get past the first 3.

If it is Lloyd, the Arizona AD is the same one that hired TJO at UNLV. That may or may not matter.

[Billy Hoyle]

At the very least it seems to be a clear top 3.

After that it gets interesting as they might skip over Oates and Golden and go to McCasland. I would think Kansas would be more of a fit for McCollum. Even though some say extensions don't matter, I don't see Byington signing one and going there a few weeks later.

But it doesn't seem like it is going to get past the first 3.

If it is Lloyd, the Arizona AD is the same one that hired TJO at UNLV. That may or may not matter.

Good catch! I would think TJO would need to ask Matt Campbell to recommend an Ames area realtor if Arizona came open. That's an elite job.