Who Will Replace Roy Williams

as the North Carolina Tar Heels Men’s Basketball Head Coach

Since 2004, Roy Williams has been the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team. In early April 2021, he announced his retirement after 18 seasons at the helm. The basketball program faces the significant challenge of replacing him, especially as the coaching landscape of college basketball is full of uncertainty.

One possible candidate is former Tar Heels assistant Hubert Davis, who served as an assistant under Williams from 2012-2019. Davis is well versed in Carolina’s culture having played there from 1988-1992, under head coach Dean Smith, and from 2003-2012 with Williams. He’s also been an assistant or associate head coach for other teams such as the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and the University of Texas at El Paso.

Another possible candidate for the position is Jason Capel, who served as a player and coach for the Tar Heels. Capel first joined Carolina’s program as a freshman in 1997 and was a member of the 2005 national championship team. He served as an assistant coach to Williams from 2011-2019. After leaving UNC, he built strong programs in his tenures as head coach of Appalachian State and UNC Asheville. Capel is currently an analyst on ESPN’s college basketball coverage.

Other outside options could come from a combination of both college and NBA circles. North Carolina has eyed several past NBA head coaches in the past, including George Karl, Avery Johnson, and Larry Brown. Current NBA coaches such as Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls, and Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers are former college coaches that Carolina could target.

Regardless of who becomes the men’s basketball head coach of the Tar Heels’ program, replacing Roy Williams won’t be easy. It’s a tall task for anyone to take on, and the program will need to identify the right fit for the job, with the objective of building on the team’s success under his watch.