Bruce Pearl names one ideal coaching candidate for North Carolina

2026-03-29 · Yahoo Sports

Bruce Pearl names one ideal coaching candidate for North Carolina originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With the NCAA Tournament in the midst of the Elite Eight games, one former powerhouse hit a different phase with the offseason already upon them. As North Carolina's coaching search heats up, Bruce Pearl gave his thoughts on who the Tar Heels next coach should be.

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The former Auburn coach called on one NBA coach to return to college.

“Can we get Billy Donovan to come back to college?” Pearl asked. “That would be spectacular.”

Donovan, the current Chicago Bulls coach, previously coached 19 seasons at Florida, where he led the Gators to a 467-186 record with back-to-back National Championship wins in 2006 and 2007. He jumped to the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder and hasn't turned back.

In this edition of BBall Big Board, our crew was asked, 'Who should be the next head coach at North Carolina?'

"Can we get Billy Donovan to come back to college?" -- @coachbrucepearl

"I'm not opposed to Bruce Pearl taking that job." -- Charles Barkley 😂 pic.twitter.com/LCG2YQm2Xn
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026

Given that his name has circulated in this cycle, Donovan was asked about his interest in taking over in Chapel Hill.

“My main focus is on these guys and this new team,” Donovan said via The Athletic. “I understand that there’s stuff out there, and I understand that there is going to be certain speculation. But, I have to concentrate on this group."

With the Bulls on pace to miss another postseason at 29-45, Donovan might consider falling back into the college game. No better time than trying to pick up the pieces on a down slide. Consider how good the program is with Hubert Davis exiting, Donovan wouldn't need much help to hit the ground running.

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Being the head basketball coach at North Carolina is one of the most coveted jobs in all of sports. There's no doubt the history and branding is top-tier. UNC's administration knows the next hire has to be the right one.

Don't be surprised if there is a big swing that's about to happen. The program has built around just five head coaches since 1961. Two of those five head coaches, Dean Smith and Roy Williams, are Basketball Hall of Famer.

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