Duke fans would have been more than happy for North Carolina to keep Hubert Davis around for the long haul in Chapel Hill.
Instead, the Tar Heels came to their senses on Tuesday night and moved on from Davis after five seasons and back-to-back losses in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina has been reluctant to hire coaches outside of the UNC family, but it sounds like that's about to change. That's unfortunate for Duke, as there are quite a few heavy hitters believed to be candidates in Chapel Hill.
These five would be the most problematic for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils.
Duke fans should hope North Carolina doesn't hire any of these coaches
5. TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State
Iowa State's Otzelberger might be one of the most attainable candidates for North Carolina. UNC has plenty of resources, but must pay over $5 million in a buyout for Davis. A lot of the "bigger names" on this list have considerable buyouts, meaning that to grab them, UNC might be on the hook for $15-20 million before even paying the salary or for next season's roster.
Otzelberger's, on the other hand, is only $4 million.
Otzelberger has Iowa State in the Sweet 16 right now and has done excellent work in Ames since taking over. He's compiled a 124-52 record with the Cyclones in five seasons, and has them in the Sweet 16 for a third time.
4. Dusy May, Michigan
May is only in his second season at Michigan, but he has already gotten the Wolverines near the top of the sport.
After leading them to the Sweet 16 in year one, May has them back there this season with a 33-3 overall record and a No. 1 seed. Prior to Michigan, May was one of the hottest names in the mid-major ranks at Florida Atlantic, leading the Owls to the 2023 Final Four.
It wouldn't be easy to pull him out of Ann Arbor, but he would be a home run hire for the Heels.
3. Nate Oats, Alabama
Oats has led Alabama to unprecedented heights in his seven seasons in Tuscaloosa. He has the Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 for a fourth consecutive season and led the program to its first-ever Final Four in 2024.
Oats runs a fun offensive style that has attracted elite talent, and he has consistently churned out NBA players as a result. With his system, plus North Carolina's resources, he could be a real problem down Tobacco Road.
2. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona
Once Mark Few's top assistant at Gonzaga, Lloyd has done tremendous work during his time as the head man at Arizona.
He has the Wildcats back in the Sweet 16 for a fourth time in five years, and while he has yet to advance further, it feels like only a matter of time. Arizona is one of the top teams in college basketball this season, and is currently the 2nd favorite - behind only Michigan - in betting odds to win the national title.
1. Todd Golden, Florida
Despite Florida's upset loss to Iowa in the 2nd Round, few young coaches have done a better job than Todd Golden in recent years.
Golden led the Gators to the national title a year ago, and despite some significant roster turnover, had Florida back in the championship hunt as a 1-seed in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Golden's significant buyout probably means he's not a realistic candidate in the UNC search, but if he somehow ended up in Chapel Hill, he would be a real problem for the Blue Devils.