The UNC Tar Heels are not getting Arizona’s head coach Tommy Lloyd. Lloyd signed a new extension this week. But could a different Big 12 basketball coach now be the target for the Tar Heels? Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland has emerged as a potential fit in Chapel Hill, and now that rumor mill around the head coach has picked up steam.
The Betting Odds
As of Saturday morning, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is still a heavy favorite to be the next head coach of the Tar Heels, but Grant McCasland is now No. 2 on the odds list, according to Kalshi. Donovan is the favorite at 54%, with McCasland coming in at 13%, followed by Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington at 8%.
UNC’s Timing
The next question is how long is UNC willing to wait for its reported No. 1 target in Billy Donovan. The Bulls will not make the NBA Playoffs, so their season ends on April 12th. Donovan has reportedly said he won’t discuss the job until the Bulls season is over.
That is a few days after the transfer portal opens in college basketball, when there will be a lot of movement across the sport. Can UNC wait that long?
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein said they might have to, if they want Donovan that badly, but if not, that is where Grant McCasland could enter the conversation.
Grant McCasland Contract and History
At just 49 years old, McCasland has been the head coach at Texas Tech for three seasons and has never finished worse than third place in the Big 12 Conference. He’s made the NCAA Tournament in all three seasons, including the Elite 8 last year. Tech was poised for a big run this year, but then lost their best player, JT Toppin, to injury, which derailed the back half of the season. He’s 38-18 over three seasons in the Big 12, with a 74-31 mark overall.
However, McCasland is a Texas guy through and through. He played at Baylor in the 1990’s, has spent the bulk of his coaching career in the Lone Star State, and appears to be an ideal fit for Texas Tech, which has provided him with plenty of NIL resources.
Contract wise, McCasland signed a six-year contract extension in May 2025 worth $31.5 million, running through the 2030-31 season. His salary begins at $5 million for the 2025-26 season, with annual $100,000 raises, placing him among the Big 12’s highest-paid coaches.
So as UNC’s search continues, they may look at McCasland, but at this point, it seems like a long shot.
