- Hubert Davis the leading candidate to be named as Roy Williams’ replacement as North Carolina’s head basketball coach.
- While Davis has EVEN odds, former players like Wes Miller (+275) and Jerry Stackhouse (+750) also are betting options.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – As head coach Roy Williams brought shock to the world on Thursday announcing his retirement from the University of North Carolina men’s basketball, it left one of the biggest college basketball teams in the country without a focus in years.
Williams had been at his post since 2003 in one of the most stable collegiate programs since the 1950s. In fact, UNC’s Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham and Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will be in charge of bringing in only the sixth head coach since 1952.
Former UNC Head Coaches, Record
- 1952-1961 Frank McGuire 164-58
- 1961-1997 Dean Smith 879-254
- 1997-2000 Bill Guthridge 80-28
- 2000-2003 Matt Doherty 53-43
- 2003-2021 Roy Williams 485-163
Replacing Williams is a tough ask, as the Hall of Fame coach totaled a winning percentage of 74.8% at North Carolina – second only to Dean Smith (77.6%) of those who coached 100+ games at Chapel Hill.
Coach Williams won 3 of UNC’s 8 National Championships (2005, 2009, 2017), as well as nine ACC season titles and three ACC Tournament titles. Even still, his legacy extends past North Carolina, as he is the only coach to have at least 400 wins at two different schools.
Replacing Roy
The focus now turns to Coach Williams' replacement, where Cunningham will have the responsibility. Already seeking counsel from Coach Williams about his replacement, the AD has also set up appointments to hear from former players rather than utilizing a search firm.
With a major retirement such as this, even former coaches are looking out for one another.
"In my gut, I hope Roy Williams picks his successor, and I hope it's someone from the Carolina family," said Larry Brown"... I know what Coach [Dean] Smith would want, I know what Coach [Frank] McGuire would want. ... Keep it in the family, and let's move forward."
While head coaching experience wasn’t a requirement, according to Cunningham, experience at North Carolina will likely be enough to bring in the new guy. According to the current UNC head coaching odds at online sportsbooks, Hubert Davis leads all candidates with EVEN odds.
North Carolina Next Head Coach Betting Odds
- Hubert Davis +100
- Wes Miller +275
- Jay Wright +700
- Jerry Stackhouse +750
- Mark Few +900
- Mark Turgeon +900
- Nate Oats +1000
- Scott Drew +1400
- Steve Robinson +1600
- Tony Bennett +1600
- Mike White +1800
- Jerod Haase +2000
- Bill Self +2500
- Rick Pitino +2500
- Brad Stevens +3300
- Buzz Peterson +3300
- Kenny Smith +3300
- Michael Jordan +50000
- Vince Carter +50000
Davis has been coaching under Roy Williams since the summer of 2012 and is also in control of the UNC junior-varsity basketball team.
As a former player and 1992 graduate of UNC as well, his North Carolina ties stretch back to the 1990s, where his 21.4 ppg average a senior helped him hold a UNC record still relevant today – highest three-point shooting percentage.
While Davis doesn’t have any D1 NCAA coaching experience, he is a master of the game and a clear favorite for a reason. However, those who like to play the college basketball odds can also find a longshot worth taking.
Wes Miller (+275) is North Carolina through and through. As a bench player at UNC in the mid-2000s, Miller averaged 23 minutes a game as a redshirt senior.
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Miller has been coaching at the D1 level since 2011 when he took on a job at UNC-Greensboro.
Miller has made it into March Madness in two of the last three Tournaments, but will his 3 first-place finishes in the Southern Conference be enough to see him as a true contender?
Another name that pops out on the list is Jerry Stackhouse. Currently coaching at Vanderbilt, Stackhouse is somewhat struggling at his new job in Nashville.
Stackhouse has gone 20-37 over the last two seasons and, even worse, has compiled a 6-26 record in the SEC.
Still, the former NBA player knows basketball and certainly has the accolades at UNC to bring his name into the discussion. As a sophomore, Stackhouse averaged 19.2 ppg to go alongside 8.2 rebounds. With a National Player of the Year award to his name, Stackhouse also won awards for being a first-team All-American and first-team All-ACC.
While Stackhouse played under Dean Smith, not coach Williams, he may not have the right connection needed. Aside from that, Stackhouse signed a six-year deal with Vandy in 2019, potentially making him feel comfortable to stay.
While Hubert Davis is the clear-cut leader, names like Jerod Haase should raise some thoughts to low-risk sports betting players. A small bet on Haase would be met with +2000 odds… on someone who was nearly attached to Roy Williams for years.
Playing under Coach Williams at Kansas for three years, Haase nearly won a Wooden Award playing in over 100 career games. With coach’s support, Haase was brought in as an assistant coach at Kansas.
Shortly after, Williams accepted the job at UNC, to which Haase switched jobs with him. In total, Haase spent 13 years as Williams’ assistant before leaving for Stanford in 2016.
Haase may not have the number behind him as a coach – one NIT appearance and only one top-5 conference finish – but his connection to the former UNC head basketball coach should not be overlooked.
As the search remains on, college basketball betting fans will get to jump into some Carolina Blue bets despite being done with the season.
Michael spends most of his time betting on over/unders and analyzing algorithms in attempts to beat the book. His focus on statistics comes from an early understanding of mathematics as well as knowledge of opportunity costs. Michael enjoys playing basketball and reading about the NBA whenever he has the free time. When he is not writing, he can be found in Mississippi hitting the sportsbooks and enjoying a margarita… on the rocks, no salt.
