With Roy Williams announcing his retirement Thursday, Twitter hounds and media talking heads are already racing to find his successor. Williams’ longtime assistant Hubert Davis has emerged as an early favorite, though the Tar Heels figure to cast a wide net in their coaching search. Considering the program’s history, which includes five National Championships and alums ranging from Michael Jordan to James Worthy, the opening left by Williams at North Carolina has immediately become the most coveted job in college basketball. UNC’s pedigree should attract no shortage of high-profile applicants with Celtics coach Brad Stevens being mentioned among several prospective candidates.
Stevens, touted as a coaching prodigy when he led mid-major Butler to consecutive Final Fours a decade earlier (the Bulldogs lost in the title game both times), finds himself on the hot seat in Boston, where the struggling Celtics (eighth in the Eastern Conference at 23-25) have largely underachieved this season. With pressure mounting (frustrated fans have been calling for both Stevens and Danny Ainge’s heads), Stevens could find solace in a change of scenery. After leading Boston to three Conference Finals losses in four seasons, it’s arguable Stevens has taken this Celtics team as far as it can possibly go. Expectations would certainly be high, but if Stevens is ready for a new challenge, he won’t find a better gig than the one available right now in Chapel Hill.
Since replacing Doc Rivers as Celtics head coach in 2013, Stevens’ stock has never been lower than it is right now. However, that didn’t stop the rumor mill from connecting him to the vacancy in Indiana, even as Stevens continued to pledge his undying loyalty to the Celtics. With Stevens committed to Boston, Indiana eventually pivoted to former Knicks and Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson, an ex-Hoosier who played under coaching legend Bob Knight in the late 70s.
While the Stevens to Carolina rumblings are still mostly speculation, Seth Davis and Brian Hamilton gave weight to that theory in an article for The Athletic, noting recent “chatter” among UNC alums, many of whom believe Williams would welcome Stevens as his replacement. That being said, Davis and Hamilton are skeptical Stevens would leave for the Carolina job after resisting overtures from Indiana (where Stevens is from), and still think it would be a stretch for him to accept another position while the Celtics remain in the playoff hunt. Stevens departing Boston for Tobacco Road isn’t the most likely outcome, but in an ever-changing hoops landscape, the possibility, remote as it may seem, can’t be entirely dismissed.
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