UNC coaching search: Stephen A. Smith doubles down on pitching Kenny Smith as Hubert Davis replacement

Within minutes of Tuesday night’s news that North Carolina had decided to part ways with Hubert Davis, message boards were ablaze with some of the biggest names in the sport to take over the Tar Heels’ men’s basketball program in the coaching search. Prominent current and former college basketball figures like Billy Donovan, Brad Stevens, Dusty May, Nate Oats and TJ Otzelberger littered hot boards.

ESPN insider Pete Thamel mentioned all of the above during a Tuesday night SportsCenter hit when he suggested North Carolina would look outside the Tar Heel family for Davis’ replacement — something the program hasn’t done since Frank McGuire was hired away from St. John’s in 1953. But not everyone at ESPN believes that will be UNC’s tactic, especially when there’s a viable alumnus also working at ESPN.

First Take firebrand Stephen A. Smith doubled down on his belief that North Carolina’s top coaching candidate is none other than 61-year-old Inside the NBA analyst Kenny Smith. Smith is a 1987 Tar Heel alum.

“Knowing North Carolina, they will look internally first, that’s what I’ve always been taught about Tar Heel Nation. They’re hiring internally, they ain’t looking at people outside,” Stephen A. Smith said during Wednesday morning’s First Take. “But to me, (if they do look outside the UNC family) don’t do it until you’re 100-percent sure that Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith is not available. … Make sure that he has no desire whatsoever to be the next coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. But if he wants that job, … you don’t even think about it, you don’t even think about interviewing another coach. You hire Kenny Smith.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time Stephen A. Smith has proposed his friend and ESPN colleague for the UNC job. And now that it’s open for the second time in the last five years, the First Take host believes the two-time NBA champion guard and longtime Inside the NBA analyst is the perfect solution. This is his stance, despite Kenny Smith having never coached before at any level.

“The man is brilliant at the game of basketball, … he’s a savant in that regard. But most importantly, I believe Kenny Smith can recruit,” Stephen A. Smith continued. “He’s very, very connected to youth basketball throughout this country. A lot of athletes know him, … and I believe he will compete with (Duke head coach Jon) Scheyer in recruiting. And because that’s the reality that I believe will take place, that’s what it comes down to for me. It’s not about Xs and Os when it comes to a lot of these college coaches, …it’s about whether or not you can walk into a living room and convince a kid to come play for your program. I believe that Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith is that dude.”

Whether or not North Carolina officials ultimately reach out to gauge Kenny Smith‘s interest in coaching his alma mater is unclear. But according to Stephen A. Smith, that’s the first call they need to make.