Billy Donovan is reportedly in the mix to replace Hubert Davis at North Carolina

Billy Donovan’s name has popped up multiple times in previous coaching searches for Kentucky men’s basketball. Now he’s in the mix for a head coaching job at another Blue Blood.

Donovan, who is the current head of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, is being mentioned as a likely candidate to replace Hubert Davis at North Carolina. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello writes that Donovan “is expected to be at or near the top of the list” for the UNC gig. Other potential candidates, according to Borzello, include the likes of Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Michigan’s Dusty May, Iowa State’s TJ Otzelberger, Florida’s Todd Golden, and Alabama’s Nate Oats, among others. Some of those coaches come with huge buyout totals.

Davis was fired by the Tar Heels on Tuesday after compiling an overall record of 125-54 (68-30 ACC) for a win percentage of .698 across his five seasons in charge. A former player for UNC, Davis led the program to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament during his first season, but never made it past the Sweet 16 in the four seasons since. North Carolina was knocked out of the Big Dance in the first round against VCU last week.

But back to Donovan. His name was among the first group of candidates to replace John Calipari when the latter left Kentucky for Arkansas back in April 2024. Donovan was once an assistant at UK from 1989 until 1994 under Rick Pitino. Obviously, Donovan did not take the Kentucky job a couple of years ago, electing to remain with the Bulls, where he’s been since the 2020-21 season. Chicago has yet to win a playoff series under his guide, and will miss the postseason once again in 2025-26.

But Donovan has found plenty of success as a college head in the past. Prior to his time in the NBA, which also included a five-season stretch with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2015-20), he was the head man at Florida for 19 seasons, posting a .715 winning percentage with back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. It’s been over a decade since he’s been in the college ranks (and a lot has changed in the landscape of college athletics since then), but he continues to be mentioned for these high-profile college jobs.

Of note, Donovan signed a multi-year contract extension with the Bulls last summer. But he’s also on pace this season to post his worst record as an NBA head coach. Without any postseason success to justify keeping him long-term, both Donovan and the Bulls’ front office could be looking for a change.

Will a move to North Carolina be that change?