4 Hubert Davis replacements UNC needs on tap with Duke embarrassing Tar Heels

If there was a shortage of North Carolina Tar Heels fans who weren't ready to send Hubert Davis packing, there's not after Saturday night. UNC had its first meeting with bitter rival Duke on the road in Durham as part of a loaded college basketball slate on Saturday and, as such, Davis had a big opportunity at hand. With the Tar Heels having lost three of their previous four matchups coming into the rivalry game, a road win to topple the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils would've surely quieted calls for Davis to be fired.

Instead, Davis and the Tar Heels were on the wrong end of a truly embarrassing effort. The final score might not indicate that but, considering that North Carolina trailed by 22 points at halftime and by as many as 32 points in the loss to Duke, it was absolutely as bad as it could possibly be. UNC looked like a shell of itself.

There's no guarantee to this point that Hubert Davis will be fired as UNC's head coach, to be clear. However, the evidence is mounting against him. Right now, the Tar Heels are on track to miss the NCAA Tournament for the second time in Davis' four seasons manning the sidelines. In the 24 North Carolina basketball seasons following Dean Smith's retirement before Davis took over, the Heels missed March Madness just three times. That's unacceptable for one of the best college hoops programs in the country.

Even if Davis has been to a Final Four and has been a No. 1 seed, it might be time to move on. And if North Carolina goes that direction, the Tar Heels would be wise to have these candidates near the top of their wishlist.

4. Brad Frederick (UNC assistant coach)

One of the biggest defenses for keeping Davis in Chapel Hill right now is that the Tar Heels just signed one of the top 2025 recruits in the country, five-star power forward Caleb Wilson. However, it wasn't Davis who was the primary recruiter for the top prospect. That would be assistant coach Brad Frederick.

Furthermore, Frederick fits the mold that we've seen UNC operate in when it comes to previous coaching searches as he's part of the family. He played at North Carolina under Dean Smith and Bill Gutheridge and has spent more than a decade as an assistant in the program, first with Roy Williams and now with Davis.

While I would contend that keeping in the family might not be the best move for UNC at this current juncture, if they want to go that route, then Frederick, especially with his ties to Wilson, would be the best option, especially with Wes Miller currently struggling a bit at Cincinnati.

3. Will Wade (McNeese head coach)

Look, I'm aware of all of the off-court issues, recruiting violations and shady behavior that have been associated with Will Wade that ultimately led to his departure from LSU after the 2021-22 season. That's something that Bubba Cunningham and the UNC administration would have to assess in terms of their comfort level of dealing with such substantial baggage.

If they are okay with that, though, then Wade would have to make a ton of sense. Not only are we in the wild-west NIL era of college sports nowadays that may have saved him some of the trouble that was caused in Baton Rouge, but Wade is a winner. Between Chattanooga, VCU, LSU and now McNeese, Wade has gone a stellar 234-103 in his coaching career with six NCAA Tournament appearances in 10 seasons on the sidelines.

With his ability to recruit and, frankly, his fit with the fast-paced style that North Carolina has long adopted, the Heels could do a lot worse if they can reconcile the past transgressions of Wade.

2. Nate Oats (Alabama head coach)

Yes, I'm aware that the state of the Alabama basketball program is currently better than at North Carolina under Davis. That, naturally, leads to the question of why Nate Oats would want to leave the Crimson Tide for the Tar Heels. And it's a fair question, but one that is fairly answered by the simple fact that UNC remains one of the truly upper-echelon jobs in college basketball historically with limitless potential.

Oats' bonafides need no introduction. He led the Buffalo Bulls to the NCAA Tournament in three of four seasons, including two Round of 64 wins. That earned him the Alabama job where he went 16-15 in the first season. He's then made the NCAA Tournament in the past four seasons, making it to the Final Four last season and at least the Sweet 16 in three of those four campaigns. The Tide are also currently 19-3 in the toughest conference in the sport.

It would take a godfather offer but that's something that UNC basketball has the resources to make. And when it comes to Oats, they absolutely should.

1. Mark Few (Gonzaga head coach)

Based on North Carolina's propensity for trying to keep things "in the family" and the desire for success, there's not a better potential Hubert Davis replacement in Chapel Hill than Mark Few. A close friend of Roy Williams, Few has reeled off one successful season after another with the Gonzaga Bulldogs with a ridiculous 731-149 record since he took over in Spokane for the 1999-2000 season.

Few has long been questioned about if he would ever leave the Zags but a job like North Carolina might be the best opportunity for him to actually do so. His ties to Williams could help the Tar Heels' case to lure him, but so too could the recent slide (at least by previous standards) for Gonzaga. Perhaps the run of dominance in Spokane is about to come to a close and now is a good time for a new start.

There aren't many coaches that I'd pick over Few for most jobs in college basketball but UNC happens to have a potential advantage in trying to land him if Davis gets fired.