Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan emerges as top candidate for UNC basketball job after Hubert Davis firing. Donovan addresses speculation while focused on Bulls’ 2025-26 season.

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has become one of the leading candidates to replace Hubert Davis at North Carolina, sparking intense speculation about his future in Chicago just days after the Tar Heels fired their coach.

Davis was dismissed on March 24, 2026, following North Carolina’s stunning first-round NCAA Tournament loss to VCU. The move ended Davis’ five-year tenure and immediately triggered a high-profile coaching search for one of college basketball’s most prestigious programs.

Donovan, 60, has not denied interest in the opening. Speaking to reporters March 25 ahead of the Bulls’ game in Philadelphia, he acknowledged the rumors while stressing his current focus.

“My main focus is on these guys and this new team,” Donovan said. “I understand that there’s stuff out there, and I understand that there is going to be certain speculation. But I have to concentrate on this group.”

As of March 28-29, betting and prediction markets listed Donovan as a co-favorite or slight favorite alongside Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, with probabilities hovering around 25-30 percent on platforms such as Kalshi.

Story continues below.

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Donovan’s Track Record and Bulls Situation

Donovan has deep college roots. He won back-to-back NCAA championships at Florida in 2006 and 2007 and built a powerhouse program before leaving for the NBA in 2015. He spent seven seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before joining the Bulls in 2020. He signed a multiyear contract extension with Chicago in July 2025.

His NBA tenure in Chicago has been mixed. Donovan’s overall record with the Bulls stands at 224-249 (.474 winning percentage) entering the final week of the 2025-26 regular season. The team has hovered around .400 or worse most of the year and is currently on the outside looking in for playoff positioning.

The Bulls’ struggles this season, combined with Donovan’s long-standing ties to the college game and his Hall of Fame induction last year, have fueled the narrative that he could be open to a return to the NCAA level, especially at a blue-blood program like North Carolina.

Why UNC Makes Sense — and Why It Might Not

North Carolina views Donovan as a needle-moving hire who could immediately stabilize the program and compete at the highest level in the evolving NIL and transfer-portal era. His experience recruiting elite talent and developing players would translate well, and several analysts have called him a “perfect fit” for the modern college game.

However, several factors complicate the picture. Donovan has a contract in Chicago and has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to the Bulls roster. The Bulls front office has not commented publicly on the rumors, and any move would likely require a significant buyout or mutual agreement.

Donovan has also noted the differences between today’s college game and the NBA cycle, saying, “It’s different in dealing with players who are being paid now. I also think the cycle of the NBA today is totally different than the cycle of college.”

What Happens Next for the Bulls and Donovan

No formal offer has been reported, and the UNC search remains fluid. Other names such as Rick Pitino, Iowa State’s TJ Otzelberger, and Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington have also surfaced, but Donovan’s name continues to dominate conversation among fans and media. Especially in Chicago.

For the Bulls, losing Donovan at (or near) the end of the season would mark the end of a coaching era in Chicago. The franchise would need to pivot quickly to a new coach while navigating a roster in transition and a fan base already frustrated with the current direction.

Donovan has one of the most decorated résumés in basketball, and a move to Chapel Hill would represent a full-circle return to the college ranks at one of its most iconic programs. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the speculation has reached a fever pitch in the days since North Carolina’s coaching change.