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The search for the next head basketball coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels is underway, and there have already been plenty of names thrown around.
As of now, the three leading candidates are Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Michigan’s Dusty May and former Florida and current Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan. However, all three could ultimately turn down the UNC job.
If that happens, where does North Carolina turn? Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington and Iowa’s Ben McCollum have already been profiled. Next up: Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland.
Grant McCasland is a coaching chameleon who adapts to his environment and wins, from junior college to Division I.
He has a career record of 284-121 (.701) across Midwestern State (Division II), Arkansas State, North Texas and Texas Tech. He led North Texas to the NIT title in 2023 and Texas Tech to the Elite Eight last season. Before moving into Division I, he was a highly successful junior college coach at Midland College from 2004-09, going 142-32 with two national championship appearances and a title in 2007.
In 17 seasons as a head coach at the junior college and NCAA levels, McCasland has had only one year with fewer than 20 wins — the shortened 2020-21 season at North Texas, when the Mean Green still earned their first NCAA Tournament win by upsetting Purdue in a 13-over-4 matchup.
He has won 68% of his Big 12 games after winning 67% of his Conference USA contests. McCasland’s roster-building is consistently logical, and his teams play tough, scrappy and smart. A season-ending injury to JT Toppin likely derailed another deep tournament run for Texas Tech.
He’s a proven program builder and his teams always play solid defense McCasland has won everywhere he’s been—most notably elevating North Texas Mean Green men's basketball into a defensive powerhouse and then continuing that success at Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball. UNC doesn’t need someone to maintain; it needs someone who can adapt and rebuild in a changing landscape (portal + NIL). McCasland has shown he can do that without blue-blood advantages.
His teams are consistently among the best in the country defensively, whether they play at a deliberate pace or push tempo. At North Texas, the Mean Green led the nation in scoring defense in his final two seasons. While those numbers dipped at Texas Tech as he adjusted his schemes to his players’ strengths, his program identity still centers on defense.
UNC, even in its better recent years, has struggled with consistent defensive toughness. McCasland would immediately give the Tar Heels a clear identity on that end, similar to what Tony Bennett built at Virginia.
McCasland is very much an outsider. He has never worked in a place where basketball is the dominant sport and the spotlight never turns off.
Yes, North Carolina has hired outsiders before. Frank McGuire was a fast-talking New Yorker who brought a roster full of Catholic and Jewish players from the city to a largely Southern Baptist state, and Dean Smith came from Kansas.
But McCasland is a Texan through and through, and it may take time for him to fully connect in the Triangle. Texas Tech does not carry the same day-to-day scrutiny as North Carolina, where the head coach works in Duke’s shadow and every decision is measured against what Jon Scheyer is doing in Durham.
Not very likely.
UNC has not reached out, with school officials focused on bigger names, and McCasland’s current situation is strong. He is at a Texas Tech program with significant NIL backing, and he is a proud Texan. North Carolina’s brand always gives it a puncher’s chance, but it is hard to pull a Texan out of Texas, especially when all but two of his assistant and head-coaching stops have been in the Lone Star State.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Is Grant McCasland the next Tar Heels head coach?
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As of now, the three leading candidates are Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Michigan’s Dusty May and former Florida and current Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan. However, all three could ultimately turn down the UNC job.
If that happens, where does North Carolina turn? Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington and Iowa’s Ben McCollum have already been profiled. Next up: Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland.
Prior Experience
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Grant McCasland is a coaching chameleon who adapts to his environment and wins, from junior college to Division I.
He has a career record of 284-121 (.701) across Midwestern State (Division II), Arkansas State, North Texas and Texas Tech. He led North Texas to the NIT title in 2023 and Texas Tech to the Elite Eight last season. Before moving into Division I, he was a highly successful junior college coach at Midland College from 2004-09, going 142-32 with two national championship appearances and a title in 2007.
In 17 seasons as a head coach at the junior college and NCAA levels, McCasland has had only one year with fewer than 20 wins — the shortened 2020-21 season at North Texas, when the Mean Green still earned their first NCAA Tournament win by upsetting Purdue in a 13-over-4 matchup.
He has won 68% of his Big 12 games after winning 67% of his Conference USA contests. McCasland’s roster-building is consistently logical, and his teams play tough, scrappy and smart. A season-ending injury to JT Toppin likely derailed another deep tournament run for Texas Tech.
Why He’s a Great Fit
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He’s a proven program builder and his teams always play solid defense McCasland has won everywhere he’s been—most notably elevating North Texas Mean Green men's basketball into a defensive powerhouse and then continuing that success at Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball. UNC doesn’t need someone to maintain; it needs someone who can adapt and rebuild in a changing landscape (portal + NIL). McCasland has shown he can do that without blue-blood advantages.
His teams are consistently among the best in the country defensively, whether they play at a deliberate pace or push tempo. At North Texas, the Mean Green led the nation in scoring defense in his final two seasons. While those numbers dipped at Texas Tech as he adjusted his schemes to his players’ strengths, his program identity still centers on defense.
UNC, even in its better recent years, has struggled with consistent defensive toughness. McCasland would immediately give the Tar Heels a clear identity on that end, similar to what Tony Bennett built at Virginia.
Why He’s Not a Fit
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McCasland is very much an outsider. He has never worked in a place where basketball is the dominant sport and the spotlight never turns off.
Yes, North Carolina has hired outsiders before. Frank McGuire was a fast-talking New Yorker who brought a roster full of Catholic and Jewish players from the city to a largely Southern Baptist state, and Dean Smith came from Kansas.
But McCasland is a Texan through and through, and it may take time for him to fully connect in the Triangle. Texas Tech does not carry the same day-to-day scrutiny as North Carolina, where the head coach works in Duke’s shadow and every decision is measured against what Jon Scheyer is doing in Durham.
Chances He’s the Guy
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Not very likely.
UNC has not reached out, with school officials focused on bigger names, and McCasland’s current situation is strong. He is at a Texas Tech program with significant NIL backing, and he is a proud Texan. North Carolina’s brand always gives it a puncher’s chance, but it is hard to pull a Texan out of Texas, especially when all but two of his assistant and head-coaching stops have been in the Lone Star State.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Is Grant McCasland the next Tar Heels head coach?
Continue reading...
