As the dust settles on the opening weekend of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the college basketball offseason has already begun. We’ve already seen several firings getting underway after the end of the opening weekend and it’s the perfect time to evaluate the situation.
Let’s predict teams that could make the next big move.
5 College Basketball Programs That Could Make the Next Big Move
1. North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball
The biggest job opening on the market is undeniably in Chapel Hill with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The program fired Hubert Davis following their first-round exit against the VCU Rams in overtime. Davis, who early on took the Tar Heels to the national championship game, has delivered underwhelming results in the last couple of years.
Now, the Tar Heels are aiming for big names like Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens. This signals a potential break from the program’s tradition of hiring within the “Carolina family.”
2. Cincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball
This program has already made the big move by replacing outgoing head coach Wes Miller with Jerrod Calhoun. Miller’s stint ended with no NCAA Tournament appearance. On the other hand, Calhoun brings a strong resume with himself, having led Utah State to a 55-15 overall record, including multiple Coach of the Year honors.
3. Providence Friars men’s basketball
The Providence Friars fired head coach Kim English after back-to-back disappointing seasons. They are aggressive in their search for a new head coach, and several candidates from mid-major college basketball programs have already been approached for the role.
It will also be interesting to see if the Friars can compete in the new age of college sports where teams having deeper NIL pockets dominate the recruiting market.
4. Arizona State Sun Devils men’s basketball
Like Cincinnati, Arizona State has also made a bold move already, replacing Bobby Hurley with veteran coach Randy Bennett.
Their ambition to go after Bennett suggests that they are all about winning in the Big 12. The hiring also supports the trend where the programs are taking bets on mid-major program coaches over unproven high-major assistants.
5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men’s basketball
The Yellow Jackets are in a rebuilding phase. Just one day ago, they hired Scott Cross to take over the program, coming off a disastrous season and finishing last in the ACC.
Cross is an experienced campaigner with 19 years of coaching service across programs like UT Arlington and Troy. Success has also followed him with two straight seasons of winning the Sun Belt Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
Read More News:
“This Is So Corny”: Fans React As Hubert Davis’ Son Elijah Trolls UNC After Dad’s Abrupt Firing
Embarrassment for ESPN as Jon Scheyer Interview Suffers Glitch Before NCAA Tournament
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
