Mark Byington head coaching profile for UNC basketball

The search for UNC’s next head men’s basketball coach is still very new, but there are plenty of top candidates emerging.

On Tuesday – five days after blowing a 19-point lead to VCU in the NCAA Tournament – North Carolina fired Hubert Davis after five seasons in charge. Some fans questioned this decision, due to the Tar Heels’ injury-riddled roster, but continued postseason performance loomed large.

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UNC needs to look outside the “Carolina Family” for its next head coach. Sure, names like Sean May and Marcus Paige are already on staff, but North Carolina needs a proven, winning head coach at the highest level.

How about Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington? With three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including two victories in those runs, Byington knows how to win in the postseason.

The Commodores nearly won the SEC Tournament, too, but Arkansas beat them out and is now playing in the Sweet 16. Vandy could easily be playing in the Sweet 16, but missed a halfcourt heave at the buzzer against Nebraska.

Byington already has a connection to the Tar Heel State, playing at UNC-Wilmington from 1994-1998, later landing his first head coaching job with Georgia Southern in 2013. Byington led the Eagles to winning records in five of his seven seasons in Statesboro, including a 2017 College Basketball Invitational appearance.

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James Madison hired Byington ahead of the COVID-altered 2020-21 campaign, when his coaching career really started taking off. 2024 marked the Dukes’ first NCAA Tournament appearance in over a decade – and first win since the 1980s.

Unlike some of the Tar Heels’ other head coaching candidates, Byington’s team is no longer in the postseason, making it easier for him to consider a coaching change. Let’s dive into Vandy’s head coach.

Mark Byington’s prior experience

Mar 21, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Mark Byington stands on the sidelines during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a second…

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Publish date : 2026-03-28 19:01:00

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