Vanderbilt basketball sparked rumors of locking in Mark Byington on a contract amid questions on his future. Now the Commodores assured he's not going anywhere, not even North Carolina.
On3/Rivals college basketball insider Joe Tipton revealed that the university and Byington agreed to a new deal. He accepts this new contract in Nashville after Vandy's March Madness run.
Terms of the deal haven't been made official yet. Still, this is a critical move for the Southeastern Conference powerhouse.
Byington landed on the radar of some high-profile jobs now open. But none larger than the opening in Chapel Hill.
North Carolina parted ways with Hubert Davis after underachieving results in the NCAA Tournament. Davis originally came in to replace school legend Roy Williams, who guided three national title runs for the Tar Heels.
Byington's name surfaced after leading back-to-back 20-win seasons for Vandy. But his 2025-26 team went 27-9 in producing the most victories for the program since the 2007-08 season under Kevin Stallings.
Byington now joins a long list of coaches who are saying no to UNC.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd denied interest in the Tar Heels, telling reporters he's got the best job in the country before the Sweet 16. His Wildcats were one win away from a Final Four trip on Saturday afternoon before the Byington news.
Iowa State head coach TJ Otzelberger is another who remains committed at his post. His Cyclones took a tough loss to Tennessee on Friday that eliminated them from the tournament.
Now Vandy is receiving assurance that Byington will lead them for years to come.
