The Challenge of Covering UNC's Coaching Search - IC Daily | Inside Carolina | College Basketball

Mmm, one iced coffee.

99 cents, please.

For real?

No way.

Mmm.

Mmm.

One iced coffee.

99 cents, please.

For real?

No way.

Mmm.

What a deal.

Your new morning groove.

Ice coffee from McDonald's, any size for just 99 cents to 11 a.m.

Pricing participation may vary, cannot be combined with any other offer.

Bank of America champions everyone who dares to ask.

What would you like the power to do?

As a coach to 16 competitors in Augusta National Women's Amateurs, I ask myself this question

every season.

To help my athletes keep their eye on the ball, far beyond any course they play.

Bank of America is proud to be a presenting partner of the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Bank of America and any member of T.O.C.

Welcome into an insight curl on a daily, I am Tommy Ashley, that is Greg Barnes.

It is March 31st, Tuesday, shout out the Johnny T-shirt, JohnnyT-shirt.com, and as you

see on the crawl at the bottom of this, go to insight curl on a.com sign up for your

premium membership.

You get all the accurate news of the coaching search and everything that's going on

around curl on a basketball and it leads me to our little topic today, Greg.

How do folks come back the no news days when there's so much, quote unquote, news flying

around the internet, social media, Twitter, X, Instagram, message boards.

In your best way, explain to me how if I'm Joe Carolina fan, how do I come back?

Other than going inside Carolina, and that's the number one way is to go to insight

curl on and read Greg Barnes's work.

But how do you deal with all, how does one deal with all the stuff flying around at this

time as we wait for the final four on Saturday?

It's hard Tommy, it's a situation where this doesn't happen very often, right?

I mean, I mean, Carolina's, this will be the 20th head coach that North Carolina will

hire for its basketball program ever.

And it's really only the second significant coaching search that UNC has had, I guess

since McGuire came to town back what 70 plus years ago, 75 years ago.

So this is a rarity for North Carolina basketball.

And in the absence of information, speculation fills the void.

And look, we all know that social media and message boards is where speculation in

room or thrives.

That's the fun of it.

It gets you engaged, it gets people talking.

All these hypotheticals come out.

The negative to all that, however, is that when you have these information voids and

I mean, look, North Carolina is, has their eye on a handful of candidates and it's a fluid

situation and we'll see how things turn out in the days to come, but there's no immediate

rush.

And because of that, there has to be some patients involved, which leads to these gaps

of information is not that things are not happening behind the scenes.

It's just that there's not enough for there to be much reporting availability.

And it's really now a system might have arrived, we're waiting for somebody's name to be

withdrawn, maybe for somebody to finally have an official interview and when coaches

are still playing, of course, that's not going to happen.

So what ends up happening is that you have these scenarios where, where fans are just

so eager and desperate for information that any little tidbit that pops up, they grasp

on to it.

And the problem with it is, is that somebody will see like a normal, hardworking, Carolina

basketball fan will see some random rumor on Twitter.

And they share it with a buddy who shares it with a buddy.

And so by the time it's a little bit down the line, it's not a some weirdo on Twitter

who has this information shared it.

It's, my buddy said this, he saw this and all of a sudden it erupts.

And then we saw the thing on Twitter that kind of got hot yesterday, where it's my

saw, Billy Donovan at a restaurant in Chapel Hill, indicating that it was done deal.

He's out in public in Chapel Hill walking around while Carolina is doing this coaching

search.

It sounds good.

And it had a specific detail that makes it very interesting.

But that's one of those things where it's realistic enough that it's easy to want to

grasp on to.

But when you kind of take a step back and really think about the likelihood that Billy Donovan

is just kind of hanging out in public places in Chapel Hill, typically that's not how

these things are handled.

So I think the best way, and I'm very conservative with this is because as a reporter, I've always

trended it in that way.

But unless it's coming from a verified reporting source, P.F.A.M.O.D.E.S.B.N. does a good job

Matt Lurlander at CBS Sports is a really good job.

We have a variety of sources at Insight Carolina that's been very beneficial.

So we've been able to provide a good bit of insight.

So there's some various individuals and outlets that have legitimate information.

And it's when you get on kind of the fringes of what media is, is where a lot of these

rumors pop up, and that kind of throws everybody into a tailspin.

And the problem is, is that every once in a while, a very small sliver, one of these

little tidbits ends up being accurate.

And that breeze, you know, oxygen into the fire and kind of blows up everything because

people can say, no wait a minute, this random individual over here who lives in, you know,

Tim Buck too, he knew this detail and it proved to be right.

And of course, you know, the old saying, broken clocks right twice a day, but those were

kind of the challenges involved.

But the easy suggestion is just really focused on the organizations, the media organizations

that you follow and you know they've delivered consistently accurate information with some

of these source reports over the years, not just a period of weeks, but over years.

And those are the people really to trust everything else is just fun and games.

This podcast is supported by Midi Health, are you in midlife feeling dismissed, unheard

or just plain tired of the old healthcare system?

You're not alone.

For too long, women's serious midlife health issues have been trivialized, ignored, and

met with a just deal with it attitude.

Many of us have been made to feel ashamed or forgotten.

In fact, even today, 75% of women seeking care for menopause and perimenopause issues

are left entirely untreated, but here's the powerful truth, it's time for a change.

It's time for Midi.

Midi is not just a healthcare provider, it's a woman's telehealth clinic, founded and supported

by world class leaders in women's health.

What sets Midi apart?

We are the only women's telehealth brand covered by major insurance companies, making

high-quality expert care accessible and affordable.

Our clinicians provide one-on-one face-to-face consultations where they truly listen to

your unique needs.

We offer a full range of holistic data-driven solutions, from hormonal therapies and weight

loss protocols to lifestyle coaching and preventive health guidance.

This isn't one-size-fits-all care.

This is care uniquely tailored for you.

At Midi, you will join our patients who feel seen, heard and prioritized.

You will find that our mission is clear to help all women thrive in midlife, giving them

access to the healthcare they deserve, because we believe midlife isn't the middle at all.

It is the beginning of your second act.

Ready to feel your best and write your second ex-script?

Visit joinmiddy.com today to book your personalized insurance-covered virtual visit.

That's joinmiddy.com, Midi, the care women deserve.

Take the exit, turn right into the dry-through.

Nope, I'm making dinner tonight.

You don't have time.

Josh has practice.

Oh, that's right.

I'll just get a salad.

And fries?

No, just the salad.

But salad cancels fries.

Salad only.

Fries.

Food noise isn't fair, but mochi health is the affordable GLP one-source that puts you

on the road to successful weight loss.

Hey, can I get the...

Fries salad.

Sorry.

Learn more at joinmochi.com.

Mochi members have access to licensed physicians and nutritionists.

Results may vary.

Yeah, and it makes it difficult, and look, this is by no means a North Carolina fan base-driven

thing.

I mean, it is the same way all over everywhere, I mean, and it is madness, and it makes

it difficult on the fans, and on the people that follow the programs, it makes it difficult

on the people that are being reported on rumorly, as in the subjects of the rumors, of course.

And then Greg, it also makes it difficult on you and others that are responsible or

try to report in a responsible way.

And it's, you know, I don't even know what's bots these days, or what's real, even a real

person doing it.

But the point is, and this is one thing inside Carolina's always done over the years, is

it needs to be right, but you choose right over fast, and you choose accurate over quick.

And that is a big thing.

We saw that with the Bill Belichick situation during the football season, right?

One of the Clemson game, when everything went sideways, and so it's a challenge.

So let me ask you, if this is a, if this is a, how the sausage is made, question.

As a reporter, and I'd ask all of those guys, you mentioned this question, as a reporter,

how do you parse through what you hear on a daily basis?

Because we all hear it, we all get text, these things blow up.

So-and-so called, so-and-so, like you said, so-and-so is eating that, sub dogs and chapel

hill.

I mean, it's all over the place.

So how is a reporter whose job is to responsibly report accurate information?

How?

How in this day and age?

So one thing that we added to our initial coach search scoop was that there's going

to be an incredible amount of speculation and rumor.

And while we were, we'll kind of check in on the ones that we deemed credible.

We would waste way too much time trying to chase down all these rumors and speculations.

And we've done this for so long that we feel pretty comfortable in how we have our, our

sourcing tiered.

And what I mean by that is, you've got people that can provide you with good information,

somewhat on the periphery.

You know, they have a secondhand source that is pretty tied in, you know, maybe it's somebody

in the agent circle, maybe it's an industry source.

And those really provide the roadmap to say, okay, well, we've got this, we need to look

into that.

We need to verify that with stronger sources.

You've got your secondary sources that are pretty trustworthy.

But then you've also got kind of main primary sources.

And these are people who have intimate knowledge of, of dealings, whether that's an agent,

whether that's a, a UNC source, whether that's a, a, will, include in industry source.

There's a lot of different people involved.

And as you parse through all these details, it really is kind of that, that tiered structure

of, you know, we heard it from these people who we, we trust, we don't trust enough to

run a report strictly on what they shared, but we trust them enough to look into it.

And then from there, it's a matter of following the dots.

And it's calling in a lot of favors and talking to a lot of people that you've built relationships

with over the years.

And in these situations, you need to be able to, to make those calls.

You need to be able to rely on those relationships you've, you've built up.

And that's the challenge.

I mean, you know, fortunately, we've been doing this for a long time.

And so we have a lot of those connections made, which are, are very helpful.

But then from there, it's just really a matter of making sure you hone in on when things

are happening, kind of the timeline, because when you, when you get into these things like

Hubert Davis, for example, the Hubert Davis exit, we heard all kinds of things.

We also had some, some good people associated with, with you and see who had a pretty good

understanding of, because they're everything that was taking place.

And so we kind of knew where things were headed.

And it was just a matter of making sure that we reported it in a fairway, in a timely

way.

You know, what we don't want to do is, you know, potentially report news that everybody

involved is not aware of.

So whether that's your players or coaching staff or that kind of thing, we want to make

sure that everybody is kind of clued in to what's happening.

And then you can kind of move forward and make sure you have multiple sources.

And that's the other big component.

Is whenever you talk about anything that of significance like a coaching fire, a coaching

hire, anything along those lines, you're not banking on just one source.

For me, I don't think that's responsible.

I think you have to have multiple people confirming the exact same information from

a high level.

And once that happens, you get to go ahead and you can go ahead and run whatever.

And you made a key point there of, yes, we would love to be able to be the first to

publish who the next head coach is going to be.

That's kind of the challenge and that's kind of the fuel, right?

As you want to be ahead of everybody else.

But if we're not right, then our credibility takes a significant blow.

And that's something that we take very seriously.

So we want to make sure that as we're parsing the data, we're trying to do it quickly.

We're trying to do it accurately, but more importantly, it's got to be right.

And we're not going to publish anything with regard to a coaching search until we know

that it's, it's right.

And that's the key thing.

And unfortunately, there are others in the industry who are trying desperately to kind

of get a make a name for themselves, who maybe don't have that stringent of a sourcing process.

To each their own, but we tend to be a little bit more conservative in that and very

stringent, but that's how we try to parse through all the rumor mill.

And look, like yesterday, Doug Gottlieb, who soon he's still a coach at Wisconsin,

Green Bay, I know he halted his radio show, but he was on call and coward and dropped

the bomb that he had heard that Michael Jordan had contacted Tommy Lloyd.

And as soon as he says it, you coward has a big show, but as soon as he says, well,

it's just a rumor.

It's just a rumor, but people don't hear the rumor part.

People hear Michael Jordan contacted Tommy Lloyd and it's Doug Gottlieb, who had a national

radio show and is now a basketball coach, who has, why would Doug Gottlieb know anything

about that situation, but because he said it because he has a familiar name, it spreads

like wildfire.

And those are the things that are challenging.

Yeah, I mean, to your point, sometimes folks get it right on the periphery, but it is

a challenge, it's a challenge, like you said, for us and you guys do all the work.

I'm just an occasional observer that gets to talk to you every day about it.

And it's, it's a fascinating watch to see people have to combat that, but also to your

point, try to be, try to be quick and try to be fast, but there's a process.

And it's tougher to insight on the subscribers.

That's why this side is what it is.

But it's also to your point, the number one, okay, let me ask you this way, what is your

number one fear as a reporter covering something in anything, but especially in the big

stories?

What's the number one worry that you have that creates the need for you to have multiple

multiple sources before things are pushed out?

That's a good question.

And probably now we've done this for so long, I don't know that I have those concerns,

just because we are so conservative.

So we know that we're not going to, if there's anything that we report and I don't feel

confident in, we're not going to report it.

And I think that's kind of a key distinction.

And back during the incident investigation, there was a report that we made, that I made,

so this was 16 years ago, that I, that I felt good about it, but I wasn't 100% sure.

It ended up being a little bit off.

And that really provided fuel to be like, okay, like that kind of thing you can't slip

up on.

You have to make sure that you have all these bases covered.

And so you have to go through some, some difficult situations like that where there's some

embarrassment involved and you kind of learn very quickly, all right, this is, this is not

the way to do this moving forward.

And so we've been, we've been very strict in our reporting principles over the years.

For me, that was kind of a driving factor of, yeah, I don't want to be in a situation

where I'm reporting anything that's not 100% accurate.

And so to your point, I don't really have those concerns anymore, just because if we,

if we don't trust it completely, we're not going to run it.

Yeah, it's the reporting rumors right as in getting it right and the fear of retractions.

You don't ever want to have to issue retractions because we've seen so many times how the retractions

are done really small.

The headline is really big.

And then the retraction of the correction is really small.

But yeah, it's a challenging time, it's challenging time for the fan base, it's challenging

time for the folks that are covering the team, covering all this.

That's Greg Barnes.

I'm Tommy.

I actually shout out Johnny T shirt again, JohnnyTshirt.com.

And I say all that to tell you to click that QR code and join up for insight, Carolina's

premium subscription is 75% off.

Clearly the best in the business, Greg Barnes is the best in the business.

Every time I see somebody reporting, I'm like, well, Greg Barnes said that yesterday.

Well, Greg Barnes said that hours ago.

That's not always the case, but there's a lot of that out there and Greg, you're the

best.

I appreciate you doing this.

Appreciate it.

Yep, thanks, Tommy.