UNC has found its permanent replacement for Bernadette Gray-Little. Bruce Carney, who had previously been named a temporary replacement, will become the university’s permanent provost.

The provost is second in command at the university behind Chancellor Holden Thorp.

Carney’s hiring comes at a bit of a surprise. UNC used a 17-person committee to conduct a national search to find Gray-Little’s replacement, who left to become Kansas’ new chancellor.

After interviewing three finalists Thorp said they just weren’t a match and that they had already come to rely on Carney.

Carney previously served as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to replace Thorp when he became Chancellor.

Carney now must be approved by the Board of Trustees later this month before officially taking the post.