Hubert Davis has been fired as the North Carolina men’s basketball coach. The decision concludes a week of turmoil after the Tar Heels’ loss to VCU in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Davis Says He Was ‘Let Go’
The school called it a change in leadership but did not specify the nature of Davis’ departure in its statement. Davis said in a post to Instagram that he was “let go” by the university. He also stated his desire to continue coaching at Chapel Hill.
Davis said, “This opportunity has truly been such a blessing. I thank Jesus literally every day for giving me the opportunity, relationships and experiences with the kids and my staff. I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish together. My goal is to coach again in the very near future.”
The university stated it would “honor the terms” of Davis’ contract. Davis has nearly $5.3 million of guaranteed money left on his deal.
Decision Process
The decision to fire Davis came from a recommendation from current athletic director Bubba Cunningham and executive associate athletic director Steve Newmark. Newmark will take over the AD role on July 1. Chancellor Lee Roberts accepted that recommendation on Tuesday.
Cunningham met with Davis throughout the past few days to discuss Davis’ plan for changes to help make the programme more successful. Cunningham and Newmark decided to recommend his removal to Roberts after evaluating Davis’ plan. Davis then called a meeting at his house to inform the team on Tuesday.
Response to NCAA Tournament Loss
The Tar Heels’ loss to 11-seed VCU triggered an emotional response from the UNC fan base and donors. Davis’ Tar Heels exited in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. The Tar Heels led the Rams by 19 in the second half but collapsed down the stretch in an 82-78 overtime defeat. It was the largest comeback in the NCAA tournament since 2018.
Davis appeared sour and agitated in a postgame news conference. He declined to get into specifics about the collapse and answered a benign question about his in-game rotations by saying, “Because that was my decision.”
Season Performance
North Carolina went 24-9 this season. Projected top-five NBA draft pick Caleb Wilson sat out the final nine games because of hand and thumb injuries. North Carolina beat Duke on Feb. 7 to improve to 19-4 but went just 5-5 the rest of the way.
- Last season, North Carolina lost to Ole Miss in the round of 64 after beating San Diego State in the First Four.
- The Tar Heels were one of the final at-large teams selected to last year’s tournament.
- They got a bid despite a 1-12 record against Quadrant 1 opponents.
Davis’ exit looms large over a historic programme and opens one of the most coveted positions in basketball.