Hubert Davis out as North Carolina men's basketball coach after five seasons

CHAPEL HILL — One of the premier jobs in all of college sports is open, and, for the first time in more than 75 years, North Carolina might turn to an outsider to fill the role.

North Carolina fired men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis on Tuesday, days after the Tar Heels’ loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ending a tenure that began with unforgettable highs but concluded with the program falling short of its lofty historical standards.

"My desire was to continue to coach here," Davis said in a post on social media Tuesday night. "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 near future."

Davis, 55, went 125-54 in five seasons as the head coach in Chapel Hill. He had four years remaining on his contract and is owed a buyout of more than $5 million. UNC said it would honor the terms of his contract.

Athletics director Bubba Cunningham and incoming AD Steve Newmark made the recommendation to UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts. Weakening donor support for roster management, at a time when a competitive roster costs more than $12 million each year, played a role in the decision as did the lack of sustained high-level success at a university accustomed to competing for national titles, ACC crowns and No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

“We appreciate all that Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader – he has helped make special memories we will never forget,” Cunningham said in a statement. "This was not an easy decision because of Hubert’s tremendous character and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward in a way that allows our team to compete more consistently at an elite level.”

Officials met with Davis over the last four days, discussing potential changes to the program. Davis invited the team to his house to disclose the news Tuesday evening.

Said Newmark in a statement: “Hubert cares deeply for our University, and it has been inspiring to watch him instill that love and Tar Heel tradition into the players he has coached. Chancellor Roberts, Bubba and I join all of the Carolina community in thanking Hubert and his family for all they have done for UNC."

UNC fires Hubert Davis: Here are some coaching candidates for the Tar Heels in the 2026-27 season

Davis is a Tar Heel lifer. He played for the Tar Heels and legendary coach Dean Smith and then after a 12-year NBA career and seven as a college basketball analyst for ESPN, returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach under Roy Williams. When Williams retired in 2021, Davis was his handpicked successor.

North Carolina ended this season with three consecutive losses at Duke, against Clemson in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and then, as No. 6 seed, blew a 19-point second-half lead in an overtime loss to No. 11 VCU on Thursday. It was the largest blown lead in a loss in the first round of an NCAA Tournament game.

It was the second straight season that UNC lost in the first round of the tournament. Davis was expected back, but the loss to VCU — and the way it happened — led to a shift in tone and temperature around his future.

Asked about the back-to-back early exits after the loss, Davis said in an awkward press conference: “That’s a big thinking question, and I apologize, I’m just not there right now. Just really sad that we’re not continuing to play and to move forward.”

The last coach UNC hired without direct ties to the university: Frank McGuire in 1952.

Smith had been a UNC assistant coach for three years under McGuire when he was promoted to head coach in 1961. Since Smith's retirement in 1997, the Tar Heels have only hired coaches with direct ties to the coaching legend whose name is on the team’s basketball arena. UNC elevated Smith’s longtime assistant Bill Guthridge, hired his former player Matt Doherty, brought back Williams, another longtime assistant, and then hired Davis, who played for Smith from 1998 through 1992.

There is no obvious UNC family candidate to replace Davis.

The Tar Heels are likely to look at some of the hottest names in the sport, including Arizona's Tommy Lloyd, Michigan's Dusty May and Iowa State's TJ Otzelberger. Arizona and Michigan are No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament and Iowa State is a No. 2 seed. All three teams are still playing. Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan, who won back-to-back national titles at Florida in the mid-2000s, is another potential candidate.

North Carolina took a big swing when it hired NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick to replace Mack Brown with Roberts saying UNC was looking to elevate its football program in terms of attention, notoriety and success. The school is in the middle of a contentious debate about renovating or relocating the Smith Center, a decision that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars at a time of soaring costs across college sports related to revenue share.

Worries about the state of the program

Conversations about Davis’ future have been percolating among North Carolina fans — and administrators — since last year when the Tar Heels were the final team into the NCAA Tournament. The program added general manager Jim Tanner about a year ago to help manage the rapidly expanding purview of a college basketball head coach, including roster management, revenue sharing and name, image and likeness.

This season started well. Buoyed by the play and personality of star freshman Caleb Wilson, the Tar Heels climbed to as high as No. 11 in The Associated Press poll and beat fellow blue bloods Kansas, Kentucky and Duke in the same season for the first time since their national championship year of 1982.Trimble’s game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds to beat Duke in Chapel Hill was a highlight for the ages.

But Wilson was injured in the next game against Miami and didn’t return to the lineup after that, greatly diminishing the team’s ceiling. His absence forced other players into bigger roles. UNC suffered a blowout loss at NC State without Wilson and Henri Veessar, an Arizona transfer who became the team’s go-to offensive player without Wilson. UNC was 19-5 with Wilson and 5-4 without him.

When Wilson’s expected return was dashed by a practice injury to his other hand, the Tar Heels lost their final three games.

"Thank you for everything Coach Davis, one of the best men and coaches in my life," Wilson posted on social media Tuesday night.

Said Trimble, who played four seasons at UNC under Davis, after the loss to VCU: “He has helped me grow, he’s helped me persevere and he’s helped me become a better man. Everybody has their flaws. Coach Davis, he isn’t the perfect coach. But he’s a coach that’s made me better. He’s a coach that’s made guys better and he’s shown that he can win here. I know he gets hate. Over the last four years, I know he’s gotten a lot of it, but I’m going to continue to ride with him.”

Davis signed a two-year extension in July 2025, extending his contract through the 2029-30 season. The deal increased his base salary from $400,000 to $1.25 million. Davis’ total compensation was $3.85 million this season and grows by $100,000 each year in his current contract. The Tar Heels owe his base salary for each of the four remaining years on the contract.

So close to a NCAA title

Under Davis, the Tar Heels have reached the NCAA Tournament four times in those five seasons. But just once have they been seeded higher than No. 6. In 18 seasons under Williams, the Tar Heels either missed the tournament (2010, 2020) or were eliminated in the first round (2021) three times. Under Davis, it’s happened three times in the last four seasons.

UNC has won six NCAA Tournament championships, one under McGuire, two under Smith and three under Williams. And the Tar Heels are among the nation’s leaders in NCAA Tournament appearance and victories plus Sweet 16 and Final Four appearances. It’s a program used to consistent and high-end success.

Davis very nearly led North Carolina to its seventh national title in 2022, his first season. The Tar Heels, a bubble team in February, beat Duke in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed. They won five straight games, including beating Duke and Coach K again in the Final Four. A battered and shallow UNC team couldn’t hold off Kansas in the title game.

But the postseason run and the amount of talent returning was so impressive that the Tar Heels opened 2023 as preseason No. 1. Davis and his players reenacted a famous Sports Illustrated cover photo that featured Smith and program legend Michael Jordan. The team invoked the 2017 team, which rebounded from a gut wrenching loss in the 2016 national title game to win the championship.

But Davis’ Tar Heels struggled against top competition, finished 20-13 and missed the NCAA Tournament entirely, becoming the first preseason No. 1 to miss out since the tournament expanded in 1985.

In 2024, UNC rebounded, winning the ACC regular-season title and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels, ranked as high as No. 3 in the polls, reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Alabama.

But the next season, UNC was back on the bubble. The Tar Heels squeaked into the NCAA Tournament as the last team in, a decision that sparked controversy because Cunningham was the chairman of the selection committee. UNC won its First Four game, but lost in the first round.

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