If the North Carolina Tar Heels hadn’t blown a 19-point second-half lead against the VCU Rams in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the conversation surrounding Hubert Davis might look very different. But that collapse ultimately proved costly, as Davis was officially fired on Tuesday after five seasons as the program’s head coach.
Davis led the Tar Heels to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a Final Four run in his first season in 2021. However, the past two years ended in back-to-back first-round exits — a standard that falls short of expectations in Chapel Hill.
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The decision to part ways with Davis was followed by a public statement he released shortly after the news became official.
“Tonight, I was let go by the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. My desire was to continue to coach here. This opportunity has truly been such a blessing,” Davis posted. “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.”
Davis’ NCAA Tournament loss to VCU was likely not the sole reason for his dismissal. Considering he lost his best player, Caleb Wilson, to a season-ending injury just before the tournament, the task at hand was a challenging one.
Still, the loss appeared to be the final straw following several seasons of results that fell short of North Carolina’s standards, which is winning national championships.
Now, UNC — long known for keeping its hires within the program’s inner circle — is expected to look outside of former players and coaches for its next head coach, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
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