North Carolina fires Hubert Davis after first-round NCAA tournament loss: ‘My desire was to continue to coach’

Hubert Davis is out as the head men’s basketball coach at North Carolina, the school announced late Tuesday.

Davis’ exit ends a five-year run for the former North Carolina shooting guard. Davis was a longtime assistant under Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams and took over the program upon the coaching legend’s retirement following the 2020-21 season.

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“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,” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said. “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.”

In a statement, Davis said he was fired by UNC and that he doesn’t want this to be his last coaching job:

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. 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

In his first season as head coach, Davis guided the Tar Heels to the 2022 Final Four and two of the most iconic wins in program history. North Carolina defeated rival Duke in head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Carolina then beat Duke again in the first meeting between the programs in the Final Four.

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That run by a No. 8 seed before a loss to Kansas in the national championship game signaled a promising start for Davis. But each of North Carolina’s four subsequent seasons have ended in disappointment, most recently with Thursday’s first-round NCAA tournament loss to VCU.

UNC…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/north-carolina-fires-hubert-davis-after-first-round-ncaa-tournament-loss-my-desire-was-to-continue-to-coach-010045576.html

Author : Jason Owens

Publish date : 2026-03-25 01:00:00

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