All articles tagged with #hubert davis
North Carolina appoints Michael Malone as head coach to replace Hubert Davis, highlighting his NBA coaching résumé; a UNC graphic credits him with developing stars like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic, but observers question how much credit he personally deserves, despite Malone’s Nuggets tenure and about an $8 million annual salary.
Stephen A. Smith argues UNC’s 19-point first-round collapse to VCU in the NCAA Tournament was worse than Duke’s Elite Eight defeat to UConn, noting it cost Hubert Davis his job and had greater implications for UNC’s program, while Duke’s loss was painful but didn’t threaten its coaching future.
North Carolina is suspending discussions about the future of the Dean E. Smith Center while it focuses on hiring a new men’s basketball head coach after parting ways with Hubert Davis; the arena study had outlined several options—from new builds to major renovations—with projected costs up to about $800 million, and discussions will resume after the new coach has time to acclimate.
North Carolina fired Hubert Davis after five seasons and is weighing a marquee hire to restore national-title contention, with Jay Wright reportedly considering coming out of retirement as a top option and earlier chatter about pursuing Brad Stevens illustrating UNC’s willingness to chase a proven winner.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer says he understands and sympathizes with Hubert Davis after Davis was fired by North Carolina, noting the pressures and fragility of leading a storied program; Scheyer, who also followed a legendary coach at Duke, emphasizes the demanding nature of coaching as Duke eye s a return to the Final Four.
Ian Jackson, the former UNC guard who transferred to St. John’s to reset his game, heads into the East Region semifinal against Duke with a mix of pride and pressure, hoping to prove himself against his old rival while competing in a high-stakes Sweet 16. He also weighed in on UNC parting ways with Hubert Davis, calling him a great coach and person and wishing him the best, as Jackson has seen his own role shrink to about 18.3 minutes per game this season after averaging 11.9 ppg at UNC. St. John’s (No. 5 seed) will face No. 1 seed Duke, with Jackson aiming to contribute and perhaps help pull off the upset after three losses to Duke last year.
Bruce Pearl said on national TV that there’s no loyalty left in coaching, using Hubert Davis’s UNC firing as context; the next day he blamed media for reporting those comments, even threatening a blacklist of reporters, highlighting tensions in the NIL era and coach–program loyalty while recounting his own Auburn/Tennessee history.
North Carolina dismissed Hubert Davis after a season marked by injuries and inconsistency, climaxing with an 82-78 overtime loss to VCU in the NCAA Tournament that erased a 19-point second-half lead. The Tar Heels dealt with multiple injuries, a rotating lineup, and leadership questions, prompting internal reviews and booster input that led to a decision to reset and pursue a coach from outside the Tar Heel family.
Following UNC's NCAA Tournament loss to VCU, the Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis; Joel Berry said he wasn't surprised, citing NIL-era donor pressure and rising roster costs as likely factors as UNC begins its coaching search.
Incoming UNC athletic director Steve Newmark detailed a careful, multi-day process that led to Hubert Davis's firing after the NCAA Tournament loss to VCU. The timeline included discussions with Bubba Cunningham, the chancellor, and Davis, with the goal of evaluating the season beyond one game while avoiding rash decisions, all framed by a season derailed by Caleb Wilson’s injury, a Duke loss, and an early ACC Tournament exit as UNC pursues an elite-level hire.
NBA coach Billy Donovan is reportedly near the top of North Carolina’s list to replace Hubert Davis, with ESPN’s Borzello noting he could be the front-runner. UNC fired Davis after a five-year run that included a runner-up NCAA finish but a first-round exit this year. Donovan, who has a storied college past with Florida, is currently Chicago’s head coach, and his potential move would come as UNC also considers other candidates such as Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May, TJ Otzelberger, Todd Golden, and Nate Oats.
North Carolina is conducting a high-stakes coaching search after firing Hubert Davis, reportedly weighing top outsiders such as Billy Donovan (the marquee name) while Brad Stevens appears out of consideration; other mentioned candidates include Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May, TJ Otzelberger, Todd Golden, and Nate Oats, signaling a potential break from UNC’s recent internal-hire pattern amid financial considerations in the search.
Brad Stevens has withdrawn from consideration for North Carolina's vacant coaching job, allowing the Tar Heels to focus on other candidates after Hubert Davis was fired. The public update shifts UNC’s search under new leadership to more realistic targets, with names like Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May, TJ Otzelberger, and Billy Donovan still in the mix, while Kansas chatter adds another layer of buzz.
The UNC Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis after blowing a 19-point second-half lead and losing to VCU in overtime in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament; athletic director Bubba Cunningham said the program must compete at an elite level, and Davis released a grateful statement saying he hopes to coach again soon. Davis leaves with about $5.3 million remaining on his contract after a 125-54 record in 179 games, a tenure that included a 2022 Final Four run and a 2024 No. 1 seed that fell to Alabama in the Sweet 16.
North Carolina has parted ways with men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis after five seasons, with no immediate successor announced.