Sources: UNC, Davis discussing future after tournament loss

North Carolina Sources told ESPN that officials are in discussions with coach Hubert Davis about his future at the school, with a decision on his status and a potential exit plan expected to be revealed in the coming days.

Davis met with his UNC team on Saturday afternoon after No. 6-seeded UNC’s upset loss to No. 11. VCU Thursday in the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament. According to sources, no clarity was given on Davis’ future in the team meeting.

Sources told ESPN that Davis’ strong reputation at the school as a player, coach and assistant means any potential departure would not be outright dismissal. Davis has approximately $5.3 million of guaranteed money remaining on his deal.

Saturday’s loss generated an emotional reaction from the UNC fan base and donors, as Davis’ Tar Heels were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. The Tar Heels outscored the Rams by 19 in the second half, but lost 82–78 in overtime. It was the largest comeback in the NCAA Tournament since 2018.

Davis appeared upset and agitated at the postgame news conference, refusing to elaborate on the specifics of the fall and responding to a gentle question about the change in his game by saying, “Because that was my decision.”

Despite being projected to be a top-five pick, North Carolina went 24–9 this season Caleb Wilson Missed the final nine games due to two separate hand and thumb injuries. The Tar Heels defeated Duke on February 7, going 19–4, but went 5–5 the rest of the way.

This is the second consecutive season UNC failed to get out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to Ole Miss in the Round of 64 last season after defeating San Diego State in the First Four. The Tar Heels were one of the final at-large teams selected for last year’s tournament, receiving a bid despite a 1–12 record against Quadrant 1 opponents.

Davis was promoted to the head coach position when Roy Williams retired in 2021, after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach on Williams’ staff.

His first three seasons were a mixture of ups and downs. Davis led Carolina to the national championship game as an 8-seed in 2022, and defeated Duke in the Final Four in Mike Krzyzewski’s final game as head coach of the Blue Devils. The Tar Heels led Kansas by 15 points at halftime of the title game, before the Jayhawks came back and won 72–69.

North Carolina entered the following season as the preseason No. 1 team in the country – before becoming the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA Tournament.

They bounced back in 2023–24, defeating Duke twice en route to the ACC regular-season title and earning a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, a victory that proved to be the crowning moment of Davis’ tenure. UNC defeated Wagner and Michigan State in the first two rounds, before suffering an upset loss to Alabama in the Sweet 16, finishing 29–8 overall. Davis won ACC Coach of the Year honors this season.

Davis is 125-54 in five seasons at the helm. This win percentage is slightly less than 70%.

Davis is a longtime Tar Heel, playing his college ball under Dean Smith at Chapel Hill from 1988 to ’92, and earning All-ACC honors as a senior. He was a first-round pick of the New York Knicks and played 12 seasons for six NBA franchises before moving to television as a college basketball analyst for ESPN.