North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis will not return after 5 seasons

North Carolina has fired head coach Hubert Davis after five season, per On3’s Pete Nakos. The Tar Heels’ season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in an upset loss to VCU.

In that season-ending matchup, North Carolina saw a 19-point lead disappear in the second half. After holding a 56-37 lead over VCU, the Rams outscored the Tar Heels 38-19 over the final 14:47 to force overtime and eventually complete the upset.

That meant North Carolina ended the 2025-26 campaign with a 24-9 overall record. The Tar Heels also tied for fourth place in the ACC for the second straight year with a 12-6 mark in league play. They also played the last part of the year without star freshman Caleb Wilson due to a season-ending injury.

Davis took over at his alma mater in 2021 following Roy Williams’ retirement and led the program to a memorable run to the national championship. North Carolina not only defeated Duke in Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game, but took down the Blue Devils in the Final Four. That was Krzyzewski’s final game before retirement.

However, the Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament entirely in 2023 and declined an NIT invitation. They then went 2023-24 to go 29-8 overall and win the ACC regular-season title en route to a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

After the 2023-24 season, Davis received a contract extension at North Carolina through 2030. If the school was to part ways with him prior to July 1, 2026, quick math shows he would be due a $5 million.

But in 2024-25, UNC fell in the first round of March Madness, and another first-round exit came in 2025-26. The 19-point lead over VCU evaporated as the Rams pulled off the largest comeback in Round of 64 history.

More on Hubert Davis

Hubert Davis starred at North Carolina from 1988-92 under the late Dean Smith, earning Second Team All-ACC honors in 1992. The New York Knicks drafted him in the first round of the NBA Draft and he played in the league until 2004. In addition to the Knicks, Davis had stints with the Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets.

Following his playing days, Davis entered the media space as a college basketball analyst for ESPN and College GameDay. In 2011, he returned to Chapel Hill as an assistant coach under Roy Williams until 2021 when he took over following the legendary coach’s retirement. It marked Davis’ first head coaching job.

Under Davis’ watch, North Carolina amassed a 125-54 record across his five seasons. The Tar Heels also went 68-30 in ACC play during that time, including the 2024 conference regular-season title.