North Carolina State Basketball is looking for a new head coach.
Hubert Davis did not return to the Tar Heels, and the coach left just days after their stunning collapse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“Tonight, I was fired by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My hope was to continue coaching here, and this opportunity was truly a blessing,” Davis said in a statement.
Davis’ time in Chapel Hill ended with a 125-54 record and one Final Four appearance in five seasons. According to Davis’ contract obtained by the USA TODAY Network, North Carolina State is obligated to pay him $5.312 million in exchange for terminating him on April 1.
“We are grateful for everything Hubert has done for Carolina as a player, assistant coach, head coach and community leader. He helped create special memories that we will never forget,” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement announcing Davis’ firing. “This was not an easy decision given Hubert’s great personality and all he has given to the program, but we must move forward to help our team compete more consistently at an elite level.”
The firing marks a harsh end to Davis’ tenure, which got off to such a promising start. In his first season at his alma mater, succeeding Roy Williams, he led the Tar Heels to the 2022 national championship game as the No. 8 seed. However, UNC was unable to maintain a double-digit lead against Kansas in this contest.
This was the beginning of Davis’s meteoric rise that seemed to keep the blue bloods as a national power, but North Carolina hasn’t come close since. They started the following season as the No. 1 team in the country, but ended up missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
The University of North Carolina advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2024, but lost in the first round in each of its past two tournaments, the first time in program history. Against VCU on Thursday, March 19, the Tar Heels surrendered a 19-point lead as the Rams forced overtime, but UNC failed to make a field goal in overtime and ultimately lost to the No. 11 seed.
This was the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament first-round history.
Now, the University of North Carolina begins one of the most interesting investigations in all of college basketball.
Davis was an assistant on Williams’ staff for nine seasons before being named head coach and was the top candidate to take the job when Williams retired. With Davis only on the roster for five seasons, North Carolina will have to decide whether to move outside of the “Carolina family” (people with past ties to the program) or make a big hire.
“Hubert truly cared about our university, and it was so inspiring to see him instill that love and Tar Heel tradition in the players he coached. President Roberts, Bubba and I join everyone in the Carolina community in thanking Hubert and his family for all they have done for UNC,” Executive Associate Athletic Director Steve Newmark said in a statement.
Davis said his goal is to coach again “in the near future.”
The job is considered one of the most high-profile roles in all of sports, and with a rich tradition, large fan base, and extensive resources, coaches have everything they need to succeed. However, this also comes with a lot of pressure as they are expected to be a national championship candidate every year. The 10-season drought since the last national championship is the longest drought of this century.
Whoever North Carolina State hires will have a huge ripple effect throughout the college basketball world.
Hubert Davis records
- 2021-22: 29 wins, 10 losses, NCAA runner-up
- 2022-23: 20 wins, 13 losses, missed NCAA Tournament
- 2023-24: 29-8, NCAA Sweet 16
- 2024-25: 23-14, eliminated in NCAA first round
- 2025-26: 24-9, lost in NCAA 1st round
- total: 125-54 (.698)
Signing and buyout of Hubert Davis
North Carolina announced that it would honor the terms of Davis’ contract, meaning he would be acquired. According to Davis’ contract obtained by the USA TODAY Network, North Carolina State would be obligated to pay Davis $5.312 million if he is fired on April 1st.
