The North Carolina Tar Heels were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. In response, North Carolina fired Hubert Davis after five years as the head coach. Shortly after the news broke, Davis released a statement, per Pete Nakos of On3.
“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.”
Davis took over for the legendary Roy Williams after 18 seasons with the Tar Heels. Davis got off to a great start in Chapel Hill, taking an 8-seed to the National Championship game and beating Duke in Mike Krzyzewski's final game on the sidelines. They were the top team in the pre-season rankings before the 2022-23 season, but failed to make the tournament.
That failure was the first of four consecutive years without reaching the Elite 8 for the Tar Heels. After a brutal loss to VCU to start this year's tournament, Davis' time was done.
Davis went to North Carolina and played under Dean Smith, so his next coaching move is not an obvious one. Could a mid-major hire him as the head coach and try to rekindle some of the old magic? Or will he land as an assistant with a different Power 4 school and rebuild his brand over the next season?
With a commitment to coaching beyond his North Carolina run, Davis will be an interesting name on the carousel. Back in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels have one of the premium jobs in the country to fill.
