Coach K Explained Why He Feels ‘Sad’ for Hubert Davis After UNC Firing

Hubert Davis’s run as head coach of the UNC men’s basketball team came to an end this week. | Jack Dempsey/Getty Images

North Carolina’s run in the men’s NCAA tournament came to an abrupt end last week when it coughed up a big lead and lost to VCU in the first round. A few days later the school parted ways with head coach Hubert Davis after his fifth season at the helm.

The Tar Heels went 24-9 this past season but suffered a big blow when projected top-five NBA draft pick Caleb Wilson missed the final nine games with hand and finger injuries.

While UNC is now tasked with finding its next coach, former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski spoke Friday about Davis’s departure and explained why he felt heartbroken for him.

“I’m sad that that happened,” Coach K said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “I think every coach in the country has sympathy for him. You lose a player the caliber of Caleb Wilson—he’s a top-5 pick in the NBA draft—and you don’t have him the last few weeks of the season, that’s a big thing. That’s a huge thing. UNC can do what they want to do but I just have a lot of empathy for Hubert and a lot of respect for him.”

"Hubert Davis is a good friend and I think he's a great guy..

It was sad seeing what happened and I have a lot of empathy for him..

North Carolina is one of the greatest programs of all time and that's a big time position in sport"

Coach K #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/rQ3pAaKfYV

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 27, 2026

Coach K also addressed UNC’s search for its next coach, saying: “It’s one of the great programs of all time in any sport and I’m sure they will get a coach that’s worthy of that position. It’s one of the big-time positions in sports.”

McAfee tried to goad Coach K into saying he’d come back to coaching to lead UNC, a school in which he battled against for years during his legendary run at Duke, but he wasn’t having it.

“One, they would not want me to coach them,” Coach K said with a chuckle. “The second thing is I’m through with coaching.”

Possible replacements for UNC after Hubert Davis’s departure

UNC, as Coach K said, has been one of the biggest blue bloods in college basketball for many years. Now, the Tar Heels must find a head coach who can lead them back to being contenders in March.

SI’s Bryan Fischer laid out 10 possible replacements, leading with big names like Billy Donovan, Florida coach Todd Golden, Michigan coach Dusty May and Alabama coach Nate Oats.

Hubert Davis’s statement after the move

Davis played his college ball at UNC and took over as the head coach in 2021 after Roy Williams retired. It was a dream job for the former guard and it must have been heartbreaking for him to have to leave.

Here’ what he said after the move:

"This opportunity has truly been such a blessing," he said in a statement. "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 went 125-54 in his five seasons with the Tar Heels. However, he was unable to lead the program out of the first round of the NCAA tournament in each of the last two years.