North Carolina had no choice but to fire Hubert Davis after dragging its feet following NCAA Tournament elimination

The Tar Heels had no other option but to let go of Hubert Davis after its loss against VCU

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Hubert Davis clearly entered this season on a hotter seat than anyone imagined but after North Carolina’s loss against VCU in the NCAA Tournament there was no longer a choice for the Tar Heels.

As soon as athletic director Bubba Cunningham told multiple media outlets that the school was still surveying its options and having discussions about the future of the program, Davis’ story was written.

It wouldn’t be long until he was formally dismissed as the coach of the Tar Heels, and it wasn’t.

Now, North Carolina will be looking for a head coach and conducting a national search for his replacement.

Hubert Davis’ career at North Carolina is tough to comprehend but ultimately, he fell short of expectations. After a rocky debut season, he stunned Duke in final regular season home game for Mike Krzyzewski and again in the Final Four, the first meeting between the rivals in the NCAA Tournament.

Then, he blew the biggest halftime lead in championship game history against Kansas.

The following season was a disaster for the Tar Heels, returning most of its Final Four roster and being ranked as the No. 1 team in the country in the preseason only to miss the NCAA Tournament.

The next year, as a No. 1 seed, saw the Tar Heels fall short of expectations again with a loss in the Sweet 16 before a controversial selection to the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25 season that saw the Tar Heels win a First Four before being upended in the Round of 64.

Nothing was ever reached the expectations at North Carolina, especially when Jon Scheyer has been a seamless replacement for Coach K down the road in Durham.

The Tar Heel head men’s basketball coach is one of the most attractive jobs in college sports and will surely have a excellent pool of candidates to choose from but the pressure is high on the UNC administration to get this hire right and put the Tar Heels back in the national spotlight quickly.