Why Davis Doesn’t Want UNC's Smith Center Going Unused

For North Carolina basketball, the Dean E. Smith Center has been home to some of the program's most iconic moments. With its future in question, the current head coach of the program has chimed in on the matter.

The Smith Center has been the home of the Tar Heels since 1986. It’s been home to four national championship teams (1993, 2005, 2009, 2017), over 500 wins, and many hall of famers have been a part of the program’s storied history in the venue.

belichick, william — Jan 18, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick with former Tar Heels basketball coach Roy Williams before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Recently, the arena has shown visible signs of aging, putting its future as the home of the Tar Heels in question. The Smith Center has been renovated twice in the past, in 2005, and 2018. However, support has grown for UNC to relocate to a new arena entirely, rather than renovate once again, sparking a new debate regarding the future of North Carolina basketball at the venue.

Current head coach Hubert Davis has been around the Smith Center perhaps as long as anyone. Davis played for the Tar Heels from 1988-1992, and returned to the school as an assistant coach in 2012. After nine seasons as an assistant, Davis was named the head coach of the program in 2021, succeeding Roy Williams.

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with guard Derek Dixon (3) in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Davis’ thoughts

Earlier this week, Davis was asked about his thoughts on the possibility of moving away from the Smith Center once again.

“You know, I’ve answered that question a couple of times regarding how much I love the Smith Center,” Davis said. “It being home plate for me, and I would assume for the other former players. But, speaking for myself, it’s not just a place where I played, it’s a place — when I say home plate, it’s a home plate for my life — I can remember every conversation that I had with coach Smith, and coach Guthridge, the memories, and the conversations that I had with my teammates. It’s a place where I became a Christian, it’s where I fell in love with my wife, where we got married in Chapel Hill, and that home plate has always been the Smith Center.”

“That’s a place that I never, ever, as a former player, want it to go,” he added.

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) scores in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

For now, the Tar Heels will look to continue to create those memories in the Smith Center while they still can, and the current team will look to have its impact on the venue’s historic legacy.

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