Inside UNC's 'Brutally Difficult' Decision To Fire Hubert Davis

Months after news broke that the Tar Heels would be making a change at head coach, here is a first-hand look at the process.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis instructs his team against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The North Carolina Tar Heels' basketball program underwent seismic changes this offseason, starting with the head coaching position.

Shortly after a first-round defeat in the NCAA Tournament against the VCU Rams, North Carolina parted ways with former head coach Hubert Davis. Earlier this week, North Carolina's Athletic Director Steve Newmark revealed the decision-making process.

Newmark's Thoughts

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis points to his team during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• "The most difficult thing that an athletic director or a president of a sports team has to do is when is when you feel like you need to make a change," Newmark said. "Sometimes, you have to make a change because the person isn't the right fit, but often you make a change just because things had probably gotten to the point where bringing in some new blood would help energize and re-invigorate the program."

• "And it has really nothing to do with what the person has done anything wrong. It was tough, and we agonized over it. And Hubert [Davis] is as good a person as you're going to meet. He cares for his players as much as anybody that I've ever seen in those types of positions. He put his blood, sweat, and tears into this program."

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. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• "It's a brutally difficult situation. And we felt like it was the right time, and it wasn't dependent on one game. Obviously, that last game was disappointing for everybody, particularly for the kids. Being in the locker room, it was despondent. You could see how much those kids cared about it, cared about Hubert, and cared about the whole program."

• "And I think we all know, in one game and in one half, things don't sometimes go your way, and it was just a perfect storm. And so, a lot of people point to that game, but I think it was just more the determination that it was the right time to shake up the entire program."

Overall Takeaways

Mar 27, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The North Carolina Tar Heels logo on the video board during practice prior to NCAA Tournament at West Regional at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

This was an inevitable outcome after the Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead in the second half in the season-ending defeat. That final 10-minute stretch was a microcosm of the entire season, as North Carolina suffered multiple losses in unforeseen fashions.

Despite possessing above-average talent all over the floor, the Tar Heels were consistently outplayed and outcoached in multiple instances throughout the season. As Newmark stated, it was the right time to make a change, as the program had been eliminated in the first round in each of the last two seasons, not because of a lack of talent on the floor. It was exclusively on the shoulders of the head coach.

This culminated in North Carolina conducting a thorough head coaching search, which led to the program hiring Michael Malone. There was certainly doubt about Malone's ability to accumulate talent, but the 54-year-old head coach hired Chuck Martin, which improved the recruiting process.

While the Tar Heels' brass zeroed in on Tommy Lloyd and Dusty May as the top candidates, missing out on those two may have been a blessing in disguise. Since Malone took over, he has completely revamped a roster that was in complete shambles upon his arrival. North Carolina possesses one of the deepest and most versatile rosters in the country, and although it is currently underrated, this program could develop into one of the surprise stories in college basketball this upcoming season.