North Carolina hires Hubert Davis as first African-American men's basketball coach in team history


North Carolina hires former Tar Heels star Hubert Davis as the first African-American men’s basketball coach in school history to replace retiring Hall of Famer Roy Williams

  • Former UNC star Hubert Davis has been hired as the new men’s basketball coach, replacing outgoing Hall of Famer Roy Williams, who recently retired
  • Davis served on Williams’s staff at UNC and previously played for the Tar Heels
  • The former NBA player is the first African-American coach in team history
  • Williams retired after 18 seasons at his alma mater in a career that also included 15 years at Kansas and 903 overall victories. He won three NCAA titles at UNC 

The University of North Carolina has hired its first African-American men’s basketball coach, replacing outgoing Hall of Famer Roy Williams with assistant coach and former Tar Heels guard Hubert Davis. 

The 50-year-old Davis played for the Tar Heels under Dean Smith before a long NBA career, and he spent the past nine seasons working under Williams.

The school announced the hiring Monday after an emergency meeting by its board of trustees. UNC is planning an introductory news conference for Davis on Tuesday.

‘I love this university,’ Davis said in a statement. ‘I played here, I earned my degree here, I fell in love with my wife here, I got married here, I moved here after I retired from the NBA and I have raised my family here. I am proud to lead this team, and I can’t wait for all that comes next.’

Williams retired last week after 18 seasons at his alma mater in a career that also included 15 years at Kansas and 903 overall victories. All three of his NCAA championships came with the Tar Heels.

North Carolina has hired its first African-American men's basketball coach, replacing Hall of Famer Roy Williams (left) with assistant coach and former Tar Heels guard Hubert Davis (right)

North Carolina has hired its first African-American men’s basketball coach, replacing Hall of Famer Roy Williams (left) with assistant coach and former Tar Heels guard Hubert Davis (right)

Hubert Davis of the North Carolina Tar Hells circa 1990 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Hubert Davis #44 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings on March 1, 1994 at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California

Hubert Davis pictured playing at UNC in 1990 (left) and for the New York Knicks in 1994 (right)

FEx-UNC star Rick Fox was happy to see the Tar Heels hire a member of the 'Carolina Family'

FEx-UNC star Rick Fox was happy to see the Tar Heels hire a member of the ‘Carolina Family’

The school has long had a history of turning to people with UNC ties to lead its program, which owns six NCAA championships and ranks among college basketball’s all-time wins leaders. It has worked before, with longtime assistant Bill Guthridge taking over after Smith’s 1997 retirement and leading the Tar Heels to two Final Fours, as well as Williams’ return from Kansas in 2003.

But it didn’t work during the three-year tumultuous tenure of Matt Doherty – including an 8-20 season in 2002 – after Williams turned down the job following Guthridge’s retirement in 2000.

The Tar Heels are staying in the ‘Carolina family’ again, this time by turning to a trusted former player who has never been a college head coach. His hiring also marks a groundbreaking moment as the first Black coach in the history of the program.

‘I am honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead this program,’ Davis said. ‘I would not be here without Coach Dean Smith, Coach Bill Guthridge and Coach Roy Williams; they taught me so much – and I’m eager to walk their path in my shoes and with my personality.’

Davis had been on Williams’ staff since 2012 as a bench coach, recruiter and scout, including a run to the 2016 NCAA title game and then the championship a year later. He had also served as head coach of the UNC junior varsity program and oversaw the program’s charitable endeavors.

Davis, the nephew of former UNC player and NBA All-Star Walter Davis, played for Smith from 1988-92 and still holds the program record for career 3-point percentage (.435). He was part of two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championships as a player as well as scoring 25 points in a 1991 Final Four loss against a Kansas team led by Williams.

Davis went onto become a first-round NBA draft pick by the New York Knicks and spent a dozen seasons in the league.

After his playing career, Davis spent seven years with ESPN as a college basketball analyst until Williams asked Davis to join his staff in 2012 — which Davis said at the time was ‘a total surprise.’

Now it’s up to Davis to keep the Tar Heels among the nation’s elite programs.

In a statement, athletic director Bubba Cunningham said Davis is the ‘best leader we can possibly have for our men’s basketball program.’

‘He teaches student-athletes on and off the court,’ Cunningham said. ‘He inspires his fellow staff members. He is strongly committed to family. He has a tenacious, burning desire to be the best he can possibly be; we witnessed that when he was a player, a broadcaster and an assistant coach — and I have no doubt he will ensure that our student-athletes and program will be the best they can be, as well.’

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