The signs had been there for Hubert. The writing was on the wall.
It still feels strange to say, but Hubert Davis is no longer the head coach at North Carolina. In the days leading up to the decision, Davis reportedly made it clear to Bubba Cunningham and others that he wanted to remain in place and guide the Tar Heels back to where the program believes it belongs.
That scenario never came to pass, as his dismissal was ultimately made official. So what pushed things over the edge? According to Inside Carolina reporter Greg Barnes, the loss to VCU angered key donors. Sources told Barnes that assembling an “adequate” roster for next season would have been far more difficult financially if Davis had remained. Did that factor heavily into the final call? Absolutely.
UNC donors played a large role in Hubert Davis getting fired by the Tar Heels
Unfortunately, this outcome isn’t all that shocking.
The defeat to VCU was inexcusable and left many furious. Letting a 19-point lead slip away in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament is something that simply won’t be tolerated, and with Davis already under pressure, it only intensified scrutiny around him.
In the end, this is North Carolina. Back-to-back seasons in which the Tar Heels failed to meet postseason expectations caused frustration to build in Chapel Hill. It also didn’t help that Caleb Wilson suffered an untimely injury.
Wilson initially broke his hand against Miami but was close to returning for the regular-season finale against Duke. However, he then broke his thumb while dunking in practice, abruptly ending his season. Following that setback, UNC closed the year with losses to Duke, Clemson and VCU.
No one likes to dwell on “what ifs,” but it’s hard not to wonder how things might have unfolded if Wilson had stayed healthy. Instead of potentially playing in the Sweet 16, the Tar Heels fell short, and Davis is now searching for his next opportunity, as he intends to continue coaching.
Davis remains a true Tar Heel and will always be remembered as a program legend. He represented the university with class, something fans will continue to appreciate. Still, North Carolina is determined to return to championship contention, and leadership ultimately chose to go in a different direction. From all indications, donor pressure only added to the weight of that difficult decision.