Sources: UNC, Davis discuss future after tournament loss

North Carolina officials are in discussions with coach Hubert Davis about his future at the school, and a decision on his status and potential exit plan is expected to be made in the coming days, sources told ESPN.

Davis met with UNC on Saturday afternoon on the heels of No. 6 seed UNC’s loss to No. 11 VCU in the first round of the men’s NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The team meeting did not provide any clarity regarding Davis’ future, according to sources.

Davis’ strong reputation at the school as a player, coach and assistant means any potential departure is unlikely to be termed an outright firing, sources told ESPN. Davis has approximately $5.3 million in guaranteed money remaining on his deal.

Saturday’s loss sparked an emotional response from UNC’s fan base and donors, as Davis’ Tar Heels were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The Tar Heels led the Rams by 19 points in the second half but collapsed en route to an 82-78 overtime defeat. This was the biggest comeback in the NCAA Tournament since 2018.

Davis appeared angry and agitated in the post-match press conference, refusing to go into detail about the collapse and answering a gentle question about his in-game rotations by saying: “Because that was my decision.”

North Carolina State went 24-9 this season, although projected top-five pick Caleb Wilson missed the final nine games with two different hand and thumb injuries. The Tar Heels beat Duke on February 7 to improve to 19-4 but went just 5-5 the rest of the way.

This is the second straight season UNC has failed to make it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to Ole Miss last season in the round of 64 after beating San Diego State in the first round. The Tar Heels were one of the final at-large teams selected for last year’s tournament, earning a bid despite a 1-12 record against first-quarter opponents.

Davis was promoted to head coach when Roy Williams retired in 2021, after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach on Williams’ staff.

His first three seasons brought a mix of highs and lows. Davis led Carolina to the national championship game as an eighth seed in 2022, beating Duke in the Final Four in Mike Krzyzewski’s final game as head coach of the Blue Devils. The Tar Heels led Kansas by 15 points in the first half of the title game before allowing the Jayhawks to come back and win 72-69.

North Carolina entered the following season as the preseason No. 1 team in the country — before becoming the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA Tournament.

They bounced back in 2023-24, beating Duke twice en route to the ACC regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, victories that proved to be the highest moments of Davis’ tenure. UNC beat Wagner and Michigan State in the first two rounds before suffering an upset at the hands of Alabama in the Sweet 16, finishing 29-8 overall. Davis won ACC Coach of the Year this season.

In five seasons at the helm, Davis is 125-54. That’s a winning percentage of just under 70%.

Davis is a longtime Tar Heel player, having played college ball under Dean Smith at Chapel Hill from 1988-92, earning All-ACC honors as a senior. He was a first-round pick of the New York Knicks and played 12 seasons for six NBA franchises before moving to television as a college basketball analyst for ESPN.