UNC, Davis discussing future after loss

UKIowa State Cyclones22mBen BabyFlorida starts title defense with 59-point poundingFlorida Gators16hReed in rare air with 31-27 night as UConn escapesUConn Huskies14h'Drug transactions' allegedly on Holloway's phoneAlabama Crimson Tide19hMyron MedcalfPurdue's Smith leaps Hurley as NCAA assists kingPurdue Boilermakers20hBen BabyChase Johnston's first 2-pointer, no subs for Siena and more men's NCAA first-round superlativesNorth Carolina Tar Heels22hKalan HooksMen's March Madness 2026: Ranking the remaining 32 teamsDuke Blue Devils16hMyron MedcalfWelcome to 'The Reef': LIU's 'fins up' chant has turned a near-empty gym into March magicLong Island University Sharks1dJ.J
PostMen's tournament: Arizona, Michigan jockey for top odds, St
John's on the moveDuke Blue Devils7hDoug GreenbergMen's tournament: Lines, totals and BPI projections for the second round1dESPNRanking the top 50 men's college basketball players who could define March MadnessDuke Blue Devils3dJeff Borzello and Myron MedcalfBoozer, Dybantsa, Peterson, Wagler: Coaches break down freshmen built for MarchDuke Blue Devils2dJason JordanMen's coaching carousel tracker: All the intel entering the NCAA tournamentBoston College Eagles2dJeff BorzelloSources: UNC, Davis discussing future after tournament lossplayWhy Stephen A
says Duke's success could end Hubert Davis' UNC reign (2:04)Stephen A
Smith reacts to the Tar Heels crashing out of March Madness and what that means for Hubert Davis' job security
(2:04)Pete Thamel and Jeff BorzelloCloseJeff BorzelloESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting insider.

Joined ESPN in 2014.

Graduate of University of Delaware.Follow on XMultiple AuthorsMar 21, 2026, 03:18 PM ETEmailPrintNorth Carolina officials are in discussions with coach Hubert Davis about his future at the school, sources told ESPN, with a decision on his status and potential exit plan expected to unfold in the coming days.Davis met with his UNC team Saturday afternoon in the wake of No
6-seeded UNC's upset loss to No
11 VCU in the first round of the men's NCAA tournament Thursday
The team meeting did not offer any clarity on 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 nearly $5.3 million of guaranteed money left on his deal.Saturday's loss triggered an emotional response from the UNC fan base and donors, as Davis' Tar Heels exited in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year
The Tar Heels led the Rams by 19 in the second half but collapsed down the stretch en route to an 82-78 overtime defeat
It was the largest comeback in the NCAA tournament since 2018.Davis appeared sour and agitated in the postgame news conference, declining to get into specifics of the collapse and answered a benign question about his in-game rotations by saying, "Because that was my decision."North Carolina went 24-9 this season, despite projected top-five pick Caleb Wilson missing the final nine games with two different hand and thumb injuries
7 to improve to 19-4 but went just 5-5 the rest of the way.This is the second straight season UNC failed to get 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 Four
The Tar Heels were one of the final at-large teams selected to last year's tournament, getting a bid despite a 1-12 record against Quadrant 1 opponents.Davis was promoted to the head coach position 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 8-seed in 2022, beating Duke in the Final Four in Mike Krzyzewski's final game as the Blue Devils' head coach
The Tar Heels led Kansas by 15 points at halftime 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 1-seed in the NCAA tournament, wins that have 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 honors 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, playing his college ball under Dean Smith in Chapel Hill from 1988 to '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.