A new report reveals that Hubert Davis may not be on the hot seat at North Carolina after all

Fourth-year head coach Hubert Davis has North Carolina on the bubble, but he's likely not in danger of losing his job leading the Tar Heels.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Hubert Davis is in his fourth year as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels since taking over the post from Roy Williams in 2021, and even despite a recent hot streak, the program is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in his tenure. With a 1-10 record in Quad 1 games and a Quad 3 loss, Davis’s seat has gotten so hot that his predecessor has had to come to his defense against a frustrated fan base, though, maybe he was never on the hot seat at all. 

Following North Carolina’s Monday night win over Florida State, the team’s fourth-straight win, Brian Murphy reported that Davis had already agreed to a contract extension before this season which ties him to the university through 2030. 

Davis led the Tar Heels to the Sweet 16 as a No. 1 seed a year ago and in his first year at the helm took UNC from a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament to the national championship game, a 72-69 loss to Kansas. Then, in the 2022-23 season, Davis went 20-13 and missed the Tournament altogether. 

The roller-coaster ride has continued this season with underwhelming results, and Davis has been unable to effectively replace longtime star center Armando Bacot in the frontcourt. Still, this report and UNC’s upcoming recruiting class both indicate that he won’t be going anywhere soon. 

Davis has assembled a three-player class in 2025 headlined by five-star Caleb Wilson, who chose the Tar Heels over Kentucky. Davis also landed the No. 1 player in North Carolina, guard Isaiah Denis, and fellow four-star guard Derek Dixon, a Washington DC native. 

North Carolina fans understandably demand more consistency than Davis has been able to provide across his four seasons, but if he can sneak his way into the big dance with an impressive run through the ACC Tournament, it may appease the fanbase temporarily. Regardless, the pressure will be on Davis to deliver big-time results in the 2025-26 season. 

The news of this extension provides some security. However, UNC is the type of program that should be willing to move quickly if it's stuck in a rut, and will always attract many of the top coaching candidates in the country.