Is Hubert Davis the first Black coach at UNC? Exploring Tar Heels' coaching history

When UNC announced Hubert Davis as Roy Williams’ successor in 2021, many didn’t expect him to settle into the role right away. But he soon proved the notion wrong, leading the Tar Heels to a second-place finish in the ACC. He also led the team to the national championship game. It was groundbreaking for Davis, but what else has he achieved as a basketball coach?

Is Hubert Davis the first Black coach at UNC?

Hubert Davis is the first African-American coach of the UNC Tar Heels men’s basketball. Davis was announced as the new coach of the Tar Heels to succeed his boss, Roy Williams, in 2021. Williams was retiring after 18 years in charge. He had also hired Davis as an assistant in 2012.

The UNC head coaching role is Davis’ first head coaching role, therefore, many critics doubted if he was the best-suited candidate for the role.

Notwithstanding, Davis settled down into his new job and started grinding out results that endeared him to UNC fans. It wasn’t that Davis was a newbie at UNC. He had spent four seasons playing for the Tar Heels in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. By the time he graduated from UNC with a Criminal Justice degree in 1992, he set the record for the school’s highest career three-point percentage.

He was also part of the UNC team that played in the 1991 NCAA Tournament Final Four. Also, he averaged 21.4 points per game for the Tar Heels in his final season. Following his UNC playing career, Davis was selected in the 1992 NBA draft by the New York Knicks with the 20th overall pick.

After a successful NBA career, Davis went on to work at ESPN as a studio analyst. He also featured on the network’s College Gameday as a panelist. He finally got into coaching in 2012 when Williams offered him an assistant coaching role with the Tar Heels.

As Williams’ assistant, he also served as the head coach of the UNC junior varsity team. He was part of the coaching staff that saw the Tar Heels win the 2017 national championship.

Davis won his first conference regular-season championship and tournament title as a head coach this season. These earned him the ACC Coach of the Year Award. However, he couldn’t lead his team beyond the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament.

How long before he wins his first NCAA championship as a head coach?