UNC's divorce from Hubert Davis opens door for Tar Heels to regain deserved relevance
For all the talk about family and loyalty and the complexities of handling things the insular North Carolina Way, the end was straightforward.
At the end of the day, the decision for North Carolina was simple: Was Hubert Davis a good enough coach to take the Tar Heels’ basketball program where it needed to go? For all the talk about family, loyalty and the complexities of handling things the insular Carolina Way, the end was straightforward . After five seasons, enough data was in.
On Tuesday night, a straightforward press release confirmed the reality that was apparent within 24 hours of the Tar Heels’ first-round NCAA tournament loss to VCU . It was over. But as North Carolina enters its first real basketball coaching search of the modern era — every hire since Dean Smith took over in 1961 had a direct connection to his program — it is not doing so capriciously or without strategy.
In fact, sources told Yahoo Sports, North Carolina representatives have been quietly checking in around potential candidates for nearly a month to gauge what the market would look like and who might be on a realistic list. In other words, North Carolina’s leadership is not making an emotional decision and hoping for the best. Its administration believes, as it should, that it can and will land an A-list candidate for arguably the best job in the sport.
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