Analyst rips UNC for firing Hubert Davis without a succession plan

North Carolina’s coaching search has stalled at a critical moment, with the Tar Heels still without a head coach just days before the transfer portal opens April 7. After missing on top targets, the program now faces the prospect of a prolonged, uncertain search. UNC fired Hubert Davis on March 19, after the Tar Heels blew a 19-point second-half lead in an 82-78 overtime loss to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Davis’ tenure was turbulent but not without success: He led North Carolina to a national championship appearance in 2022, an Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in 2024 and four NCAA Tournament appearances in five years. Still, a roller-coaster run and back-to-back first-round exits, combined with pressure from boosters , pushed UNC’s decision-makers to move on. The problem, according to multiple indications, is that North Carolina made that move without a clear succession plan.

Its top three candidates are either firmly rooted where they are or unavailable because of timing. Tommy Lloyd chose to remain at Arizona. Dusty May, who has led Michigan to the national championship game, told the school he will not be pursuing any coaching jobs .

Billy Donovan will not entertain any college opportunity until the NBA regular season ends April 13. CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein has been blunt: He believes UNC should not have fired Davis without a concrete plan in place. While he acknowledges that the school had understandable reasons to make a change, he argues that the absence of a prepared successor has turned this into a search verging on disaster.