Source: Grant Halverson / Getty
North Carolina wasted no time finding a new head coach for the UNC Men’s Basketball program. The Tar Heels hire longtime assistant Hurbert Davis to replace Roy Williams, GOHEELS.com announced.
The university’s board of trustees called a meeting Monday morning to approve the hire and a team meeting at 4 pm to introduce Davis as the new head coach.
Legendary Coach Williams, who won three national championships and more than 900 games, retired last week after 18 seasons at North Carolina and 33 seasons as a head coach.
[ALSO READ: Legendary UNC coach Roy Williams is announcing his retirement after 33 years]
Davis has been an assistant coach under Williams for the past nine seasons at UNC and was one of the top candidates after the job opened.
Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham interviewed an array of candidates from coast to coast, according to the UNC athletics website, and Davis, they say was the finalist because of his dedication to student-athletes, leadership, work ethic, service and passion to win.
A Virginia native, Davis played for Dean Smith at North Carolina from 1988-1992. He helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1991 Final Four as a guard, and to two Final Fours and a national title during nine years as a UNC assistant coach.
Davis was also a first-round NBA draft pick by the New York Knicks. He spent 12 seasons in the NBA with six different organizations. Davis also spent time as a college basketball analyst for ESPN.
“I am honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead this program,” Davis said in a video posted to the team’s Twitter page. “I would not be here without Coach Dean Smith, Coach Bill Guthridge and Coach Roy Williams; they taught me so much – and I’m eager to walk their path in my shoes and with my personality. I also would not be here without Chancellor Guskiewicz and Bubba Cunningham. I appreciate their faith in me and I look forward to working closely with them.
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