North Carolina men’s basketball head coach Hubert Davis announced plans for major changes within the program, driven by the need to adapt to new challenges in college basketball.
The decision, sparked by recent struggles, was framed as necessary to maintain competitiveness in an era when NIL, the transfer portal and international players have transformed the landscape.
Hubert Davis Responds to UNC’s Struggles
The Tar Heels were having a tough season, with their recent loss to Duke pushing them to the brink of missing the NCAA Tournament.
At 13-10 and 6-5 in the ACC, North Carolina’s tournament hopes were in jeopardy. During an episode of Hubert Davis Live on Monday, Davis outlined a strategic pivot, calling it critical to the program’s future.
“The old model for Carolina basketball just doesn’t work,” Davis said.
The reality of the modern college game was quickly becoming clear. As Davis noted, too many off-court variables now influence team success—NIL deals, the transfer portal, agents and the involvement of international players. It was no longer enough to operate under a traditional coaching model.
“It’s not sustainable,” Davis continued. “It has to build out, because there’s so many things in play with NIL, the transfer portal, agents, international players. You just need a bigger staff to be able to maintain things.”
One of the biggest changes Davis proposed was hiring a general manager to manage these off-court responsibilities.
“I never would have thought in the four years that I took the job that 100% what is needed is a general manager,” Davis continued. “There’s just so much stuff out there.”
Managing NIL deals, roster changes through the transfer portal, fundraising and even the influence of agents had become overwhelming—even for a coach of Davis’s experience. These administrative tasks were detracting from the core focus of coaching.
Davis emphasized that the workload had grown to a point where it was taking away from what truly mattered: coaching the team.
“I mention owner, GM, fundraiser, basketball coach,” Davis said. “It’s so much on the plate that it’ll take you away from doing what’s the most important thing, which is coaching basketball.”
In recent years, general managers have become more common in college basketball programs, though their role differs from that in professional sports. In the pros, GMs often have significant power in roster construction and player decisions, whereas in college athletics, they typically report to the head coach and assist with managing the roster and recruiting.
This move to bring a GM into the program reflects the increasing complexities of roster management in the modern game.
The decision also came at a time when the Tar Heels were struggling with key roster issues. With the departure of star center Armando Bacot, North Carolina’s interior play was lacking. Despite entering the season with high expectations—ranking No. 9 in the AP Poll—the team’s struggles in the paint had become evident.
The Need for Change Amid Declining Performance
North Carolina’s struggles had reached a tipping point. The loss to Duke, which ended 87-70, was more than just another defeat; it underscored the team’s broader issues. It marked the fourth loss in the last five games, and UNC was slipping further from its previous dominance.
The situation had become dire, with NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updated his bracketology projections, placing North Carolina outside the tournament field at No. 71 overall. This indicated just how much work the Tar Heels had left to do to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Despite the challenges, Davis was clear there was still hope.
“We need to be much better than we’ve been of late,” Davis said.
North Carolina still had opportunities to play their way back into contention, but the team would need to improve if they were to secure an at-large bid drastically. The addition of a general manager was one step in the plan to help stabilize the program and create a more structured approach to the season’s remaining challenges.
The team’s next test came with a home game against Pittsburgh, a crucial opportunity to turn their season around.
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