Tar Heels name Davis new coach

North Carolina has turned to former Tar Heels player and assistant coach Hubert Davis to lead the storied men’s basketball program as the successor to Hall of Famer Roy Williams.

The 50-year-old Davis played for the Tar Heels under Dean Smith before a long NBA career, and he spent the last nine seasons working under Williams.

The school announced the hiring Monday after an emergency meeting by its board of trustees.

Williams retired last week after 18 seasons at his alma mater in a career that also included 15 years at Kansas and 903 overall victories. All three of his NCAA championships came with UNC.

Davis’ hiring marks a groundbreaking moment as he’s the first Black coach in the history of the program.

Davis, the nephew of former UNC player and NBA All-Star Walter Davis, played for Smith from 1988-92 and still holds the program record for career 3-point percentage (.435). He was part of two ACC Tournament championships as a player as well as scoring 25 points in a 1991 Final Four loss against a Kansas team led by Williams.

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