UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham is evaluating the men's basketball program after an early NCAA Tournament exit.
The Tar Heels lost to VCU in overtime, marking another disappointing tournament performance under coach Hubert Davis.
Cunningham stated he is working with the chancellor and executive associate athletic director to review all program aspects.
Since the 2022 national title game, the program has struggled, winning only three games in the last four tournaments.
Davis remains under contract through 2029-30, with the school potentially owing over $5 million if he is let go.
📖 Full Retelling
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said Saturday the school is evaluating "all facets" of its tradition-rich men's basketball program after another early exit from the NCAA Tournament under Hubert Davis. Cunningham said in a statement he is working with UNC chancellor Lee Roberts and executive associate athletic director Steve Newmark — who will take over as Cunningham's successor in the coming months — in that review. "Every year at the end of the season, it’s important to evaluate all facets of the program and look for ways to improve," Cunningham said. "The chancellor, Steve and I are doing that together now and will continue to have discussions over the coming days." Davis closed his fifth season Thursday as successor to retired Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams with an overtime loss to VCU in the South Region, coming after the Rams rallied from 19 down for the biggest comeback in first-round history. The program, with six NCAA titles and a national-record 21 Final Fours, now has just three March Madness wins in the four seasons since an unexpected run to the 2022 national title game in Davis' debut season. That includes reaching the Round of 32 only once in that span, a Sweet 16 appearance two years ago as a No. 1 seed that lost in an upset to Alabama. Davis signed a two-year extension last season running through 2029-30. The school would owe Davis $5 million in base salary payments for the remaining years of his deal, plus additional payments for the remaining months of the 2025-26 season. Reporting by The Associated Press.
🏷️ Themes
NCAA Tournament, UNC Basketball, Program Evaluation
North Carolina ( KARR-ə-LY-nə) is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia to the southwest, and Tennessee to the west. The state is the 28th-largest and...
# NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament
The **NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament**, widely known by the monikers **March Madness** and **The Big Dance**, is a premier single-elimination tournament held annually in the United States. The competition determines the national champion of...
Hubert Ira Davis Jr. (born May 17, 1970) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before his coaching career, Davis played for North Carolina from 1988 to 1992 and in the National Basketball Association (...
Lawrence R. "Bubba" Cunningham (born May 12, 1962) is an American athletic administrator who has been serving as the athletic director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since November 2011. He previously served as athletic director at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma from 2005 to...
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said Saturday the school is evaluating "all facets" of its tradition-rich men's basketball program after another early exit from the NCAA Tournament under Hubert Davis. Cunningham said in a statement he is working with UNC chancellor Lee Roberts and executive associate athletic director Steve Newmark — who will take over as Cunningham's successor in the coming months — in that review. "Every year at the end of the season, it’s important to evaluate all facets of the program and look for ways to improve," Cunningham said. "The chancellor, Steve and I are doing that together now and will continue to have discussions over the coming days." Davis closed his fifth season Thursday as successor to retired Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams with an overtime loss to VCU in the South Region, coming after the Rams rallied from 19 down for the biggest comeback in first-round history. The program, with six NCAA titles and a national-record 21 Final Fours, now has just three March Madness wins in the four seasons since an unexpected run to the 2022 national title game in Davis' debut season. That includes reaching the Round of 32 only once in that span, a Sweet 16 appearance two years ago as a No. 1 seed that lost in an upset to Alabama. Davis signed a two-year extension last season running through 2029-30. The school would owe Davis $5 million in base salary payments for the remaining years of his deal, plus additional payments for the remaining months of the 2025-26 season. Reporting by The Associated Press.
