As the North Carolina men’s basketball team prepares for its Sweet Sixteen matchup Thursday (March 28), head coach Hubert Davis is staying focused on being “an example for Christ.” In his third year coaching at his alma mater, the outspoken Christian led the Tar Heels to a 27-7 regular-season record—and a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Last weekend, Carolina dominated Wagner and Michigan State; next up for the Tar Heels is the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Davis often speaks candidly about his faith. “Jesus is the reason for all seasons,” he said at a press conference earlier this month. “And those reasons are good [regardless of] if it’s a sunny day or a cloudy day.”
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The ups and downs of the past two seasons have made Davis who he is today, he said. In 2022, the Tar Heels reached the NCAA championship game, losing to Kansas. But in 2023 they missed the tournament completely.
“Last year was a blessing,” Davis told reporters. “I am a better person and a better coach because of last year…that’s the way I believe.”
Coach Hubert Davis Has a Faith Foundation
Hubert Davis, 53, became a Christian while attending the University of North Carolina, where he helped the Tar Heels reach the Final Four in 1991. He played in the NBA for 12 seasons, was a TV analyst, and then worked his way up the coaching ranks at Carolina.
In 2021, Davis was named head coach, replacing the legendary Roy Williams. Now Davis is among the 15 men’s college basketball coaches being considered for Coach of the Year honors.
At the 2022 Final Four, Davis said, “The foundation of who I am is my relationship with Jesus. Whether it’s coaching, whether it’s my marriage, whether it’s my three kids, decision-making, everything is filtered through my faith. I can’t do anything without it.”
During that season’s run, where his eight-seed Tar Heels took second place in the tournament, Davis regularly emphasized Proverbs 4:25. The coach said he used that verse’s message to remind players to “keep your eyes straight ahead” and “ignore all sideshow distractions.”
Hubert Davis: Coaching Is My ‘Missionary Work’
Hubert Davis has said he “desperately” wants his players to experience success on the basketball court. But he’s even more eager to “be an example for Christ” and make the most of his God-given “opportunity to be in these kids’ lives.”
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In March 2022, Davis said he views coaching as “missionary work,” because “every day I get a front-row seat to be able to help out these kids. It puts me in a place of humbleness and thankfulness and appreciation to be a part of their lives,” he added.
About the role coaches can serve, Davis said he prays “all of the time that Jesus would put good people in my kids’ life…people that genuinely care for you, that there’s no hidden agenda. They’re genuinely on your side.”
