Analyst explains why Hubert Davis is on the hot seat at UNC

North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team’s coach Hubert Davis enters the 2025-26 NCAA season with a lot of pressure, according to college basketball analyst Joe Ovies. 

After taking over the team in the 2021-22 season, Davis had a strong start to his tenure with the program, posting a 29-19 record and taking the team to the 2022 NCAA tournament’s Final Four. 

Ever since that debut season, Davis has struggled to build a consistent team and his seat might be getting warm this campaign. North Carolina is one of the most iconic programs in college basketball, but Davis’ approach in recent seasons hasn’t been up to its standard.

UNC’s Hubert Davis might be on the hot seat, says college basketball analyst

During this week’s edition of CBS Sports’ “Eye on College Basketball,” Ovies didn’t mince words when discussing Davis’ stint at Chapel Hill. Ovies noted that the team has failed to live up to the expectations they have every year.

Hubert Davis

“Three of the last four years, North Carolina has been a bubble team,” he said. “Is that really the standard at UNC? Absolutely not.”

Ovies added that the Tar Heels have overused the card of the Jordan Brand connection to recruit players, which isn’t that successful nowadays. 

“They’ve been caught flat-footed,” Ovies added. “Right now, UNC fans sound like they’re stuck in the past,” he said. “Everyone else has moved forward except Carolina.”

Hubert has posted a 101-45 record in four seasons in front of the Tar Heels, but that might not be enough to retain his job if the new season is also irregular.