Hubert Davis' Top Landing Spots After UNC Exit Following March Madness

It's time for change at North Carolina.

The Tar Heels announced Tuesday that men's basketball head coach Hubert Davis will not return for the 2026-27 season following the team's stunning first round loss in the NCAA tournament to VCU. North Carolina was in full control with a 19-point lead in the second half but ultimately lost in overtime.

While the biggest question is who the Tar Heels will hire next given their status as one of the sport's most prestigious programs, there is also a question about what is next for Davis himself.

Here are some potential landing spots:

• Television role
• Utah State
• Butler

It should be noted North Carolina was Davis' first head-coaching job after he played for the school and served as an assistant coach. There was an obvious connection to the school, and he wasted no time delivering by leading the Tar Heels to the national title game in his first season.

VCU Rams-North Carolina Tar Heels Highlights

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But that was his high point of his tenure, as they missed the tournament in his second season and lost in the first round in each of the last two years.

There is a very real chance he won't generate significant and immediate interest from many of the power-conference teams that have job openings this offseason, especially after his time at North Carolina trended in the wrong direction.

What that means is he might end up returning to television as an analyst, where he previously worked, for some time before resurfacing as a coaching candidate a year or two down the line when he is further removed from the latest tournament loss.

And that could end up being a path back to the ACC or perhaps a program in the Big Ten, Big 12 or even Big East down the line while still staying close to the game as an analyst.

However, Davis may also want to continue coaching in the immediate future. If that is the case, a smaller program that just lost its head coach may be the answer.

Davis could, in theory, take a program to consecutive NCAA tournaments without the resources that a program like North Carolina has, which would surely impress power-conference schools that may have openings in the future.

With that in mind, a program such as Butler or Utah State may stand out.

Butler's position is now open following Thad Matta's retirement and hasn't been to the Big Dance since the 2017-18 campaign. But the Bulldogs also have a proud history and reached the NCAA tournament 10 times in a 12-year span from 2007 through 2018 and even reached back-to-back title games in that span.

Resurrecting a program with that type of history could be just the challenge that helps Davis bounce back from his North Carolina tenure.

Then there is Utah State, which has been to four straight NCAA tournaments and has established itself as a consistent contender in the Mountain West Conference. However, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Cincinnati hired Aggies head coach Jerrod Calhoun.

The expectation is making the NCAA tournament every season at this point for Utah State, and Davis is someone accustomed to coaching under high expectations at North Carolina.

Perhaps it is just the job to help him remain on the coaching path after this latest development.