graphic by lorian mcgillicudy

He led the lower -ranked Heels into Cameron Indoor for Coach K’s final game in the building, pulling off the upset and spoiling Coach K’s iconic career ending. Not only did he send off Coach K in his final game in Cameron, but later on in the season, during the 2021 Final Four game, when Caleb Love hit a jaw- dropping shot to secure another Tar Heel victory against Duke and start the iconic race to Franklin Street, capping off his incredible year one.

Unfortunately for Davis, it was all downhill from there. In Davis’ last four seasons in Chapel Hill, he managed to miss the tournament in 2022, got bounced in the sweet sixteen in 2023, then followed with two consecutive rounds of 64 exits in the March Madness tournament. It is safe to say that Hubert did not live up to the Carolina faithful expectations. Some people argue it was because of the lack of talent, and I can promise you that is not the case. It was the horrific job done by him and his staff when it mattered the most, beating Duke and in March, where the hardware is earned.

From 1961 to 2019, under Dean Smith and Roy Williams, the Heels only managed to miss the tournament or be first- round exits in March Madness five times in the span of 58 years. Hubert managed to achieve two first- round exits and one miss of the tournament in the span of just five years as the head coach. This was not Carolina basketball, and to be honest, it was a disgrace watching his team play weekly with his terrible tactics and decisions. All the fans, including myself, are wondering the same thing: when will the return of Carolina basketball happen?

Many people, including myself, believe the hire of Michael Malone to be the next head coach of the Tar Heels will bring back the glory and excitement of watching Carolina Basketball. Malone brings plenty of experience when it comes to coaching. He coached 24 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he spent half and half as head coach and assistant coach. Malone is known for getting the best out of his players and bringing the energy day in and day out. Malone is the first Carliona head coach hired outside the family in almost seventy years. This brings concern to many fans, but I can assure you we got the guy. The guy we have been wanting to see on TV, not Hubert and his idiotic tactics of never calling a timeout in crunch time, or never subbing out any players down the stretch. We can finally all just breathe and watch a game without disgust on our faces.

It won’t come easy for Malone as he has taken on the brutal task of modern college basketball. He walks into his office with just two returning scholarship players from the previous season, leaving huge holes to fill in his first time on the court as a Tar Heel. Malone also seeks to keep Carliona a top 10 high school recruiting class in 2026, with key players like Dylan Mingo and Maximo Adams both being named high school All- Americans.

I believe that the fire of Hubert Davis is the best step forward for this UNC-CH program, and Michael Malone will do great things at Carolina, as well as bring back this prestigious university we all love. As always, it’s a great day to be a Tar Heel(GDTBATH).