Apr 2, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis is interviewed after defeating the Duke Blue Devils during the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

Hubert Davis' First Four Seasons Compared To Past Coaches

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Hubert Davis has experienced plenty of highs and lows during his time as the head coach. It is similar to a roller coaster you may ride at an amusement park, one that goes up and down, and up and down, repeatedly.

North Carolina reached the national championship, then was completely out of the NCAAT the following season, back to the Sweet 16 during the 2023-2024 campaign, then bounced out of the first round to Ole Miss after handing a beat down to San Diego State in the First Four game.

As mentioned, just like a roller coaster.

UNC will look to find stability beginning with the 2025-2026 season, as the roster comprises a lot of talent from the transfer portal and high school. And maybe, if all things go well for the Tar Heels, the outcome will be on the higher end of the scale. But consistency is what will be expected if that happens to be the case — UNC has always been known as a basketball school after all. For it to be bounced out in the first round and miss the tournament is rare.

However, how does it compare to the past two head coaches of North Carolina in Roy Williams and Dean Smith? Let's talk about it.

Dean Smith and Roy Williams’ First Four Seasons at UNC

The legendary Smith finished his first season as the head coach with a record of 8-9 during the 1961-1962 season. The three campaigns after that concluded with the following: 15-6, 12-12 and 15-9. All four seasons tally up to a combined record of 50-36, equating to a win percentage of 58%. Not too bad by any means, but not exactly the greatest.

Three-time national champion, Williams, had a record of 19-11 in year No. 1 leading UNC's program, then went on to finish 33-4, 23-8, and 31-7 for a record of 106-30. Yes, he did coach way more games than Smith, but times change, of course. And Williams' record after his four seasons comes out to 78% in terms of wins.

Coach Davis' numbers stand as the following: 29-10, 20-13, 29-8 and 23-14. Three seasons with double-digit losses, and three NCAAT appearances. All in all, Davis has won 69% of his games thus far, respectively. The postseason outcomes are what is in a state of flux, and need to be fixed for the sake of not only the diehard fans out there, but the foundation of what UNC has turned into when it comes to athletics.

Consistency is what Coach Davis needs to find, and he will get to do that once more starting in November.

Please

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: