What are terms of UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis’ contract?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UNC would owe Davis roughly $5.3 million if moved prior to April 1.
- Davis’ base pay rose to $1.25M in a Dec. 2024 extension through June 30, 2030.
- This season Davis' total pay was $3.85M; outside deals add more.
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UNC basketball coach search
UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis coached the Tar Heels for five seasons but was let go after they were defeated in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. On April 7, the university hired former NBA coach Michael Malone. Here’s ongoing coverage of North Carolina’s coaching transition.
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A day after No. 6 seed UNC blew a 19-point lead in a historic 82-78 overtime loss to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, questions about the future of coach Hubert Davis have intensified.
But how much would it cost North Carolina to move on from its coach?
According to a copy of Davis’ contract, UNC would owe the coach his base salary ($1.25 million) for each of the four remaining years on his contract, plus a prorated monthly amount, for a total of roughly $5.3 million if the move occurs prior to April 1.
Davis has earned two contract extensions in his head coaching tenure, the second signed in December 2024. That extended Davis’ contract through June 30, 2030, and gave him a significant bump in pay — increasing its base salary from $400,000 to $1.25 million.
Davis’ total compensation was $3.85 million this season — before any potential performance-based bonuses. That $3.85 million included a $1.25 million base salary and $1.8 million in supplemental pay, plus $50,000 in expenses for “entertainment and other appropriate purposes to advance the Program.” He also receives outside income from Nike ($250,000 annually) and Learfield ($500,000).
Davis will also receive additional compensation of $100,000 for participating in the NCAA Tournament.
Davis’ supplemental pay is set to increase by $100,000 each year according to the terms of his current contract. The buyout figure — significantly lower than the total remaining value of the contract — could factor into any decision-making, although UNC administrators have not indicated that a coaching change is under consideration.
Davis, who succeeded Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams in 2021, led the Tar Heels to the national championship game, beating Duke twice along the way, in his first season.
Since then, UNC has had uneven results, including missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and first-round exits in each of the past two tournaments. The first-round losses to Mississippi last year and VCU on Thursday night mark the first time since the NCAA Tournament’s expansion in 1985 the Tar Heels have lost in the first round in consecutive years.
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 12:53 PM.
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