As UNC looks ahead to a fresh start for its men’s basketball team next season after parting ways with Hubert Davis, the head coaching vacancy has sparked a lot of conversation from people across the country. Legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, lovingly known as Coach K, has also spoken about his former rival coach.

While Duke and UNC are fierce rivals in college sports, they retain mutual respect for each other’s programs. Coach K, who has one of the most stacked resumes and has won it all, including famous wins over UNC during his stint. He offered his sympathies to Hubert Davis after his UNC exit while on the Pat McAfee Show.

Coach K was humorously asked about the chances of him ending up at UNC, and while the 79-year-old reminded viewers of his retirement, he also paid his respect to Hubert Davis.

“Hubert Davis is a good friend. I think Hubert’s one of the great guys. I am sad that that happened. I think every coach in the country has sympathy for him. I just have a lot of empathy for Hubert and a lot of respect for him,” said Coach K before adding, “And it’s one of the great programs of all time in any sport, and so, I am sure they will get a coach that is worthy of that position. It’s one of the big-time positions in the sport.”

Hubert Davis failed to inspire UNC past the first round of the NCAA Tournament for two years in a row after leading the Tar Heels to the Final in his first year. However, the 55-year-old’s exit after a five-year tenure could be down to the lofty expectations that come with the UNC job.

Under Davis, the Tar Heels have a 125-54 overall record over his five-year tenure in North Carolina. But a college program of UNC’s stature measures success with results in the National Championship, and Davis failed to lead the Tar Heels to success over a Virginia team that boasts a much lower pedigree and financial backing, while also being a lower seed.

It is this failure that led UNC to consider taking a financial hit in favor of a head coaching change before entering the offseason.

The UNC job reportedly has names like Dusty May, Nate Oats, Tommy Lloyd, Todd Golden, and almost every top coach that has found success recently in the regular season and postseason this year.

UNC icon highlights key character trait necessary in next coaching hire

While Stephen A. Smith recommended former NBA star and UNC icon Kenny Smith’s name as part of the head coaching carousel, The Jet has revealed a key character trait he wants the next Tar Heels men’s basketball team coach to possess.

“I will say this – Dean Smith retired as a Tar Heel,” Smith said. “Roy Williams retired as a Tar Heel. Hubert Davis was going to retire a Tar Heel. Whoever will be coming in, they have to want to retire a Tar Heel.”

Dean Smith represented UNC in college basketball and won a National Championship as a player. He then returned as head coach, adding two NCAA Tournament titles to UNC’s history. The 2006 College Basketball Hall of Famer retired in 1997 after leading the college program to multiple ACC titles, both in the regular season and the conference tournament.

Roy Williams also returned to coach the UNC men’s basketball team after representing the program during his playing days. Williams won 3 NCAA Tournaments while being the Tar Heels’ head coach and entered the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 before retiring in 2021, and was succeeded by another former player, Hubert Davis.

While Hubert Davis did not win a National Championship, a deep-rooted UNC connection always pays off for a head coach there. Even though the NIL era could persuade UNC to abandon its hiring culture, Kenny Smith is advocating to retain that North Carolina connection.