Hubert Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hubert Davis

Coach Hubert Davis at his introductory press conference at the Dean Smith Center
North Carolina Tar Heels
Head Coach
Personal information
Born	(1970-05-17) May 17, 1970 (age 55) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
High school	Lake Braddock Secondary (Burke, Virginia)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
College	North Carolina (1988–1992)
NBA Draft	1992 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Pro career	1992–2004
Coaching career	2012–present
League	Atlantic Coast Conference
Career history
As player:
1992–1996	New York Knicks
1996–1997	Toronto Raptors
1997–2001	Dallas Mavericks
2001–2002	Washington Wizards
2002–2004	Detroit Pistons
2004	New Jersey Nets
As coach:
2012–2021	North Carolina (assistant)
2021–present	North Carolina
Career highlights and awards
As player: Second-team All-ACC (1992) Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" Award (2008) As assistant coach: NCAA Division I Tournament (2017) 2× NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (2016, 2017) As head coach: NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (2022) ACC regular season (2024) ACC Coach of the Year (2024)
Career NBA statistics
Points	5,583 (8.2 ppg)
Rebounds	1,045 (1.5 rpg)
Assists	1,172 (1.7 apg)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States Summer Universiade Gold 1991 Sheffield National team

Hubert Ira Davis Jr. (born May 17, 1970) is a famous American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before coaching, Davis played basketball for North Carolina from 1988 to 1992. He also played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for several teams. These teams included the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, and Dallas Mavericks. He also played for the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets from 1992 to 2004.

Davis set records for three-point shooting with both the Knicks and the Mavericks. He is the nephew of Walter Davis, who was also a Tar Heel and NBA player. Davis worked as an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 2012. He became the head coach in 2021 after Roy Williams retired.

Early Life and College Years

Hubert Davis went to Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia. In his final year, he scored an average of 28 points per game. He went to the same high school as Mia Hamm, a famous soccer player and Olympic medalist.

Davis then attended the University of North Carolina. He still holds the school record for the best career three-point shooting percentage. In his junior year, he helped his team reach the Final Four. This is a very important stage in the national college basketball tournament. He graduated in 1992 with a degree in Criminal Justice. In his senior season, he averaged 21.4 points per game.

NBA Playing Career

The New York Knicks chose Hubert Davis as the 20th player in the 1992 NBA draft. During the 1994 NBA Playoffs, he made key free throws that helped the Knicks win a close game against the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks went on to win that series.

Davis played for New York for four years. He set Knicks team records for three-point shooting accuracy. He had the best single-season percentage in 1995–96 (.476) and the best career percentage (.449).

After playing for the Raptors, Davis joined the Dallas Mavericks. He also set Mavericks team records for three-point shooting. His best single-season percentage was .491 in 1999–2000, and his career percentage was .454. Davis also played for the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets. He played his last NBA game in 2004. His career average was 8.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. His career three-point shooting percentage of 44.09% ranks him second in NBA history. Only Steve Kerr has a higher percentage.

Becoming a Sports Analyst

Hubert Davis on an ESPN College GameDay broadcast in 2008

After his playing career, Davis started working for ESPN in the 2007–2008 season. He was a college basketball analyst. He appeared on the network's college basketball shows. He was also a panelist on College Gameday. He left ESPN after the 2011–2012 season to return to North Carolina. He became an assistant coach for the Tar Heels.

Coaching Career

North Carolina Assistant Coach

In 2012, UNC head coach Roy Williams hired Davis as an assistant coach. Davis also coached UNC's junior varsity basketball team. This is one of the few junior varsity teams left in college basketball. UNC's junior varsity program is a long-standing tradition. Many former JV players have gone on to join the main varsity team.

Davis was an assistant coach when the Tar Heels won the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. They defeated Gonzaga 71–65 in the National Championship game.

North Carolina Head Coach

After Coach Williams retired, Hubert Davis was named the 19th head coach in the program's history. He became the first African-American to lead the North Carolina basketball program. Some people were unsure about the choice at first. This was because Davis had never been a head coach before. However, Coach Williams had been preparing him for the role. This was similar to how Dean Smith had mentored Williams years earlier.

Davis won his first game as head coach. The Tar Heels beat Loyola (MD) 83–67 at home. This game took place in the Dean Smith Center at the start of the season. On February 21, 2022, Davis's Tar Heels defeated Louisville. This win gave the first-year head coach his 20th victory of the year.

Davis became one of only four ACC head coaches to win twenty games in their first season in the past twenty-five years. Other Tar Heel coaches like Matt Doherty and Bill Guthridge also reached this milestone. Davis's Tar Heels finished the regular season with a 23–8 record. They had a big 94–81 victory over Duke in Mike Krzyzewski's final home game.

Davis's Tar Heels played in the 2022 ACC men's basketball tournament. They then earned an 8th seed in the 2022 NCAA tournament. They easily won their first game against Marquette 95–63. In the second round, the Tar Heels upset the top-seeded Baylor Bears. They won 93–86 in overtime, even after losing a big lead.

This victory sent Davis to his first Sweet Sixteen as head coach. It was the school's 30th Sweet Sixteen appearance, which is the most by any team. After beating UCLA 73–66, Davis and his Tar Heels advanced to the Elite Eight. They defeated the St. Peter's Peacocks 69–49. This win earned them a trip to the Final Four.

In the national semifinal game, the Tar Heels played their rivals Duke. This was the first time they had met in the NCAA tournament. The Tar Heels defeated Duke 81–77. This was Coach K's final game. However, in the national championship game, Davis's Tar Heels lost to the Kansas Jayhawks, 72–69.

Because of their success in his first year, Davis became one of the few people in college basketball to reach the Final Four as a player (1991), an assistant coach (2016 and 2017), and a head coach (2022).

Personal Life

Hubert Davis is married to Leslie, and they have three children: Elijah, Bobbie Grace, and Micah. As of the 2021–22 season, Elijah plays college basketball for the University of Lynchburg. Davis is a devoted Christian. He is also cousins with Drake Powell.

Career Playing Statistics

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

College Statistics

Records Set

• New York Knicks single-season 3-point field goal percentage (.476, 1995–96)
• Dallas Mavericks single-season 3-point field goal percentage (.491, 1999–2000)
• New York Knicks career 3-point field goal percentage (.449)
• Dallas Mavericks career 3-point field goal percentage (.454)

Head Coaching Record

See Also

• List of National Basketball Association career 3-point field goal percentage leaders