Hubert Davis discusses first year as UNC coach on anniversary of Roy Williams retirement

Final Four weekend falls exactly one year following the retirement of longtime North Carolina Tar Heels head men’s basketball coach Roy Williams. On the one-year anniversary of Williams’ retirement, Hubert Davis is leading UNC and preparing for a matchup with the Duke Blue Devils in the Final Four.

Just making it to this point in the season is something that most probably didn’t expect. But Davis has done a tremendous job in his first season as UNC’s head coach, easing the transition from Williams to Davis as head coach. On Friday, Davis was asked about the one-year anniversary of Williams’ retirement, and he admitted that it was a sad day for him.

“On this day, on the day that Coach Williams retired a year ago today, for me it was a day of sadness,” Davis said on the one-year anniversary of the longtime UNC coach’s retirement. “I didn’t want him to go. I had been his assistant coach for nine years. And I was in a really good place. I enjoyed working for him. I enjoyed being one of his assistants. And I knew how passionate he was, not only about coaching, but coaching at the University of North Carolina.”

After a number of candidates were considered, Davis was picked as the next UNC head coach, replacing Williams. That process was a whirlwind for Davis, but it has clearly worked out pretty well so far.

“So when he officially retired, that was a day of sadness for me. And then through the process of trying to decide who was going to be the next head coach, it was interesting,” Davis said. “That was the first time in my life that I interviewed for a job.

“You don’t interview for a job when you get drafted for NBA. ESPN picked me so I worked there for seven years. Coach Williams, out of the blue, said we would like you to be one of our assistant coaches; I didn’t go through an interview process there. The strangest part was interviewing for a job and at 51 years old for the first time you were doing something that you had never done before.”

Davis on UNC reaching the Final Four in first year after Williams’ retirement: ‘It’s a pretty cool deal’

Things weren’t always easy for the Tar Heels this season. UNC was on the NCAA Tournament bubble for much of the year. But UNC ultimately made it in, and now the Tar Heels are looking to make the one-year anniversary of Williams’ retirement a truly memorable weekend.

“And to think about — I’ve said this before, things have been great, but things have been so busy I haven’t had time to process and think,” said Davis. “So to say what has gone on this year, I don’t know. After the season I’ll be able to have time to catch my breath and be able to think about things.

“But the only time that I can feel like that I can really think about where I am and where we’re going was at the end of the game against Saint Peter’s when it looked like we were going to the Final Four. That’s why I was so emotional. It was the first time in a year that I could actually enjoy the moment because in other situations it was always next game, next recruit, next practice, next media. It was always something to go to. And so it’s been a great year. And to think we’d be in a Final Four, it’s a pretty cool deal.”

UNC and Duke tip off at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday night in New Orleans.