Hubert Davis name beloved former captain Marcus Paige as director of team, player development

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis has named former team captain Marcus Paige to his staff. Paige will take over as the Director of Team and Player Development.

Marcus Paige first got to North Carolina in 2012. He was immediately a key member of the team, starting in 34 games as a freshman. He would remain a starter for his four years with the Tar Heels, eventually playing in the 2016 championship game as a senior and becoming a fan favorite in the process.

“I am thankful and honored to be a part of UNC Basketball with Coach Davis and his staff,” Paige said. “I’ve always wanted the opportunity to make the same positive impact on players that my former coaches, including Coach Williams and Coach Davis, made on me. Basketball has taken me around the world, and Taylor and I couldn’t be happier than to take this next step here with my Carolina family.”

By the end of his college career, Marcus Paige had 1,800 points, 500 assists, 350 rebounds, 275 three-pointers, and 200 steals. He was one of only two ACC players to ever accomplish that. Unsurprisingly, he proved to be an incredibly important player in the NCAA Tournament, hitting a clutch three-point shot against Villanova with 4.7 seconds remaining to tie the championship game.

Paige also received numerous academic honors during his time at North Carolina. That included earning Academic All-America honors three times. He is just one of three players in the history of the ACC who have been able to accomplish that. He was also a finalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award and won the Skip Prosser Award as the ACC’s top scholar-athlete in basketball twice.

After North Carolina, Paige became a second round pick of the Brooklyn Nets. He also spent time with the Charlotte Hornets and played professionally abroad.

“The standard for every Carolina basketball player is to be elite in three areas: on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” head coach Hubert Davis said. “There was no better example of that than Marcus Paige. I am thrilled to have a person with his character, love, passion, and devotion to this program and University be around our players every day.”

Now just 29 years old, Marcus Paige is hoping that he can help bring a national championship to his alma mater as a coach.