UNC head coach Hubert Davis on his relationship with Mack Brown

Hubert Davis has the tall task of replacing the legendary Roy Williams at the University of North Carolina. However, he has the help of another Tar Heels legend to ease the process.

In his summer press conference, Davis detailed his relationship with North Carolina football coach, Mack Brown. From North Carolina, to Texas and all the way back, the duo continues to be close.

“We have a great relationship. He was here in Carolina when I was here as a student, and then he went to Texas. We spent a lot of time together because at the time I played for the Dallas Mavericks,” Davis said. “For four years, every Saturday my wife and I used to drive down to Austin, he would give us tickets and we became Texas Longhorns football fans.

“We were cheering him on, after the game we would hang out with him in his office. And now back here in Carolina, we’re both head coaches here, it’s been a long relationship.”

Moreover, Davis mentions he looks up to Brown. 

“I look up to coach Brown, he’s an unbelievable person,” Davis stated. “He’s a better person than he is coach, and he’s a great coach.” 

Hubert Davis learned from Mack Brown from Day 1

While everything Brown does on the football field may not translate to the basketball court, Davis has been learning from the North Carolina football head coach from the day of his introductory press conference. Continuing, Davis reveals what Brown told him that changed the way he has his team practice.

“It was the day of my press conference, and when I went to go visit and see their practice,” said Davis. “He said something, and I don’t know if he understands how much it meant to me and how much it changed my thought process. Our practice is designed to be our conditioning. 

“If we go as hard as we can in practice, then I don’t need to run them after practice. He just easily said that.”

‘So he’s helping me and he doesn’t even know he’s helping me.’

Evidently, players like Armando Bacot can thank Mack Brown for not having to run sprints after practice. Furthermore, Davis detailed the conversations he had with his team, and the elation following his idea.

“I came back to our guys and told them, “I will never run you a 33 if they give this team and this program everything that you have out there on the basketball court. Our practices will be designed to condition you during practice. If you go 100% in practice, I’ll never run you sprints after practice.” All the guys were like hey this is awesome where’d you get this from, I said I got this from coach Brown,” revealed Davis. “To this day … we have not had to run sprints. 

“The guys have given this program, their teammates and this team everything they’ve had out there on the floor. That’s just one thing I got from coach Brown, and we were just sitting there talking for ten minutes on the day of my press conference. So he’s helping me and he doesn’t even know he’s helping me.”

Davis has big shoes to fill in following Roy Williams, but his synergy with Mack Brown will help him in his quest with the North Carolina Tar Heels.