Former North Carolina star Kenny Smith has spoken out following the firing of head coach Hubert Davis, while also addressing speculation linking him to the vacant role.
Speaking during TNT’s coverage of Texas vs. Purdue, Smith thanked Davis for his contributions to the program.
“Yeah, we can talk about North Carolina,” Smith said.
“But that vacancy — I thought it was outrageous, honestly. But first of all, coach Hubert Davis, thank you. For your service and what you did for North Carolina basketball as a player and a coach, you carried it forward.”
Smith, who is closely associated with the university, stressed the importance of preserving the program’s identity and history.
He highlights the relationships of the coaching staff in different eras of North Carolina basketball.
“What that is, is you have the lineage of every era of basketball, meaning Carolina who was on that staff, including Hubert Davis. Every era was connected,” he said.
Smith also outlined what he believes should define the next head coach.
“Dean Smith retired as a Tar Heel. Roy Williams retired as a Tar Heel. Hubert Davis was going to retire as a Tar Heel. Whoever we come in is going to have to retire as a Tar Heel,” he said.
Reports suggest that North Carolina may look outside of its traditional coaching circle, which would mark a significant change for the program.
