It’s the end of a relatively short-lived era for Hubert Davis and North Carolina after Davis got fired by the school on Tuesday night. Davis bowed out of the program with plenty of special memories throughout his five years as the Tar Heels’ head coach and may look back on his tenure with a touch of fondness and nostalgia having helmed one of the most prestigious blue blood basketball programs in the nation. Davis’s son, Elijah, however, won’t.
Shortly after news of Davis’s firing broke, Elijah took to social media to share his candid reaction to seeing his dad lose his job. Elijah, who joined UNC in June 2024 as a walk-on transfer, played just six games this past season and made one lone start.
MORE: 10 UNC Coaching Candidates After Hubert Davis’s Departure
On Tuesday night, Elijah shared a photo of him and his dad on his Instagram and wrote in the caption, “right where we need to be. it’s His plan.” The 23-year-old also whited-out the North Carolina name on his jersey, seemingly taking a cheeky shot at the program:
Still, given Elijah’s personal relationship to his dad, it makes some sense as to why he may be feeling a little bitter about the school’s decision to let him go.
Davis was fired by UNC less than a week after the Tar Heels got eliminated by VCU in the first round of the NCAA tournament. No. 6-seed UNC suffered a colossal meltdown late in the game, blowing a 19-point lead before losing 82-78 in overtime to No. 11 VCU. It was the largest ever comeback for the opening round of 64 in the NCAA tournament and marked the Tar Heels’ second straight first-round exit.
Following that heartbreaker, Davis held a bit of an awkward postgame press conference which didn’t help his chances of saving his job—though his firing wasn’t all too surprising given his unimpressive track record. After UNC finished as runners-up in the 2022 NCAA tournament in Davis’s first year at the helm, the Tar Heels became the first-ever preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA tournament the following campaign. And it pretty much went downhill from there, save for a regular-season ACC title in 2024.
How North Carolina players reacted to Hubert Davis’s unsurprising firing
Tar Heels senior guard Seth Trimble shared a grateful parting message to Davis after news of his firing. Trimble, who played all four seasons under Davis, wrote on Instagram: “Part of the reason I’m here, thank you for the opportunity.
North Carolina star freshman forward Caleb Wilson didn’t get to feature in the NCAA tournament after breaking his thumb in early March. Wilson still made sure to thank Davis for all he’s done, with the 19-year-old set to take the next step to the pros as a projected high lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
“Thank you for everything Coach Davis, one of the best men and coaches in my life,” Wilson wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday night.
Thank you for everything Coach Davis, one of the best men and coaches in my life.
— Caleb Wilson (@CalebWilson2025) March 25, 2026
Wilson notably addressed the growing criticism surrounding Davis earlier this year:
“I hate the people who try to blame Hubert [Davis] for our lapses. Our coach is teaching us the right things, it’s all about our effort and us playing as hard as we can. The coach can only do so much,” Wilson told reporters.
Several other UNC players including Derek Dixon, Isaiah Denis, Jaydon Young and James Brown also shared photos of Davis in their sweet social media tributes to the coach.
It’ll be interesting to see who North Carolina brings in next to succeed Davis and kick off a brighter and more hopeful era for Tar Heels’ basketball.
More March Madness from Sports Illustrated
- How a March Madness Cinderella Story for the Ages Slipped Away From Siena
- Ten North Carolina Men’s Basketball Coaching Candidates After Hubert Davis’s Departure
- With Hubert Davis Out, North Carolina Must Finally Move Beyond the Dean Smith Tree
- Ranking All Eight Men’s March Madness Sweet 16 Games
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hubert Davis’s Son Elijah Reacts to Firing With Cheeky Dig at UNC in Instagram Post.
