A year after a huge setback, Davis took all the necessary steps.
The last siren of an ACC Tournament quarterfinal loss to Virginia, 68-59, sounded on March 9, 2023. This marked the conclusion of a season that was a huge letdown for the Tar Heels, who had jumped to the top of the national rankings and then failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. There was a lot of questioning, a great deal of discontent among Tar Heel fans, and the squad opted not to go after the NIT.
The Tar Heels celebrated their 17-3 regular season finale on March 9, 2024, exactly one year later, on the floors of Cameron Indoor Stadium, the locker room, the team bus, and Franklin Street in the ACC and won their first single-season championship since 2019. They easily defeated the second-best club in the conference in two games to win that championship.
It should come as no surprise that the coach who oversaw this comeback may now add 2024 ACC Coach of the Year to his resume.
The ACC revealed the award on Monday. Since Roy Williams received the award during the 2011 campaign, Davis is the only UNC coach to do so.
It will be interesting to watch if Davis gains recognition as a national coach of the year winner as a result of the award. Given the inspiring tales from Indiana State, Iowa State, and Houston, it seems improbable. However, Davis’s approach to theIt should at least cause some people to take notice nationwide that it was time for introspection following the previous season, which included some difficult talks and a whole rebuild that helped Carolina win the conference.
He did an amazing job this season. The team’s collective buy-in was essential for the development of RJ Davis, Harrison Ingram’s ascent in the rankings, and the team’s dedication to fielding one of the finest defences in the nation. It says a lot about how important Davis is to these players and to UNC that they received that following the previous season.
With any lucky, this will be the first of many awards the Tar Heels receive in the coming weeks.
