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UNC Basketball: Hubert Davis named John McLendon Award winner

By Nick Delahanty

Mar 27, 2022; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis cuts down the net after the Tar Heels defeated the St. Peters Peacocks in the finals of the East regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2022; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis cuts down the net after the Tar Heels defeated the St. Peters Peacocks in the finals of the East regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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In his first season as the UNC basketball program’s head coach, Hubert Davis is already being recognized for his outstanding work.

The John McLendon Award is annually presented to the top collegiate head coach at any level, including Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA.

It is named after one of the true legends of the sport of basketball. McLendon became the first African American coach to win an integrated national championship. He became the first coach in history to win three consecutive NAIA championships and ended his illustrious 25-year coaching career with a .760 winning percentage.

This year, the award is making its way to Chapel Hill.

On Friday, it was announced that UNC basketball’s Hubert Davis is the recipient of the 2021-2022 John McLendon Award. In his first season at the helm, Davis is already receiving recognition for the tremendous job that he’s done with this year’s Tar Heels squad.

Of course, it hasn’t been all fun and games, as North Carolina faced a ton of adversity and quite a few struggles along the way. However, that didn’t stop Davis and the Tar Heels, as they have put together a remarkable turnaround that has led them to this year’s NCAA Tournament Final Four.

Davis has this team believing in themselves, as that has been a huge proponent of the team’s late-season success. When senior Leaky Black made the announcement about his head coach winning the award, not only was the first-year head coach in shock, but the team was very excited for their leader.

Davis has done what he promised when he was first hired as the head coach. He continues to work tirelessly to ensure that the UNC basketball program not only continues its rich tradition but also remains in contention to bring home another national championship.

It’s been a full year since Roy Williams announced his retirement, and we’re certain that there are a few individuals that question the future of the program and still have their doubts.

However, after the last few months, Davis has proven that the UNC basketball program is in great hands.

Next. Brady Manek recognized as nation's top transfer player. dark

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