UNC Basketball: On the verge of adding a staff member?

With the ever-changing world of college athletics, are Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program on the verge of adding a key staff member?

There wasn’t much change to the UNC basketball program’s coaching staff this offseason, as there was only one change due to the departure of Jackie Manuel, who departed for American University

Former Tar Heel legend Marcus Paige has been hired as the program’s director of team and player development. Unlike Manuel, Paige will have an on-court rule thanks to the change in NCAA rules.

With the new rules, college basketball programs can now have up to six coaches on the sideline during the regular season. To accommodate this rule change, Hubert Davis confirmed that Paige, along with Pat Sullivan, the team’s director of recruiting, will join him as in-game coaches on the court.

North Carolina could’ve hired two additional coaches, but elected to stay in-house with Paige and Sullivan. Although there won’t be any additions to the coaching staff, Davis hasn’t ruled out the possibility of adding a general manager at some point in the future.

A handful of teams in college basketball are beginning to add general managers to help navigate the transfer portal and recruiting world. Duke and Villanova made those additions earlier this year.

Programs like Duke and Villanova have already added a general manager, as the increased responsibilities that teams face with roster management confirm the need for this position. In fact, Courtney Banghart and the UNC women’s basketball program have already joined that club by hiring a general manager of their own.

The addition of the two on-court coaches should help the UNC basketball program tremendously, especially considering Paige will have the ability to work hands-on with the players on a daily basis. This should be very beneficial for the guards, as Paige’s experience as a former Tar Heel and wisdom should be a vital asset to the program moving forward.

We’ll have to wait and see if Davis elects to hire a general manager, but at this point, it seems like it is inevitable to happen over the next few years.

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