Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC's history in the NCAA Tournament over the past 20 years

By Sam Fariss

Nov 15, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; The National Championship banners hang from the rafters .
Nov 15, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; The National Championship banners hang from the rafters . / Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
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Over the past two decades, the Tar Heels have seen a handful of national titles and the end of an incredible coaching era. The 20-year span is certainly something to reflect upon.

Roy Williams became the UNC head coach in 2003 and almost immediately took the team to the highest level of success.

Despite not winning an ACC tournament title until 2007, the Heels dominated the national basketball scene under Williams. In 2005, UNC earned Williams his first national championship and the dynasty was only getting started.

The Roy Williams era (2003-21)

  • NCAA Tournament titles: 2005, 2009, 2017
  • NCAA Tournament appearances: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
  • Regular season ACC titles: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019
  • ACC Tournament titles: 2007, 2008, 2016

Williams went down in history as one of the greatest head coaches of all time and led the Tar Heels to a bounty of success. When he announced his retirement at the end of the 2021 season, many fans feared that UNC would fall apart without him.

Many fears were squashed when Williams' long-time assistant coach and former Tar Heel player Hubert Davis stepped into the head coaching job.

Hubert Davis era (2021-present)

Since Davis took over, the Heels have yet to win an ACC regular season or tournament title but the team did go dancing in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In fact, they made it all the way to the national championship game.

UNC hasn't lost a drop of momentum since Williams retired and Davis took the reigns. While they failed to make the NCAA Tournament in 2023, the team is back near the top of the conference standings.

This season, the Tar Heels have dropped just 6 games through Feb. 22 and have maintained a top-10 ranking for most of the year.

The past 20 years have seen a wealth of success for North Carolina. As we creep closer to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Davis and the Heels are hoping to start a new dynasty of their own.

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