Roy Williams stepped down as North Carolina’s basketball coach just two years ago, and remarkably, UNC has experienced so much change that just three players and three of his assistant coaches remain in the program.
Head Trainer Doug Halverson and strength and conditioning coordinator Jonas Sahratian are also still in the program. Director of Operation, Eric Hoots, remains at UNC. His role isn’t known to many, but he’s an integral part of the program’s success. Otherwise, that is it.
Here are his assistants who remain:
*Hubert Davis is now Carolina’s head coach heading into his third season. He has a 49-23 record overall, including 26-14 in the ACC. UNC is 2-2 in ACC Tournament play under Davis, and 5-1 in NCAA Tournament games, reaching the national championship game in 2022 before falling to Kansas. The Tar Heels did not make the NCAAs this past season.
*Brad Frederick has been back at his alma mater for 10 seasons. He played for Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge as a walk-on, and worked for Williams for eight seasons.
*Sean May was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 Final Four leading UNC to the national championship. He was named National Player of the Year by a few services that season as well. He was Director of Basketball Operations under Williams and has been an assistant coach to Davis for the last two seasons.
Here are the players who remain:
*Creighton Lebo has been a walk-on for the Tar Heels the last three seasons, his first as a freshman under Williams. He is the son of former All-ACC guard Jeff Lebo, who played for Smith and has been an assistant under Davis for the last two seasons.
*RJ Davis is a rising senior who was recruited by Williams and played for him as a freshman. He averaged 8.9 points and 1.8 assists that season, shooting 32.3 percent from 3-point range. Davis has averaged 13.5 and 16.1 points under Davis with his rebound and assist numbers improving. He shot 36.7 and 36.2 percent from the perimeter the last two seasons.
*Armando Bacot returns for his fifth season of college basketball, taking advantage of the extra year courtesy of the Covid rule. Bacot started 32 games as a freshman under Williams in 2019-20 averaging 9.6 points and 8.3 rebounds. As a sophomore, in what proved to be Williams’ final season, Bacot averaged 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds.
In two seasons under Davis, Bacot has averaged 16.3 points and 13.1 rebounds, and 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds, respectively. He became UNC’s all-time leader in rebounds last January, passing Tyler Hansbrough, and heads into next season with 1,335 for his career.
