First-year UNC coach Hubert Davis was asked about his faith during a press conference introducing him as the new coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in April 2021.

He said, “[Faith is] the most important thing to me. My faith and foundation [are] firmly in my relationship with Jesus. It just is. And my mother was a Christian and she begged me to go to church growing up. And I didn’t want to go. I wasn’t interested in it. My mom used to always say that Jesus had a plan for me. And at the time growing up, I didn’t understand it and I didn’t listen to it.”

Davis said he grew a tremendous hatred toward God after his mother passed away in high school. His animosity continued into his first two years at UNC. He couldn’t reconcile what his mom had told him with the pain of her loss.

Davis continued, “One of the things that [legendary Tar Heels coach Dean] Smith used to do was make all the freshmen go to church. And as I went to church, only because Coach Smith and (assistant) Coach Guthridge encouraged me to go to church, I started to understand what my mom was talking about. I started to understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for me and how much He loves me, and two days before my junior year of college, I became a Christian.

Instead of being upset that Jesus has taken away the most beautiful person in my life in my mom, I’m thankful every day that He gave me the best that I could ever have for 16 years. … My faith in Christ is the foundation of who I am.”