With new UNC men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis already hard at work, the university today released the terms of his five-year contract, which will pay him an average of $2 million annually in salary and other compensation.
Davis’s base salary is set at $400,000, while his supplemental compensation is scheduled to start at $600,000 and gradually increase by $100,000 each year before reaching $1 million by the 2025-26 season.
Combined with the $250,000 he will receive from Nike each year, the $500,000 from he will receive from media rights holder Learfield each year, and his annual $50,000 expense allowance, Davis will bring home $1.8 million in compensation for his first year. That figure will reach $2.2 million in the fifth and final year of his contract.
Davis’ contract has other built-in incentives that could allow him to earn up to $1.075 million in bonuses as well.
As a first-time head coach, Davis will be understandably making less than former UNC coach Roy Williams did in his final season with the team. Over time, however, fans of Coach Davis hope that the school’s first Black coach will be compensated at the same level as some of the winningest coaches in college basketball.
Fans of the Tar Heels, meanwhile, hope that Davis will be able to turn things around after a disappointing season in which the team finished fifth in the ACC. With standout center Walker Kessler officially transferring from UNC to Auburn after only season, Davis certainly has his work cut out for him.
This is a great space to come and get caught up on Black ownership, management and leadership in sports.