First-Year UNC Coach Hubert Davis Credits Faith After Win Against Rival Duke
By Movieguide® Staff
Duke’s head coach of 42 years, Mike Krzyzewski, coached his final game against school rivals UNC and first-year coach Hubert Davis.
The legendary coach, known as Coach K, announced that he would retire at the end of this season.
However, UNC defeated Duke 94-81. The Tar Heels coach and outspoken Christian said that faith is a part of everything he does, even coaching.
“I kept giving them Proverbs 4:25, (paraphrased) keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions,” Davis said in a press conference after the game. “Every day on the practice plan, I put in Proverbs 4:25 and I said, ‘Just focus on the things that we need to focus on, let all that sideshow stuff go on and let’s focus on what we need to do to put ourselves in a position to be successful.'”
The win against Duke gave UNC the upper hand in the schools’ ongoing rivalry and helped solidify North Carolina’s spot in the upcoming March Madness NCAA Tournament.
Despite a shaky start to his coaching career at UNC, Davis brought his team to a 23-8 overall record on the year with hopes of making a run in the tournament.
But Davis said that his faith is more important than his success as a coach.
“I do this job because I feel like Jesus has given me this opportunity to be in these kids’ lives and to help them — to coach them — to be the best that they can be on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” Davis said.
Last April, Davis said that faith was his “foundation.”
“[Faith is] the most important thing to me,” he said. “My faith and foundation is firmly in my relationship with Jesus. It just is. … My faith in Christ is the foundation of who I am. When I say that I will walk this path in my own shoes and my personality, my own shoes and my personality is my faith.”
Davis joined the UNC coaching staff as an assistant in the 2012-2013 season and said that he wanted to share Christ through his actions.
“The reason why I made this decision, No. 1, is this is where I felt like Christ wanted me and my family to go,” Davis said on the UNPACKIN IT podcast in 2014. “Wherever He wants us to go, I’m following Him. I’m not going any other direction. … This is not a job, it feels like a mission field, a ministry opportunity.”
“I’m here to serve and shed light on and be an example for Christ,” he added.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
