UNC announced Thursday changes to the men’s basketball staff made by new head coach Hubert Davis, who will now have three former Tar Heel players sitting next to him on the bench.

Sean May, who has been on the UNC staff since 2014, was elevated to an assistant coach alongside the incoming Jeff Lebo, who spent 28 years as a head coach at Auburn, Chattanooga, East Carolina and Tennessee Tech.

Jackie Manuel is the other addition to staff as the program’s director of player and team development, after he served in the same role with the UNC women’s basketball program this past season.

Additionally, Davis is retaining Brad Frederick for his ninth year on staff and fifth as an assistant coach.

Eric Hoots has been promoted to director of basketball operations, while head trainer Doug Halverson and strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian will remain in the same roles.

Steve Robinson and Kendall Marshall, the other two members of the men’s basketball staff during Roy Williams’ final season, will not be returning to the program under Davis.

“Coach Rob came to Chapel Hill with Coach Williams and was a huge part of every Tar Heel win and national championship over these past 18 years,” Davis said in Thursday’s release. “I deeply appreciate everything he has done to help me grow as a coach and a person over the nine years we spent together on the staff.”

“I didn’t get a chance to coach Kendall,” the new head coach added, “who is one of our greatest point guards, but am proud that he came back to finish his degree and begin his coaching journey at Carolina. I wish Kendall and Steve nothing but great days ahead.”

This will mark the first time that the UNC men’s basketball head coach and all three primary assistants are former Tar Heel players. Davis said that was one of his goals when named to the head coaching position.

“I think you have a great opportunity to do this job well if you’ve experienced it as a player,” he said. “It’s not the only way, of course, but given there are so many former players who are coaching, it’s a great way to build my first staff as the head coach.

“It was important for each of the assistants to have a connection with Coach Smith, Coach Guthridge, Coach Doherty and Coach Williams,” Davis added. “It connects each of the former head coaches’ personalities to our current team, which was a huge incentive for me in constructing this staff. Carolina Basketball is all of them and I wanted a staff that had that diversity of experiences to give the most to our players.”

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
‹
Brandon Robinson to Join UNC Men's Basketball Staff as Graduate Assistant
A familiar face to Carolina basketball fans is set to return to the bench this fall, as a coach instead of a player. UNC head men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis told 97.9 The Hill’s Art Chansky in a recent interview that Brandon Robinson is returning to the program as a graduate assistant. “Brandon Robinson is […]
UNC to Host Four-School Men's Basketball Exhibition for Disaster Relief Fund
In an effort to raise money for the governor’s North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, UNC announced Monday it will host a four-school men’s basketball exhibition at the Dean E. Smith Center on Sunday, Nov. 5. East Carolina, UNC-Greensboro and UNC-Wilmington will all make the trip to Chapel Hill for the event, which is scheduled to […]
No. 7 UNC Crushes UNC-Greensboro In Final Tune-Up Before ACC Play Begins
The No. 7 UNC men’s basketball team closed out its non-conference schedule in resounding fashion on Monday night at the Dean Dome, defeating the UNC-Greensboro Spartans 96-63. The Tar Heels came out of the gates strong as they improved to 11-2, quickly building a double-digit lead. However, they allowed the pesky Spartans—now 4-9 on the […]
UNC Hopes To Regain Stride Versus ECU
The North Carolina men's basketball team, 5-2 on the season, looks to recover from a 60-55 loss to Iowa when the Tar Heels welcome a 4-4 East Carolina squad to the Smith Center Sunday for a 3 p.m. tipoff.
Chansky's Notebook: 5 and 75
Art Chansky celebrates the legacy of former UNC men's basketball head coach Roy Williams, who turned 75 last Friday.
High Point Transfer Ivan Matlekovic Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Head coach Hubert Davis earned a late commitment out of the transfer portal Thursday night, as High Point forward Ivan Matlekovic committed to Davis and the Tar Heels. NEWS: North Carolina has landed a commitment from 6-foot-11 High Point transfer Ivan Matlekovic, his agents @WEAVE tell @On3sports. The Croatian big man adds frontcourt depth for […]
Here's a List of Every Transfer to Join the UNC Men's Basketball Program This Offseason (2025)
Several transfers have announced their intentions to join head coach Hubert Davis and UNC next season. Here’s a list of those incoming players: Ivan Matlekovic – High Point A seven-footer originally from Croatia, Matlekovic played in just five games during his only season with High Point. He joined the Tar Heels late in the offseason, […]
Chansky's Notebook: What Does He Do?
UNC men's basketball general manager Jim Tanner will make more than a million dollars a year for a yet-to-be-announced job description.
Chatham County Honors Pittsboro Native Drake Powell for 2025 NBA Draft Selection
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners adopted a special resolution Monday evening honoring Pittsboro native Drake Powell on his first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. Powell was selected with the No. 22 overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks and then traded to the Brooklyn Nets in June. Powell starred at Pittsboro’s Northwood High School […]
Chansky's Notebook: Newest 5-Star
The buzz is slowly growing about UNC freshman Caleb Wilson, who is a consensus top 10 recruit from the high school class of 2025.
›