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.
CBS Sports Classic Adds Kansas, Sets UNC's Matchups for Next 4 Years
The CBS Sports Classic, a marquee event on the college basketball non-conference calendar, has been extended through the 2029-30 season. In addition, the event has also set UNC’s matchups for the next four seasons and added Kansas to replace St. John’s in the four-team field. St. John’s participated in the 2025 event as a replacement […]
Chansky's Notebook: New Dimension
Caleb Wilson is not only a spectacular talent, but he is serving a role that very few UNC players have taken on in their first year.
UNC Men's Basketball Rises to No. 16 in Latest AP Poll
After a home win against Notre Dame and a road win at then-No. 14 Virginia, UNC rose six spots in the latest AP Top 25 poll to No. 16 this week. UNC’s six-spot jump is the largest of any team in the poll. After dropping to No. 22 following road losses at unranked Stanford and […]
Art’s Angle: Big Boost
UNC men's basketball's dramatic comeback victory over Virginia could be a turning point for the Tar Heels in solidifying their rotation.
Photo Gallery: UNC at Virginia
UNC came back from a 16-point deficit in the first half to beat No. 14 Virginia 85-80 in Charlottesville Saturday. Check out Chapelboro’s photos of the game from Chance Bragg! Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring […]
UNC Men's Basketball Erases 16-Point Deficit, Upsets No. 14 Virginia in Charlottesville
Despite trailing by 16 points late in the first half, UNC rallied to earn a critical ACC win and upset No. 14 Virginia 85-80 in Charlottesville Saturday afternoon. It is Virginia’s first loss at home this season and just its second in ACC play, and the 16-point comeback is the largest ever by a visiting […]
›