CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –– When Hubert Davis first became the head coach of North Carolina in 2021, he never imagined that his program would need a general manager.
However, Davis also could not have foreseen how drastically—and quickly—NIL and the transfer portal would take the collegiate world by storm and completely transform the landscape of college sports forever.
Four years later with a NCAA championship game appearance under his belt, a historically bad season in year two and most recently salvaging a struggling team, Davis has taken the leap and Carolina Basketball now has its first general manager.
Davis will work in tandem with longtime NBA agent Jim Tanner moving forward. Tanner, the founder and president of Tandem Sports + Entertainment, has represented a wealth of NBA stars, including Desmond Bane and retired legends like Grant Hill and Ray Allen. He also represents former Tar Heel Leaky Black, Tyler Hansbrough, and previously represented Joel Berry before he transitioned into broadcasting.
A 1990 graduate of the university, Tanner embodies one of UNC’s core values: keeping things within the family. This philosophy isn’t unique to basketball, where the coaching staff consists entirely of former Tar Heels, but across all athletics programs. Even newly-hired football head coach Bill Belichick has a connection to Chapel Hill—his father coached here in the 1950s.
This “family first” approach was cultivated decades ago and remains central to the university’s hiring practices today, most recently manifesting in Tanner’s appointment.
Throughout a nearly three decade career, Tanner has represented over 40 first-round NBA draft picks over a career that’s spanned nearly three decades. He has twice been recognized by Sports Illustrated as one of the “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports” and was honored on Washingtonian’s list of “Top Lawyers” for media and sports law.
The program’s decision signals a major restructuring of basketball operations, partly inspired by the university’s financial commitment to football— its highest revenue-generating sport among 27 varsity programs.
“Both of my kids and I went to Carolina and we owe so much as a family to this university,” said Tanner in a press release. “This is such an exciting opportunity, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The landscape of college basketball has changed dramatically in a short period of time with NIL, collectives and the transfer portal. It’s a highly-competitive and constantly-evolving environment. I look forward to using my 28 years of experience recruiting and representing players to help position UNC as strategic, adaptive and innovative in scouting and attracting top domestic and international talent while staying true to the principles and values that have defined Carolina basketball over the years.”
In his role, Tanner will help manage the construction of the roster, negotiate contracts, identify and hire new scouting and analytics staff and spearhead player development programs, among other things.
The news of Tanner coincided with the news that Davis signed an extension that will run through them 2030 season. The deal— worth close to $20 million— was agreed to in July and signed in December, demonstrating the university’s investment in Davis despite recent challenges.
This year has been a rocky one with the Tar Heels sitting at 18-11 on the season and 11-6 in conference play. While North Carolina won four straight games, many fans have called for Davis’s removal. But the program’s struggles aren’t on Davis to bear on his own.
In fact, the criticism appears inconsequential to those who have committed to Davis financially for the next five years, giving him ample opportunity to revitalize the program and restore Carolina to its traditional prominence.
With Tanner on the staff, Hubert Davis doesn’t have to wear multiple hats anymore. He can instead focus solely on coaching and winning games.
“I am excited and happy to have Jim join our staff and the UNC family,” said Davis in the same statement. “Jim’s experience and knowledge is needed in helping us navigate contracts, the transfer portal and the advancement of this program. His resumé speaks for itself and his commitment to this university and community make him a great addition to the Carolina men’s basketball program.”
Tanner’s impressive credentials suggest that he will significantly strengthen the program. While UNC appears committed to maintaining its family-center approach the question remains: can the Tar Heels improve their on-court performance before their storied reputation suffers from further damage?
Only time will tell
UNC Continues “Family First” Approach with Basketball GM Hiring