Welcome to Sports Spectrum’s “Weekly Slant.” Today, Jade McCarthy talks to Louisiana head football coach Billy Napier about growing up in a faith-based family, the impact his dad had on him as a leader, lessons learned from coaches Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban, and the gift of opportunity.
The “Weekly Slant” streams every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET during football season, and features interviews and stories at the intersection of football and faith. It can be watched on YouTube, Facebook and here at SportsSpectrum.com.
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
The results on the court have been up and down for Hubert Davis in his five years as the head coach at North Carolina. What’s remained consistent, however, is his faith in Jesus and willingness to be bold in sharing it.
After serving as an assistant coach for Roy Williams from 2012-2021, Davis was elevated to head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. From the start, he said he viewed his job as more than just coaching basketball.
“I’ve said this a number of times, that I’ve been put, placed, purposed and planned to be in this position at such a time as this,” Davis said on “The Drive with Will Dalton” ahead of this season. “I’m on assignment. It is missionary work. It’s an act of service … it’s a position of great honor, and I love being in [it].”
That perspective hasn’t changed, even as the results and the sport itself have.
On the court, his team’s next task is a first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday against a No. 11-seeded VCU team that just won the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The No. 6-seeded Tar Heels enter the tournament looking to right the ship following a 15-point loss to rival Duke in the regular-season finale and a one-point loss to Clemson in their first game of the ACC Tournament.
After a first-round loss last year, UNC is looking to rekindle some of the magic that led to a run to the 2022 championship game in Davis’ first season at the helm. They’ll have to do so without star forward and projected NBA Draft lottery pick Caleb Wilson, who led the team in scoring (19.8 points per game), rebounds (9.4), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.4) before undergoing season-ending thumb surgery in early March.
UNC missed the NCAA Tournament the year after the runner-up finish, but returned as a No. 1 seed in 2024. That season ended with a Sweet 16 loss, however, to No. 4-seeded Alabama.
The topsy-turvy nature of UNC’s results have coincided with significant changes in the college game, most notably the transfer portal and NIL (name, image and likeness) rules that allow for players to make upwards of six or seven figures in some cases. That has resulted in heavy roster turnover, including losses of key Tar Heels like Caleb Love and Elliott Cadeau.
While some coaches have stepped away amid the changing landscape, Davis has embraced the challenge.
“Obviously there’s differences, but I think it’s been really exciting to maneuver through the differences in college athletics,” Davis told Dalton. “But again, with all the changes, my mission and my assignment haven’t changed at all. It’s to be in these kids’ lives and be able to serve them and give back to them.
“Regardless of how many changes happen, my assignment has stayed the same. I love this assignment. I enjoy it. As I’ve said before, it’s a privilege to be in this position, having a front-row seat to be able to do it on a daily basis.”
That sense of purpose is rooted in Davis’ own story.
Before his coaching career — and even before his 12-year NBA journey — Davis was a player at North Carolina under legendary coach Dean Smith from 1988-1992. It was during that time that his faith in Christ took shape.
In 1990, just before his junior year, Davis attended a service at Chapel Hill Bible Church while searching for answers following the death of his mother two years earlier.
“During that time, I was really struggling,” Davis said on Dalton’s show. “I was going to a number of churches, and the reason being I was looking for answers. I was looking for answers in regards to why my best friend, my mom, passed away two years earlier of cancer. That’s the only reason I was going to church.”
After that church service, a man named Mike Echstenkamper — who was working with Athletes In Action on the UNC campus — approached him.
“He introduced himself and I broke down crying,” Davis told Dalton. “I met him on campus the next day, and that was the day I accepted Christ into my life.
“I was going to church looking for answers, and obviously I never found that answer. But I did find out and was able to see the things that my mom told me — how much Jesus loved me and the plan and purpose that He had for me.”
“When I’m asked a question, the only thing I know how to do is to be myself,” he told Dalton. “My personality is my personality and this is what you get for 55 years. I’m very secure and confident in my own skin and I feel very passionate about the things that I love and care about.”
UNC and VCU tip off at 6:50 p.m. ET Thursday on TNT.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING WEBB SIMPSON
Webb Simpson is a PGA Tour pro and the 2012 U.S. Open champion. After a stellar college career at Wake Forest, Simpson turned pro in 2008 and now owns seven PGA Tour wins, while also appearing in three Ryder Cup events (2012, 2014, 2018). He is also the founder and co-host of the ”Bible Caddie Podcast” with fellow PGA Tour pro Ben Crane, where they bring the Good News of Christ to the world of golf.
Today on our podcast, Webb Simpson joins Matt Forte to talk about starting his faith-based podcast, winning the U.S. Open, how to handle success as a Christ-follower, the mental side of golf, and the state of faith in the sport.
Malik Willis warms up for the Packers before a game, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Day 1 of the NFL free-agent frenzy is in the books, and one of the more intriguing storylines is the Miami Dolphins’ signing of quarterback Malik Willis. The 26-year-old former third-round pick agreed to contract terms with the Dolphins on Monday, just hours after the team released former QB Tua Tagovailoa.
According to ESPN, Willis’ deal is worth $67.5 million over three years, with $45 million fully guaranteed.
Willis continued later, “I’m just trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can get. … I’m just trying to go [to Miami] and do what I can to help them do some special things. And that’s taking it one day at a time, putting the work in and seeing where the chips fall.”
Much love and respect to packer nation supporting us and me the past 2 years! It has been awesome upholding the standard for the green and gold 🧀. It has been more than a blessing and i will never forget my time here and the relationships I made! Fins Up 🐬 Matthew 6:33-34 But… pic.twitter.com/iybRtdRKCE
Willis was selected 86th overall by the Titans out of Liberty University in 2022 but struggled to adjust to the NFL, appearing in 11 games over two seasons (starting three games). He threw three interceptions with no touchdowns in 66 total attempts over that span, but did run for a score as a rookie.
Tennessee traded the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder to Green Bay just before the start of the 2024 season, and in the green and gold, Willis revived his career.
While still a backup and appearing in only 11 games over the past two seasons, Willis threw six touchdowns without an interception and completed 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards. He also rushed for three TDs on 42 attempts. In 2024, Willis started two games in place of QB1 Jordan Love and was impressive in leading the Packers to two wins. Willis relieved Love again in a game later that season and engineered a game-winning drive. Willis continued to impress in limited time last year (four games, one start), setting himself up for the big payday he just received with the Dolphins.
At the end of last season, Willis expressed gratitude to God in an Instagram post, and he again included the Bible passage Matthew 6:33-34.
It appears Willis may get another opportunity to be a full-time starter in Miami in 2026. Expectations are certainly high for him, but it’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before. He received similar praise entering his senior year at Liberty in 2021, and he sought to stay humble at that time by rooting himself in the Lord.
“I choose to always give the glory to Him,” Willis said in the Fall 2021 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine. “People say I’m humble, but I don’t really know if it’s humble. It’s just very, very obedient, knowing that it’s not me at all. … You’re using the abilities that God gives you and go out there and glorify His name and try to spread the Gospel.”
Willis has been seen praying on the field on numerous occasions, and he often wears eye black in the shape of a cross during games. Many of his posts on Instagram and X reference his faith as well.
“No matter how long we live, we will never know what God has going on for our lives, so we’ve just got to lean on Him — ask for wisdom and the strength to get through it,” Willis told Sports Spectrum. “That’s what I ask for the most: wisdom and strength to get through it.
“Wisdom to try to not fully understand because we’ll never fully understand what He has for us, but just understand what I need to be doing at the moment, what I need to be doing to prepare myself. And the strength to get through it mentally and physically.”
Trusting fully in God’s good plan for his life, Willis may make a much-anticipated return to Green Bay’s famed Lambeau Field this fall. Times and dates are not yet available for the 2026 NFL schedule, but the Dolphins are slated to play a road game against the Packers.
