The NCAA named UNC athletics director Bubba Cunningham to its Division I Men’s Basketball Committee on Thursday. Cunningham will begin to serve on the committee in September, the start of a five year term. He is the first person from UNC to ever serve on the committee.
Cunningham first came to UNC in 2011, following the resignation of former athletics director Dick Baddour in the wake of the UNC academic-athletic scandal. During Cunningham's tenure, UNC athletics have won 13 national championships, including the 2017 NCAA men's basketball national championship in Phoenix, when the Tar Heels defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
“Representing the University of North Carolina and the ACC on the NCAA men’s basketball committee is truly an honor and something I look very much forward to when things settle down and we can get back to managing games again,” Cunningham said in a press release.
North Carolina has only had one head coach during Cunningham's tenure, Roy Williams, whose teams have gone a combined 242-90 since the 2011-2012 season, Cunningham's first as athletic director. UNC has only missed the tournament once, this past season, during that time.
Cunningham was one of 28 athletic directors to be awarded The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletic Director of the Year award in 2019-2020. During his tenure, UNC men's basketball is 21-7 in NCAA Tournament play and has appeared in two national championship games.
“As the AD at North Carolina, I’ve been fortunate to see first-hand the level of dedication and purpose the committee members have each year to make sure the players, coaches, administrators and fans of all 68 teams have the best experience possible,” Cunningham said. “I look forward to serving that mission as well.”
