David Noel becomes the head coach at his high school alma mater

David Noel has accepted a job at Southern High School in Durham, North Carolina to be the boys basketball coach. He played both basketball and football at the school before heading to Chapel Hill.

Noel walked on to UNC’s basketball team as a freshman in 2002. He played a sizable role during the Tar Heels’ championship run in 2005, averaging 16.9 minutes a game mostly due to his defensive abilities. As a senior, Noel became an integral piece on both ends of the court as he put up 12.9 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals.

After he graduated, Noel tried his luck in the NBA. He bounced around the D-league for a while, but ultimately traveled overseas to continue his playing career. From 2009 to 2016, Noel played for various teams in Spain, the Philippines, France, and Slovakia.

Noel takes over head coaching duties from Kendrick Hall, who led Southern to a 19-8 season last year. He will try to take his former school a step further.

It will be interesting to see how much success Noel can enjoy at Southern. He joins a hefty list of former Tar Heel basketball players under Roy Williams who have gotten into coaching (Wes Miller, Jackie Manuel, Sean May, etc.).

It’s a long shot, but maybe by the time we’re discussing replacements for Roy (hopefully later rather than sooner) Noel will have worked himself into the conversation.

Regardless, Tar Heel Nation wishes Noel the best of luck in his endeavors.