Local figure
Bubba Cunningham
Bubba Cunningham became UNC's director of athletics on November 14, 2011, succeeding Dick Baddour as the seventh athletics director in the university's history. He came from the University of Tulsa, where he had been athletics director since 2005.
Source: UNC Athletics: Tar Heels Appoint Bubba Cunningham As Director of Athletics
Orange County Indexed has not yet linked an indexed work directly to Bubba Cunningham. The biography and the dated events on this page provide sources about Bubba Cunningham’s life and work. Suggest a source.
Life and Orange County connections
Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 8 dated events in the chronology →
- Bubba Cunningham is named UNC's director of athletics Chancellor Holden Thorp introduced Lawrence R. (Bubba) Cunningham, athletics director at the University of Tulsa, at a press conference in the Dean E. Smith Center, and the trustees approved his six-year contract that morning. He took office on November 14, succeeding Dick Baddour as the seventh athletics director in UNC history. People: Holden Thorp, Dick Baddour Place: Chapel Hill · Also mentions: Dean E. Smith CenterSearch the index · UNC Athletics: Tar Heels Appoint Bubba Cunningham As Director of Athletics
- Sylvia Hatchell resigns after an outside review of the women's basketball program UNC put Hatchell on paid leave on April 1, 2019, while a Charlotte law firm reviewed the program after players raised concerns. The review reported racially insensitive remarks, pressure on players over injuries and a breakdown between coach and players, and she resigned that month. People: Sylvia Hatchell, Bubba Cunningham Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · WUNC: UNC's Hatchell Resigns After Findings From Program Review
- Mike Fox retires as UNC head baseball coach Fox retired after 22 seasons leading the Tar Heels, with a 948-406-1 record at UNC and seven College World Series trips. His longtime assistant Scott Forbes was named the program's 25th head coach. People: Mike Fox, Bubba Cunningham Place: Chapel Hill · Also named: Scott ForbesSearch the index · UNC Athletics: Mike Fox retires after 22 seasons as UNC's head baseball coach; Scott Forbes is Carolina's next head coach
- UNC names its athletics media center for Woody Durham UNC Athletics and the Rams Club named the media and communications center beside the Dean E. Smith Center the Woody Durham Media and Communications Center, with trustee approval, and recognized his family at halftime of the February 16 men's basketball game against Pittsburgh. People: Woody Durham, Bubba Cunningham Place: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill · Also named: Jean Durham, Wes Durham, Taylor DurhamSearch the index · University of North Carolina Athletics: UNC Names Athletics Media Center To Honor Woody Durham
- Karen Shelton announces her retirement as UNC field hockey coach Shelton retired after 42 seasons with a record of 745 wins, 172 losses and 9 ties and 10 NCAA championships, the last won by an unbeaten 2022 team. She is the winningest coach in the sport's history. People: Karen Shelton, Bubba Cunningham Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · UNC-Chapel Hill: Karen Shelton announces retirement after 42 seasons
- Erin Matson succeeds Karen Shelton as UNC field hockey coach UNC named Matson, who had graduated a month earlier after playing on four championship teams, the fifth head coach in program history and only the second since the early 1980s. People: Karen Shelton, Bubba Cunningham, Erin Matson Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · UNC-Chapel Hill: Erin Matson named field hockey head coach
- Anson Dorrance announces his retirement as UNC women's soccer coach Dorrance told his team he was retiring after 45 seasons with the women's program, days before the season opener; associate head coach Damon Nahas became interim head coach. His women's teams went 934-88-53 and won 21 NCAA titles. People: Anson Dorrance, Bubba Cunningham Place: Chapel Hill · Also named: Damon NahasSearch the index · The Daily Tar Heel: Anson Dorrance announces retirement from UNC women's soccer after 45 seasons
- UNC extends Bubba Cunningham's contract and names his successor as athletics director The university gave Cunningham a two-year extension through July 2029 and announced he would leave the athletics director's post in the summer of 2026 to become senior adviser to the chancellor and athletics director. Racing executive Steve Newmark was hired as executive associate athletic director to succeed him. Place: Chapel Hill · Also named: Steve NewmarkSearch the index · UNC-Chapel Hill: Carolina extends Bubba Cunningham's contract, names athletics director successor
Places in this person’s story
Buildings, schools, churches and other sites named in the dated events on this page, the most often named first. The map shows them all.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS, OpenStreetMap and a few other published sources named on each site’s page; town and community pins show approximate locations.
- Dean E. Smith Center University buildings and grounds · Chapel Hill · 2 events here
People named in the same events
People named in the same dated entries as Bubba Cunningham, those sharing the most entries first. Each line links one of the shared entries in the chronology, where its source is cited. A shared entry shows these people in the same event, not how well they knew each other.
- Karen Shelton 2 entries, including Karen Shelton announces her retirement as UNC field hockey coach (December 7, 2022)
- Anson Dorrance 1 entry: Anson Dorrance announces his retirement as UNC women's soccer coach (August 11, 2024)
- Dick Baddour 1 entry: Bubba Cunningham is named UNC's director of athletics (October 14, 2011)
- Erin Matson 1 entry: Erin Matson succeeds Karen Shelton as UNC field hockey coach (January 31, 2023)
- Holden Thorp 1 entry: Bubba Cunningham is named UNC's director of athletics (October 14, 2011)
- Mike Fox 1 entry: Mike Fox retires as UNC head baseball coach (August 7, 2020)
- Sylvia Hatchell 1 entry: Sylvia Hatchell resigns after an outside review of the women's basketball program (April 2019)
Research sources
Sources and research tools for this person. For ready-made searches of other catalogs, see Search further. Research guide: Trace a family through historical records.
Background
- Carolina extends Bubba Cunningham's contract, names athletics director successorUNC-Chapel Hill University histories, exhibits, and research guides
Collections and databases
- NC LIVE: prepared search for Bubba Cunningham Library card Search NC LIVE for this subject and Orange County. You can change the search terms. Sign in through your North Carolina library to access the materials.
- Ancestry Library Edition In the libraryOrange County Public Library Census, birth, death and marriage records, and more, free on the public computers at OCPL libraries
Local help
- Rebecca B. Wall Local History Collection, Orange County Public Library The county library’s local-history room at the Main Library in Hillsborough: books, journals, maps, and microfilm of county records from 1752
- Local History Help Hours and request formOCPL Local History Liaison Meet with the Local History Liaison at the Main Library, usually Mondays from noon to 3 p.m., or send a question using the online request form
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Books about Bubba Cunningham
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Historical records and collections
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