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UNC Fires Butch Davis

Tar Heels fire Davis amid NCAA investigation Tags: Buthc Davis

North Carolina fired football coach Butch Davis on Wednesday, saying the past year of turmoil amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct was doing too much damage to the school's reputation.

The school issued a statement announcing Davis' dismissal nine days before the start of preseason practice. Chancellor Holden Thorp said the decision was not prompted by any changes in the ongoing NCAA investigation but said he "lost confidence in our ability to come through this without harming the way people think of this institution."


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Joel Auerbach/Getty ImagesBucth Davis went 28-23 in four seasons at North Carolina.


"Our academic integrity is paramount, and we must work diligently to protect it," Thorp said in a statement. "The only way to move forward and put this behind us is to make a change."

The school has scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning in Chapel Hill to discuss the change.

Davis compiled a 28-23 record in four seasons with the Tar Heels after taking over for John Bunting. His program looked ready to contend for an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a BCS berth last year before NCAA investigators arrived on campus last July.


Davis, whose Tar Heels had a promising season derailed in 2010 when 14 players missed at least one game and seven were forced to sit out the entire year because of academic and eligibility issues, said earlier this week at the ACC's media day that he had not thought about quitting amid an NCAA investigation of his program for improper benefits and academic misconduct.



Davis said it had been "reassuring" to have the support of school administration through the probe. He also said he took responsibility "fully and completely" after the NCAA outlined numerous potential major violations in its notice of allegations sent to the school last month.


That included unethical conduct of former associate head coach John Blake, whom the NCAA accused of trying to steer players to late NFL agent Gary Wichard.

But Thorp and athletic director Dick Baddour had remained publicly supportive of Davis over the past year, including at a joint appearance with the school's board of trustees in November.


Though Davis' personal cell phone records are scheduled to be released soon, the source said that no new allegations had been brought forward.



If UNC has no claim to fire Davis "with cause," he would be owed $3 million to $4 million.






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Safety Deunta Williams said he was "sad" to hear of Davis' dismissal. Williams was one of many Tar Heels found by the NCAA to have received an extra benefit from a third party last year.



"Part of the reason is the things we did and I feel bad about that," he said. "He was a good coach to all of us. I hope he can land on his feet."


Information from ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach, ESPN's Joe Schad and The Associated Press was used in this report.

I don't know about you guys, but I think this guy would make an excellent head coach in the NFL. I might even give him full control of the entire organization if he came here.

I love Butch!!

Besides Ed Orgeron, Butch was the best recruiter I've ever seen in college. Too bad, he won't ever get that chance to coach again.

I would be surprised if he did. I think he will jump back to the nfl as a defensive coordinator. He was building carolina into a powerhouse. Nfl players up and down the roster. Qb was the position he could never solve in chapel hill. They definitely will miss bUtch

Butch Davis ? Best Browns coach since 99? Yes!

I mean I can at least buy the argument he was the best game time coach since 99, with the only objection being maybe Crennel was better at times.

Crennel started 2-5 two years in a row though.
Davis was the best coach I think by win loss record for the Browns since 99.

Who would have thought we would have to look to the glory days of Butch Davis? Ehh!
Maybe they could make an executive position for Butch and Bring him back to the Browns, he could be the

Asistant exectuive administrative development offensive defensive and special teams coordination specialist consultant opperator in charge of game day clock concerning finishing finalist achievement.
Or player consultant asistant coach, general.

best HC record since '99 is sort of like borrowing someone else's underwear and having to pick the one with the smallest skid mark.

Well, let's see- he coached at Miami, then jumped to the NFL.... did a 3.5 bit- and done. Played around with TV for awhile, then landed in Carolina, only to get fired....

Looks suspiciously like a downward trending career arc to me.

My biggest gripe about BD is that he can't get away from himself enough to make a success of himself. He has a multitude of skills and attributes, but his own personal make-up keeps getting in the way of true long-term accomplishment.

Perhaps he's the "Braylon Ewards of Coaching?"

just speculatin' here... but I'm not sure that Butch is gonna be remembered for more than 3-4 years after he retires from football altogether.

Sure.... he'll get another job or two... but I seriously doubt that he'll be remembered, despite his innate attributes. Dude's got just enough liability in his make-up to balance out his assets.

0-sum person, IMHO.

he's still young enough to come back to the nfl, make a splash on the defensive side of things and get hired again as head coach in either college or the nfl. I don't think he's washed up yet.

I'm not a Carolina fan, but if I was I'd be questioning the timing of this move....it could be devastating to UNC football.
Browns fans have every right to have fun with this situation, but its hard to deny that Butch was making Tarheel football a force again.
It's ironic to see the players are sorry he lost his job, and yet it was their actions that resulted in his dismissal....can you say Jim Tressel?

I can see Butch landing rather quickly on a pro teams' staff, he's got experience and he's still pretty young.

The UNC Atheletic Director stepped down last night. This must go deeper than most people realize.

Hopefully it hits their BBall program

OK,, correct me here, but was Tressel fired, or did he resign.. I thought it was a resignation...

OK,,, hey,, speaking of tressel,, does anyone think he'll coach again?

Personally, I don't think he will.... but that's just me

I dont think Treesel will ever coach again,


It wouldnt suprise me too see him along with other coachs to file a law suit against the NCAA for damages or something, many coachs have been fired or resigned for strange stupied actions or rules applied to young people,

I think this NCAA ruling over collage programs is coming to a head were somthing is gonna ignite.

yeah, if the NCAA is really forcing the hand of universities and getting them to fire the HCs then I would suspect the coaches to fight back pretty hard.

strange that Tressel could very well be the 3rd high profile, largely successful HC from Ohio State to never coach again (after Woody, Cooper)