CLT OBS: Butch Davis Interested in Carolina Job

General NCS Football76

The Charlotte Observer reported today that former Miami Hurricanes and Cleveland Browns Head Coach, Butch Davis has expressed an interest in the vacant UNC-CH Head Football Coaching position.

Former Cleveland Browns and Miami Hurricanes football coach Butch Davis told the Charlotte Observer on Tuesday that he is interested in North Carolina’s coaching position.

“I don’t know what direction they’re going to go in,” he said by telephone, “but I definitely am interested, and I’m interested in getting back into coaching.”

From SFN’s perspective, Butch Davis would be huge home run for Dick Baddour and Carolina. We think that Davis is far and away the best potential name that will have a legitimate interest in the Carolina job.

Interestingly, the manner in which Carolina has chosen to execute this transition (in the middle of the season) has the potential to end up being sheer genius or complete folly.

With Butch Davis currently unemployed, it would not be bad form for either side to get connected during the season. Carolina could ultimately land this year’s coaching prize while all other potential suitors (Miami? Michigan State? others?) are still playing out their seasons waiting for December to arrive. In the end, Carolina could lock up Davis and ultimately save – or even improve – their strong 2008 recruiting class.

Of course, if Davis chooses to wait and see what fate ultimately befalls coaches like Larry Coker at Miami, Mike Shula at Alabama (Davis is rumored to have a big interest in the Crimson Tide’s job) and Dennis Franchione at Texas A&M then Carolina may have to walk a very tight rope with potential “back-up” options like the head coaches of Tulsa and Rutgers.

Something unexpected inside of college football could always arise as the season ends (Florida State? Penn State? Etc?) and start a chain reaction of changes for which Davis may want to make sure that he is available. I know that it is HUGE reach…but to illustrate the point, consider if Bobby Bowden chose to retire and Mack Brown decided to end his career at his alma mater. Davis would be an amazing catch for the University of Texas. It is just fun speculation; but that is what we do as fans.

If nothing else, wouldn’t Davis be smart to wait until all the chips fall in the off-season to make his ultimate decision?

If UNC ultimately lands Davis, then the heat on both Chuck Amato and Lee Fowler will increase significantly.

People will be quick to (righfully) point to Baddour, who is roundly viewed as being an idiot, landing a big fish for the secondary sport at UNC. Compared to Fowler who executed a search to allow NC State to be publicly rejected by at least four coaches during his search for the primary sport at NC State.

Something to ponder regarding NC State’s frustration with Carolina football in recent years. Consider that UNC-CH has had 9 straight years of mediocre-to-poor-to-downright bad football, yet NC State is 3-5 against them in those 9 years despite the Wolfpack being favored in six or seven of the eight games. Yuck.

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General NCS Football

76 Responses to CLT OBS: Butch Davis Interested in Carolina Job

  1. redfred2 10/24/2006 at 3:58 PM #

    Huh, now isn’t that interesting? I wonder a program that has floundered so miserably can turn the head of a proven winner on such short notice?

    Hey NCSU, it’s not magic, it’s management.

  2. gumbydammit 10/24/2006 at 4:03 PM #

    redfred,

    it’s not management (Baddour? please…) or magic. it’s MONEY.

  3. Trout 10/24/2006 at 4:04 PM #

    Butch Davis vs Bill Cowher would certainly generate some media attention in the years ahead.

  4. Mr O 10/24/2006 at 4:04 PM #

    Just for the sake of discussion, does anyone thing Butch Davis would have been interested in the NC State job? Is the UNC job still a more high profile job than ours?

  5. Trout 10/24/2006 at 4:08 PM #

    ^ I think it is. UNC is more nationally known. They are still the media favorite in the state, etc.

  6. joe 10/24/2006 at 4:13 PM #

    Rumor has it that Prince Tassel Loafer (Baddour) will not be allowed to screw up this job search because he won’t be the main person involved in the search.

  7. Mr O 10/24/2006 at 4:13 PM #

    Unfortunately, I have to agree. So does this mean we now root against the Steelers this year? 🙂

    If this happens, then the last 5 and hopefully 6 games of the year have now become even more important.

  8. chilly water 10/24/2006 at 4:16 PM #

    i hope the holes get rejected by all the big names, and settle for some crappy assistant, hell, they could hire lawrence taylor!!!!!!

  9. Trout 10/24/2006 at 4:17 PM #

    I dont want to get into an Amato thing here, but in terms of Cowher, he probably needs a year away from football regardless.

  10. class of 74 10/24/2006 at 4:18 PM #

    If they do get Butch Davis then I’d say Chuck’s days here are numbered. I don’t think Davis will only have a .500 record as Bunting as had with CTC.

  11. redfred2 10/24/2006 at 4:31 PM #

    ^gumbydammit

    You make my point exactly. Baddour/Fowler, UNC has the #2 ranked BB program in the nation right now, they stink in football but are still recruiting good players. It’s not one man, I’m talking about a whole, from the top down, there is, and has been something sorely missing in the minds of those at the highest levels in Raleigh.

    It’s either something missing in their minds, or the two critical orbs between their legs, that is really the only debatable part of the equation.

  12. Mike 10/24/2006 at 4:32 PM #

    As much as I admire and respect Cowher as a person and a coach, people in Pittsburgh almost ran him out of town a few years ago. Was he a bad coach then and a genius now?

  13. old13 10/24/2006 at 4:33 PM #

    ” . . . yet NC State is 3-5 against them in those 9 years . . . ”

    3 + 5 = 8 Am I missing something!

    SFN: Yes. We are currently in year nine and we haven’t played Carolina yet. After November 18th we will have played them in year nine.

  14. Mike 10/24/2006 at 4:34 PM #

    Shucks, forgot my main point, got me so riled up wiht the Cowher comments……….

    Davis scares me. Logan as OC scares me even more. That guy has moved the ball everywhere he has been, and he is certainly interested in the job. Hopefully Davis will wait for a bigger name, and maybe we can raise enough money in the WC to keep Logan in radio.

  15. Tarheel86 10/24/2006 at 4:34 PM #

    Also, Kudos to this blog. It is providing better coverage on the UNC Coaching search than any UNC site, with the possible exception of the Carolina Insider (which no college student can possibly afford). Keep up the good work!

  16. redfred2 10/24/2006 at 4:37 PM #

    Tarheel86

    Switches over to basketball, your typical TAR HEEL coming out.

    BTW, we’ll do fine with our new BB coach. Nip nipping at those heels in a few years. We have patience.

  17. legacyman 10/24/2006 at 4:44 PM #

    I suppose our tarheel buddy thinks that Sid’s college degree is illegitimate…what, was it in one of those brainbusters that the unc-ch folks take? I see.

    Coaching in the NBA, either as head coach or an assistant, certainly gives some valid hardwood experience.

    Oh well.

  18. Trout 10/24/2006 at 4:47 PM #

    “3 + 5 = 8 Am I missing something!”

    We have yet to play them in the 9th year yet.

  19. Great Dane Guy 10/24/2006 at 4:49 PM #

    David glen confirmed today that Davis had already been contacted by someone at UNC. Also said they were interested in the Tulsa guy. Based on our search , DG had pretty solid info.

  20. Tarheel86 10/24/2006 at 4:55 PM #

    I like Sid and hope he does well. I was merely responding to shit talking about my University. And redfred, I apologize for my use of “illegitimate” as an adjective to describe Sid’s college degree (or lack thereof). He actually doesn’t have a degree.
    See reference: http://www.newsobserver.com/752/story/435794.html

  21. Trout 10/24/2006 at 5:02 PM #

    Sid had a degree before he was ever hired by NC State. One of the contigencies in his hiring was the completion of his degree.

  22. Woof Wolf 10/24/2006 at 5:06 PM #

    51 – 20 (.718) was the Butch Davis record at Miami.

    58 – 11 (.842) is Larry Coker’s record.

    Davis’ winning percentage of .718 is the lowest of any Miami coach since 1978. Coker has won a National Championship and played for another.

    Everyone wants to hire Butch and Miami wants to fire Larry.

    Go figure.

  23. Tarheel86 10/24/2006 at 5:07 PM #

    He does not and did not have an undergraduate degree, regardless of whatever the future may hold.

  24. Trout 10/24/2006 at 5:13 PM #

    “He does not and did not have an undergraduate degree, regardless of whatever the future may hold.”

    You sir, are a complete idiot.

  25. choppack1 10/24/2006 at 5:18 PM #

    Woof Wolf – Butch Davis is the reason that the U was 23-0 Coker’s first few games.

    Butch Davis is scary. When we played Miami in the blockbuster bowl, I had never seen a better coached team offensively. They seemed to know exactly where an opportunity would be.

    And yes, if Butch comes to Chapel Hill, I would be more than a little worried about what he would do there. Of course, he won’t be able to mine the talent like he was at the U – which I think is a unique job. We don’t know how he’d do in a program that isn’t elite.

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