Davis, Carolina Blue Appear to Be a Match

General68

Dick Baddour may be quiet on the current Carolina coaching search, but this link has a great round-up of good articles.

ESPN has reported that Butch Davis has been inquiring into potential assistant coaches and ESPN’s Insider Blog had a ‘Top 10’ list from Notre Dame (Link)

(8) North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour looked shocked when I walked into the visiting AD box at halftime on Saturday. I extended a hand and assured him I was with ESPN. And that, well, they’d sent me here to find out who the North Carolina coach is. “It’s John Bunting,” Baddour quipped. A fine sense of humor. He didn’t confirm it will be Butch Davis. But I (sort of) read his mind. He hopes it is.

If you are concerned about Carolina landing the Head Coach that rebuilt Miami into a national power and has held an NFL coaching job, then your primary hope for the Davis/Tarheel match to fall apart currently lies in the developments in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Yesterday Mississippi State defeated the Crimson Tide and provided a major blow to the job security of (already) embattled head coach, Mike Shula.

Shula

Earlier this season it was widely believed (and reported by some media outlets) that of all of the potential football jobs that may be available this season, Butch Davis coveted the job Alabama the most. With Alabama fans already covering their faces with bags, yesterday’s loss to the Bulldogs MAY serve as a catalyst to make some changes in Tuscaloosa.

The problem with this scenario is why Dick Badoour and Carolina deserve major credit for the manner in which they have executed this change – timing! Carolina is out in front on the coaching search by more than a month. Any other school that wants Davis has GOT to make a move RIGHT NOW before giving their coach a chance to finish the season (which is not customary in the world of college football).

In unrelated coaching news, but something that we just cannot ignore is this article from ESPN regarding the excellence of Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe. We expect Michigan State to be very interested in Grobe but wonder if Grobe is willing to roll the dice and wait for Joe Paterno to retire at Penn State. This would be quite a risk as Grobe will probably never be a hotter commodity than he is this year.

Parting shot – Before one of you smart asses decide to embarass yourself by criticizing Davis’ NFL performance, you would be well served to remember that NC State hired Sidney Lowe who also struggled as a head coach with expansion teams in the NBA. Not much difference there except Davis is considered one of the top college coaches in America based on previous experience.

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68 Responses to Davis, Carolina Blue Appear to Be a Match

  1. NCSUDude17 11/05/2006 at 2:19 PM #

    C’Mon Miami! Lock this guy up!

  2. tvp 11/05/2006 at 2:29 PM #

    I’m not entirely convinced Davis will be wildly succesful at UNC. It will be more difficult than Miami for sure, and his Miami record was not stellar until his final season (yes, there was a probation issue to deal with). HOwever, he’s still a great pull for them. Someone over there (not Baddour I suspect) has demonstrated real foresight and leadership.

  3. drhammondo 11/05/2006 at 2:35 PM #

    No matter how successful Davis is at Carolina overall–this will be a HUGE blow to NC State in the short run. This will put us behind the 8-ball with EVERY home-state recruit of any importance–so our inability to get homegrown recruits (of the last couple of years) will only get worse.

    In addition, Davis is a MUCH better gameday coach that CTC. And I have no doubt that he will be hiring a top-notch staff.

    If Chuck’s not feeling any pressure right now (“What critics…”), then he CERTAINLY will be feeling it next year–when we can take a look 20 miles down the road at a GREAT coach with a very good staff!

  4. drhammondo 11/05/2006 at 2:36 PM #

    Might I add that Chuck Amato tends to get out-coached by Bunting and his staff each time they meet already–how will our performances against UNC look when we don’t have better talent and the do have an even better coach!

  5. MatSci94 11/05/2006 at 3:09 PM #

    “wait for Joe Paterno to retire at Penn State.”

    Now that he has a broken leg, I wonder if that may be sooner rather than later.

  6. Wulfpack 11/05/2006 at 3:19 PM #

    We’ve blown our opportunity. Others are catching up. There’s nothing here to sell. At least the boys in powder blue have some hope moving forward. We’re mired in mediocrity, perhaps even worse considering Chuck’s dismal ACC record.

  7. newswolf 11/05/2006 at 3:24 PM #

    catching up? we are 10th in a 12 team league

  8. Wulfpack 11/05/2006 at 3:37 PM #

    ^What I’m talking about is whatever momentum was created with Chcuk’s hire is now long gone. There’s a window for success and it has passed this group by. Wake is better off today. Maryland is better off today. GT is better off today. We’re just plain bad. A strong defense with a junior high offense. And I’m afraid to say if things continue, UNC may be better off real soon if they bring in a big name. They’ll pass us by real fast if we don’t do anything about it. Hell, they’ve been kicking our butts the past few years anyways.

  9. Packaholic1 11/05/2006 at 3:39 PM #

    Don’t forget that when Chuck was hired, the school committed to build the program with facilities and personnel. Our facilities have improved somewhat, but are still mediocre at best. Chuck’s first-year staff was the nation’s best-paid for a short period – that has long since gone by the wayside. Other schools are working overtime to up the ante.

  10. NCSUDude17 11/05/2006 at 4:39 PM #

    Ok, *NOW* it’s Cowher Time!

  11. jhmd2000 11/05/2006 at 5:29 PM #

    They may have to send Paterno off to the glue factory. He’ll be out there with Barbaro in a sling.

  12. NCSUDude17 11/05/2006 at 5:47 PM #

    ^WOW

  13. Titus 11/05/2006 at 6:25 PM #

    I’m starting to think our lot in athletics is hopeless

  14. Clarksa 11/05/2006 at 6:25 PM #

    Our facilities are mediocre? Interesting…

  15. bperry4 11/05/2006 at 6:59 PM #

    We are all wasting our time watching NC State football as long as the Wolfpack Club does not put pressure on Fowler to make a coaching move. I was chastised yesterday on this site for saying Im pulling for our remaining opponents but theres a significant purpose behind it. I want our talented kids to have the chance to do great things but the fact that everyone seems to be perfectly content with the current status of our program infuriates me. Do you think for one second the Rams Club would ever stand for our level of mediocrity?? No. If Fowler is too big of a poo to not do anything than we have to. Enough is enough folks, Im sick and tired of State fans being supporters of mediocrity, and I guarantee you some habitual loser will oppose this.

  16. Woof Wolf 11/05/2006 at 7:55 PM #

    3-9, 2-10, 6-6, 5-6 is what the Ram’s Club has settled for the last four years. I hope the WPC is not that patient.

    I think we need and are ready for a change but that doesn’t mean I could cheer against the team or wear some F*%^*$* JB jersey.

    If the guys in charge don’t understand the situation, a couple of more losses aren’t going to matter.

  17. redfred2 11/05/2006 at 8:23 PM #

    I want to WIN, WIN, WIN ’em all!!! BUT, more than that, I want to see kids simply given the opportunities, and playing in a setting, that helps them get at least somewhere close to their potential. I’d love another championship, of any kind, but we’re just not there right now.

    Sidney Lowe will steadily improve this BB program, but it is going to take time. The last thing we need right now is any negativity about BB, even on a blog. This is an out of control situation that these coaches, and more importantly the kids/players, will try to make the best of. It is in no way the fault of the coaches and kids who’ll be out there doing their best and trying their damnest to represent NC State University on the BB court this upcoming season. I can’t stress that enough.

    I think blogs (DO) affect HS kids and recruiting, and I think we are only damaging our own chances for success by being negative about the uncontrollable circumstances that were dumped in their laps. Sidney Lowe has already gotten some great things done that should be encouraging, so let’s just chill for this one basketball season.

    On the other hand, football right now, is in the hands of and in the total control of the person who created it. The only question is, how up in the hierarchy do you have to go to get some changes made. Marc Trestman isn’t changing, Chuck Amato apparently isn’t forcing him to, and then there’s Lee Fowler, and up and up and up…

    So, where do we go from here?

  18. SWEETS 11/05/2006 at 8:29 PM #

    Ok guys who do you hire if you run CTC out of town? I think Cower is a pipe dream in spite of the Steelers game today. So if Cowers out who is on the list? Hey SFN Start a thread on this on.

    Remember who is our AD — Uncle Jed. I am not ready for the for another botched coaching search. We could end up with a sucker like Bunting.

  19. Wulfpack 11/05/2006 at 8:43 PM #

    ^With all that has gone down, Sidney gets a three-year pass as far as I’m concerned. I don’t expect anything this year, only that the boys that do go out give it 110%. I know that will happen, Sidney is a fighter. But the reality of the situation is we are vastly out-manned, competing against ACC talent, and with that I don’t see much happening this season. Any ACC win is just gravy as far as i’m concerned.

    The football situation is far different. We were headed in the right direction about 4 YEARS AGO! Since then, it’s been a steady decline. Our best case secenario is to finish .500. Well that’s just great. I don’t know about you, but I demand better. I don’t buy any of this historical crap about how NCSU football has always blown. It can and will be done. Chuck’s a great guy and all, full of heart and emotion, but he cannot lead. He simply can’t. We need a proven winner, a leader, who will inspire young men who have the priviledge of wearing the Wolfpack uniform to perform beyond their abilities. Right now we do not have that guy. Right now we must demand for a change to be made. If you don’t think we can land the right guy, if you want to suffer through another miserable season, then fine. But I have hope that LF and whoever the hell else is involved can find someone better should they draw the name out of a freaking hat. If the boys in blue land Butch, we better as hell land Bill.

  20. choppack1 11/05/2006 at 9:46 PM #

    Perhaps now is the time to shove a certain AD out the door.

  21. redfred2 11/05/2006 at 10:00 PM #

    ^Why so pushy, what’s the rush?

  22. Woof Wolf 11/05/2006 at 10:47 PM #

    Does it bug anyone else that the time stamps on the posts are still on EDT?

  23. Wolfpack4ever 11/05/2006 at 11:05 PM #

    SWEETS Says: “Remember who is our AD — Uncle Jed. I am not ready for the for another botched coaching search. We could end up with a sucker like Bunting.”

    This is a football blog but since you brought it up I’d like to ask, are you referring to Sidney being a grad with no college experience like Bunting? Are you unhappy with Sidney being our bb coach? I like our new basketball coach and I certainly don’t compare him to Bunting.

    BTW Bunting was not a sucker when they hired him and he’s not a sucker now. He failed to produce a winning program. He was a class individual and represented his school in a class manner.

    With regard to our next fb coach there has to be a match for the school as well as the coach. Chuck wasn’t hired because he was a grad or the only candidate available. He was a good match for the school and the program at the time. He still may be but I now doubt it.

  24. NCSUDude17 11/05/2006 at 11:05 PM #

    Short answer: no
    long answer: no

  25. SWEETS 11/05/2006 at 11:27 PM #

    wolfpack4ever –

    1st I am completely supportive of Sid. I was speaking of the coach search that embrassed me and the university I hold a degree from. We were left at the alter twice by trophy brides and shunned by others when a great option was righ in front of us – Sid. Thanks again Jed.

    My point is this – before we stick a fork in CTC and run him out of town- we better look long and hard at our options….

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