Andrew Jones: Butch ‘Davis part II(updated)

General72

Just ask any Tarheel fan and they will be sure to tell you that there is nothing to the story. And, of course, why would anyone ever leave Chapel Hill by their own choosing. (Shhhh…don’t mention Mack Brown).

Link to story

Tennessee has tabbed North Carolina coach Butch Davis as the leading candidate to replace ousted football coach Phillip Fulmer, multiple sources have told the News Sentinel.

Whether UT can secure Davis remains to be seen. Davis has said publicly that he is happy at North Carolina because of the family environment in Chapel Hill and the opportunity to rebuild a program that has long struggled.

If UT can’t get Davis, Mike Leach of Texas Tech and Brian Kelly of Cincinnati will become strong possibilities. Tim Brewster from Minnesota will also be considered.

Updated with article from Andrew Jones(UNC graduate if I am not mistaken):

According to sources close to the UT football program, the North Carolina football coach’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, was contacted this weekend by Tennessee representatives to discuss Davis as a possible replacement to Phillip Fulmer, who was fired last week after 17 years on the job.

Davis told the media last week that he wasn’t interested in the job and that he plans on staying at UNC. But there are conditions that Carolina must meet to ensure Davis’ tenure in Chapel Hill is a long one.

According to a source close to Davis and UNC, the coach wants a more lucrative contract and guaranteed dates for the starts and completions of each phase in Kenan Stadium’s renovation.

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72 Responses to Andrew Jones: Butch ‘Davis part II(updated)

  1. BJD95 11/09/2008 at 7:39 PM #

    Brian Kelly would be the best hire, IMHO. He’s a damned good football coach.

  2. ruffles31 11/09/2008 at 7:53 PM #

    Part of my family lives in Knoxville and they have heard the same thing. The two names being bantied about are Davis and Leach. However, Butch is 58 and who knows if he wants to leave his cushy job and his Duke blue uniforms for Volunteer orange.

    I do think Kelly is a fantastic coach as well. He has won wherever he has gone.

    This is a primo job. There has been one opening in 31 years. And it wasn’t really an opening, but a promotion (some would say a coup) from Majors to Fulmer.

    With the coaches that are in this conference:

    Meyer, Saban, Miles, and Spurrier have all won national titles.

    Tuberville has had a perfect 13-0 year without a title.

    Richt and Petrino have been to BCS bowls.

    And the other four have all had some degree to very good success:
    Nutt, Brooks, Johnson, and Croom

    If they go for Kelly, I hope that he is a great recruiter because he will be recruiting for the best. If they go for Butch, I hope he brings someone who knows game management because I am not high on his X and O skills. If they go for Leach, I think that would be the people’s choice but I am not sure he would leave Lubbock right now.

  3. Octavian 11/09/2008 at 9:01 PM #

    “As for Davis, UT will offer better facilities and more exposure than North Carolina. UT will also offer the chance to coach in the SEC.

    That could be perceived as a pro or con. While the SEC is a much higher-profile conference than the Atlantic Coast Conference, it also is widely believed to be a more difficult conference to win and subsequently compete for national championships.”

    Gotta love the arrogantly delusional Vols fans. What an asinine statement in print. I don’t care how many rubes fill up that stadium of theirs, they are behind the 8 ball on this one and will be for some time. UT does not have the built in recruiting base in Tenn. If their Regional/National recruiting is down (e.g.; Losing to rivals and recruits aren’t leaving Richt/Saban/Meyer territory) they will continue to struggle.

    And I’m no Heels fan but it is a much better all around school (I can’t imagine the facilities @ UNC are that sub par in comparison) and they will poney up if need be (No matter of UT athletic/booster budget, see UNC endowment and Rams Club).

  4. YANCSSB 11/09/2008 at 9:49 PM #

    I put the chances of Davis leaving for UT at about 5%.

    However, I put the chances of Davis’ current salary at UNC nearly doubling in the next 3 months at about 95%.

  5. El Scrotcho 11/09/2008 at 10:26 PM #

    Not sure what the current status of Davis’ health is as I haven’t seen anything on it since it was announced he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but that would have to play into any decision he made about moving on.

  6. Primewolf 11/09/2008 at 10:31 PM #

    Butch isn’t having any problem getting any yahoo into the school. They take nonqualifiers, greyshirt and run off 10 a year. UNC has no standards at all. The main thing that will ever hold that football program back is lack of intellectual ability and character issues. For that matter Butch is already at a Tennessess type institutuion that will do anything to build a program. They are the Obama of modern politics.

  7. one00_proof 11/09/2008 at 11:01 PM #

    Regardless at the end of this all, Butch is going to be a $4 million man. The only question is, who’s going to be writing the check to him. Now that word has gotten out on UT doing this, it’s pretty much all or nothing for UT. As much as UNC can try and quench the rumor, the only way it’s going to get squashed is when ol’ Butch gets that $2 million pay raise.

    What I find amusing is if he starts making $4 million and a certain other coach at UNC who is coaching the sport they bleed with a national championship ring making less than ol Butch, you can expect an outburst or two. Either way, UNC better open up that checkbook because they’ll probably end up writing two big checks if they want to keep him.

  8. Scooter 11/10/2008 at 7:28 AM #

    To be as “happy” as he is in Chapel Hill, he sure doesn’t like the school colors. I never thought I’d see UNC wearing navy while playing at home, but there it is!

    Regardless of what Butch does, I don’t see Mike Leach going anywhere. To be playing competitively in the Big 12, ranked #2 in the country with a shot at the National Title (after sweeping them a few years ago, interesting to see the direction our two programs have taken…), and a fanbase and administration that love him, where else could he go?

  9. Red_Terrors 11/10/2008 at 7:42 AM #

    Funny you mention that Scooter, “after sweeping them a few years ago, interesting to see the direction our two programs have taken…”. I said the same exact thing to my wife yesterday afternoon.

  10. skitchwolf 11/10/2008 at 9:03 AM #

    Whether or not Butch heads for Knoxville will come down to money and quality of life issues. If he wishes to remain in the picturesque setting of Chapel Hill and the Rams can pony up another mil or so, then UT will have to look elsewhere. However, it is ridiculous to suggest that there is anything about UNC that compares to UT football-wise: quality of opponents, public profile, fan enthusiasm, national championship potential, etc., etc. all point to UT. No offense to Octavian above, but Kenan (capacity: 60,000) is a like a big high school stadium compared to Neyland. I know there has been some recent uptick in fan enthusiasm over at Chapel Hill, but it will not be sustained. (Or at least, it hasn’t been over the last 20 years or so.) The only question is: would Butch rather coach a team that plays for 102,000 football-crazy fans each home game or for 45,000 flesh-and-blood fans waiting for basketball season to start? (I refuse to count the “aluminum” contingent.)

  11. Wolf Dog 11/10/2008 at 9:40 AM #

    I am sure Baddour got Butch’s message loud and clear. Butch, “the admin and I are committed to building a champion right here in Chapel Hill….”

    Translation: If you don’t match what the Vols will offer, then I don’t see you as committed! Let the bidding begin.

    Butch worked in TV. He likes the spotlight. He can get allot more ESPN/TV time at TN and some other schools.

  12. Scooter 11/10/2008 at 9:53 AM #

    The university system has already announced preliminary budget cuts of 5% for the upcoming fiscal year. After demanding (and getting) a raise after a losing season last year combined with the season he’s got going this year, do we think that Captain Money Bags is going to stay assuming UNC can’t pony up to match better offers?

  13. TOB 11/10/2008 at 10:27 AM #

    Who cares and what does it matter.

  14. Sw0rdf1sh 11/10/2008 at 10:42 AM #

    Sweet Chicken don’t let him jump ship until we beat him again in a few weeks.

  15. SuperStuff 11/10/2008 at 10:50 AM #

    I give Butch credit. After seeing them play last year, almost losing to Duke, and having one player in Brandon Tate stat-wise win their first game against McNeese State I didn’t see them getting a lot of wins this year. They’ve been able to do it so Butch has earned some serious consideration for another job. Last year I thought it was a joke for him to be considered for other jobs with a losing record.

    I’m just looking forward to our opportunity to give them another L this year.

  16. PacknSack 11/10/2008 at 11:08 AM #

    Whatever Butch gets, Roy will also get, plus $1. So when all is said and done, Roy will have gotten a hefty raise and Butch will have moved on, proving to all of the Carolina fans in denial (“He wants to be here,” “He can win here,” “Why would he want to be anywhere else,” and my favorite “He’s not using us.”) that it was just a placeholder job.

    An intelligent Carolina fan says Butch will stay because it is much easier to get a BCS bowl bid from the ACC than SEC. The league is guaranteed one, and even if it’s not the championship it provides a massive pile of cash and national exposure.

    The big picture is that enough Orange Bowls could lead to a shot in the championship, but it will take years.

  17. newt 11/10/2008 at 11:10 AM #

    Don’t underestimate the quality of life in Knoxville Tenn. They have a nice downtown area with some classic venues, a river runs through it, and there are several resort lakes in the vicinity.

    For a grown-up, Knoxville probably offers more.

    That said, this is a win-win for NC State fans. The Chief either holds them for ransom or bolts a la Mack Brown – and they will still have half a stadium for the Duke game.

    And of course the health of our competitors’ programs matters.

  18. topwolf 11/10/2008 at 11:32 AM #

    Love him or Hate him Butch Davis is good for ACC Football. as newt stated above “And of course the health of our competitors’ programs matters.” is absolutely correct. I have been a N.C. State fan since i was big enough to change the TV by myself. I later attended our beloved university and have always had high hopes for our athletic programs, but to want Butch Davis to leave Carolina so that they will possibly be worse next year is the wrong idea. I want TOB to make our team better than unc WITH Butch Davis. That is what instores pride in a university, the idea that they are the best while competing against the best.

  19. Otis 11/10/2008 at 11:47 AM #

    ^^ I understand your point of view topwolf there is much truth in it. However you are failing to account for the humiliation the Tarhole fans will have to endure in having their coach snatched away from them. That is why I would like to see Butch go. To see UNX used as a stepping stone while NCState was a destination for O’Brian. I am not wanting UNX to have an awful coach, just some public humiliation.

  20. VaWolf82 11/10/2008 at 12:22 PM #

    However, it is ridiculous to suggest that there is anything about UNC that compares to UT football-wise: ….national championship potential, etc., etc. all point to UT.

    The road to playing in a national championship game would probably be easier at UNC than UT, simply because the road through the ACC is much easier than the SEC (see Ohio St the last two years). The drawback to playing in a weaker conference is that one loss generally rules you out of the MNC game (see USC). So you can argue the conference strength either way and you won’t convince everyone.

    Some people are only interested in money.
    Some people look for a way to comfortably coast into retirement.
    Some people always look for a bigger challenge.
    Some people are happy with “good enough”.

    I have no idea what drives BD today (beyond the fact that he will get a raise from someone after this season). I would be willing to bet that he would leave UNC for enough money. The real questions are:

    How much is UNC willing to pay?
    How high does someone have to go above UNC to get BD’s interest?
    Is anyone interested in giving him a bigger raise than UNC?

  21. WolftownVA81 11/10/2008 at 12:40 PM #

    topwolf, the other advantage to BD leaving is that it will creat turmoil in their program for at least two years. Perhaps we can even scarf up a recruit or two. Any advantage we can get during the building stages of our program would be good to get. Not to mention what Otis said. 🙂

  22. topwolf 11/10/2008 at 12:40 PM #

    Otis you are correct I too enjoy the humiliation of Tarhole fans. It amuses me.

  23. TOB 11/10/2008 at 1:04 PM #

    63-28-6

  24. Wulfpack 11/10/2008 at 1:29 PM #

    If Butch leaves it will be the ultimate slap in the face to UNC. They’ve given him everything and the early results are good. Conversely, if he stays I think it is a huge compliment and I think it will show that he intends to stay in Chapel Hill for a while — or at least until he can build a championship program.

    Personally, I’d love to see him in Orange.

  25. Clarksa 11/10/2008 at 2:18 PM #

    “Some people are only interested in money.”

    I think this describes Butch Davis…but that’s just a guess.

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