Butch Davis Had To Go

On Monday at the ACC Football Kickoff in Pinehurst, N.C. Butch Davis was answering questions about the past year and a half and accepting the responsibility. It all happened under his watch.

I had a chance to discuss this with Davis Monday and while the 2010 season was the most brutal in his coaching career he admitted that season turned into his most gratifying.

All that is water under the bridge. UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp and the UNC Board of Trustees decided it was time to cut bait and fired Davis Wednesday.

What the powers that be at UNC-Chapel Hill came to the conclusion that the Universities reputation was at stake after taking a major hit during the John Blake affair and tutor-gate and that bad smell would linger if Butch Davis were to remain in charge, so now he's gone.

The general consensus is that Davis may have coached this season but may not have survived following the conclusion of the NCAA investigation.

Keep in mind Butch Davis has never been directly linked to any of the inpropriorties listed in the NCAA report.

All a major university with a high academic standing has to sell to potential students and would be donors is it's reputation and UNC had to rebuild that.

And that meant firing Butch Davis.

North Carolina wanted to get serious about football. For the foreseeable future the Tar Heel football program will face series challenges.

Here's reaction from UNC and Butch Davis. (Thanks WRAL-TV)



Here's team coverage of Butch Davis' firing from WRAL-TV.