Here's the entire release from North Carolina.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - University of North Carolina Chancellor Holden Thorp announced this evening that Butch Davis has been dismissed as head coach of the Carolina football program. Davis was informed by Thorp and Director of Athletics Dick Baddour of the decision.
"To restore confidence in the University of North Carolina and our football program, it's time to make a change," said Thorp. "What started as a purely athletic issue has begun to chip away at this University's reputation. I have been deliberate in my approach to understanding this situation fully, and I have worked to be fair to everyone involved. However, I have lost confidence in our ability to come through this without harming the way people think of this institution. Our academic integrity is paramount and we must work diligently to protect it. The only way to move forward and put this behind us is to make a change."
Thorp said the decision was not related to any change in the NCAA investigation, but that it was the result of the cumulative damage to the University's reputation over the past year.
"Athletics and football are an important part of this University, and a successful football program is essential to the overall health of our athletic program," Thorp continued. "That's why we have to put this behind us and move forward."
Baddour said, "The last 13 months have been some of the most difficult that anyone associated with the athletic department and football program have dealt with. At this time, a decision has been made to change the leadership of the football program to help the entire University community move forward.
"I want to thank Butch Davis and his family for their four-plus years of service and dedication to the University and the Chapel Hill community," continued Baddour. "My staff and I will work with Chancellor Thorp to transition to an interim head coach as soon as possible. It is critical that we do all we can to help our students and other staff members on the football team since preseason training camp begins in just eight days."
Thorp and Baddour will meet with the media on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill (Redbud Room).
Davis wasn't nearly as successful on the field as he was off. During his tenure his record was only 28-23 (15-17 ACC), and 1-3 against the Hokies. However, he was able to sign highly rated recruiting classes, many times at our expense. Top recruits like Kerio Holts, Marquis Williams, Landon Turner and Travis Hughes all picked UNC over Virginia Tech.
There's less than 40 days until the football season, and like last year a talented UNC team will have to deal with off the field issues. How they will move forward and reorganize to prepare for kickoff is anyone's guess.
Comments
Lets celebrate with a video!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x11yc7_robot-libido_fun
Recruits
I know these kids are adults, but I do feel bad for them. When the man in charge is saying that things are going to be OK, why have any reason to believe otherwise?
I wish the best for Hughes, Holts, Turner and Williams -- UNC is a good school and Chapel Hill is a great town. But enjoy watching the school one state above do it's thing for the next 5 years.
I don't feel bad for them...
all they needed to to was pay attention to the news. UNC fired the D-line coach DURING the season last year his relationship with an agent. The academic wrong doings were also uncovered during last football season. These people made their own bed.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
::deep breath:: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Sorry. But seriously...it couldn't have happened to a better school (ok...maybe UVa).
C'mon is this really a surprise? After his tenure at Miami? Butch Davis runs a program which bends the rules? I'm shocked! No way an upstanding coach does this??? Though all joking aside what a time to can the HC...great job UNC! Way to set your program back many many years.
Now its one less great recruiter Frankenator has to go against. Also I do NOT feel bad for the student athletes. All signs pointed to something happening with UNC Football over the past COUPLE of years. To blindly accept a coach's feelings who had major issues with the same body (NCAA) concerning major rules violations in the past while coaching at da U. Technological lesson boys and girls (from a history student): use the interweb (ahahaha) to research the coach who will dominate your existence for the next three to five years and see HIS past, beliefs and tendencies...simple Google search should've done to trick to at least plant a seed of questioning in the good ole' noggin! (LET THE FALLOUT BEGIN!!! TO VIRGINIA TECH in terms of the de-commits which I'm sure will soon be coming)
Still surprised how UNC handled the situation though...classy (wow even Heather Dinich and ESPN called you out over timing)? One serious threat in the ACC down maybe GT will fire Johnson and make Groh their HC while UVA hires Stiney???
It is a surprise
Butch took over a scandal-wrecked Miami, cleaned things up, and put together the 2001 Miami team which is probably the best team I've seen in my lifetime. Strange to see him turn to the dark side now.
2 reactions.
I'm shocked
This decision coming this close to the beginning of the season is a shock. But I can't say I'm surprised that ths finally happened.
Can't understand what goes through recruit's minds and what they are looking for in a college. A good player could go anywhere and be a star if they work hard and get opportunities. If they are going to the next level they don't have to go a top ten team, they just need to stand out. Now what happens to the opportunities for these players?
Taking a coach's word over the facts doesn't seem like a good decision. BD must be pretty persuasive in saying all the things a recruit wants to hear. What did UNC offer that VT didn't?
Pop
I think Mr. College Football said it best on Twitter, "Understand that with this announcement, North Carolina has decided to get out of the football business for a while."
Everyone is shocked at the timing of the decision, but it makes sense to me. The received their notice of allegations a month ago, why would they fire him before ACC football kickoff and deal with the questions. After this second black eye Butch had to go, and for UNC to avoid the harshest punishment from the NCAA he had to go before the 2011 season. I still think that even though the UNC administration decided to walk away from the table, the NCAA will ensure they won't be welcomed back for a long time.
I feel bad for the kids who deserve the pity, the ones who did it the right way. Hopefully the NCAA does the right thing and allows them to go where they want without sitting out a year.
Pitiful
When UNC hired Butch I knew that it wouldn't end well for UNC, a guy from the U and the NFL is never going to work at UNC, the Athletic department made the mistake of thinking that the fanbase would go along with anything to get the football program alive again. The timing of this whole thing is what confuses me most, perhaps they didn't want to send an interim head coach as a sacrificial lamb to the media days, maybe the board has been pushing the chancellor to do this for a while and he finally got brave and pulled the trigger. But after seeing how UNC supported him through all that has happened, I can't imagine it is anything other than new information (or the threat of new information: Marvin Austin) that made them pick the worst time of year to fire a coach.