Will Butch Davis, the former head coach at Miami and the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns, be the next football coach at UNC? It depends on what you hear, and in these coaching things, you hear a lot.
Reports surfaced over the weekend saying that Carolina is preparing an offer. People close to the situation at Carolina believe that it will happen and that Davis will accept. Others close to Davis, however, say, "Not so fast" -- that Carolina is not the only option that Davis is weighing.
Now, back when N.C. State was searching for its basketball coach, much was made of the fact that State had to hit a "home run" with its new coach. Texas Coach Rick Barnes would have been considered a home run, as would have Memphis Coach John Calipari. The man selected, Sidney Lowe, is a solid choice, but Lowe is not considered a home run.
The same is being said in Carolina's search. The Tar Heels need to hit it out of the park to put some spark in its fading program.
Let's face it, Jim Tressel is not coming. Neither is Lloyd Carr nor Pete Carroll nor Charlie Weiss. They would be "home runs" for sure.
The first name that we heard as a possibility, when it became pretty clear that John Bunting's days were numbered, was that of Butch Davis. And of all the coaches that have been linked to the UNC job, he would have the most impact. He would probably be considered that "home run."
He's coached in the pros, and he built Miami back into a power in the late 90s. It was his recruited players that won the 2002 national title. However, there is also talk he might go back to Miami if current coach Larry Coker doesn't survive, and right now, he's hanging by his fingertips. Then, there's the pros. He might want another shot at that. You see, Butch Davis does have options.
I had a conversation at the State-Georgia Tech game about Davis with several people, and he was described as a man with an immense ego. Of course, what coach doesn't have that and for that matter, all successful people?
If Davis comes to Carolina, there's no reason to think he would not be successful. Carolina is a sleeping giant ready to awake. There's some talent already there and recruited talent waiting to see who will be the new coach.
Athletic Director Dick Baddour told everybody at the outset that he wouldn't comment on the search, and he's stuck to that. (Some have said he's not commenting because he doesn't know anything, that he's just a figure head.) But if it is Butch Davis, the impact will be immediate. Davis will have people talking Carolina football and its possibilities in the future. If not, Carolina would probably get a solid guy, but would that be good enough to spark that interest for a program that's been in the football wilderness since 1997?
Besides Davis, Boston College's Tom O'Brien and West Virginia's Rich Rodriquez are the most intriguing names. Personally, I think Navy's Paul Johnson would be excellent.
Speaking of 1997, interesting rumor heard in the press box: former UNC football coach Mack Brown, who, of course, built Texas into a National Champion, returning to Carolina sometime in the future as athletic director? Your hear a lot of things. What's to believe? That's why we all love sports, including the games off the field.
