By Aaron Beard
Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL ó North Carolinaís firing of Butch Davis just before preseason camp has divided football fans, faculty members and alumni here.
For some, Davisí dismissal amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct shouldíve happened long ago. Others say Davis shouldíve stayed because he wasnít tied to a violation and worry the move could set the program back years.
Itís created yet another distraction for the Tar Heels this fall.
ěIím sure people are mad because we were pretty mad,î linebacker Kevin Reddick said. ěYou canít sit there and worry about what happened even though we were sad at the time. Now weíve got to move on and try to make ourselves better each day in practice. Thatís how weíve got to look at it because weíve still got to win games.î
Davis entered his fifth season with the support of many fans, who hoped heíd bring his success from Miami to a program that has never managed to become a consistent national power and has long sat second to menís basketball. But after publicly backing Davis for the past year, chancellor Holden Thorp decided there was too much cumulative damage to the schoolís reputation for Davis to stay.
The change came nine days before the first practice and as the school unveils the Loudermilk Center. The $70 million project adds a ěBlue Zoneî section to bowl in Kenan Stadium with club seats, the academic tutoring center, and a strength and conditioning facility for the schoolís Olympic sports programs. It was a symbol of the schoolís financial commitment to football thanks largely to Davisí presence on campus.
After Davisí dismissal, the school received some calls and emails from angry ticket holders demanding refunds. Others contacted the Rams Club ó the fundraising arm of the athletics department ó threatening to pull financial support. Some emailed Thorp saying the decision ěpatheticî and ěgutlessî while telling him to ělook for empty seats this fallî at Kenan.
ěItís been very emotional,î said John Montgomery, Rams Club executive director. ěPeople have been confused about the timing and some of them have expressed anger about the decision. Weíve fielded a lot of calls as you can imagine, and weíre just talking about refocusing on supporting the football team.î
Some ěBlue Zoneî donors have even hired lawyers and are considering a lawsuit against the school
ěNo one thought that Butch Davis would be fired right before the season,î said Matthew J. Dixon, one of the their attorneys. ěThey wanted him to stay the coach and the people I represent are angry because they spent a whole lot of money and relied on what they thought was a true statement that heíd stay on as coach.î
Clint Gwaltney, an associate athletic director overseeing the ticket office, said the school already reached its target of 32,500 season tickets when Davis was fired. That number dropped about 2,000 from last year when instate rivals North Carolina State and East Carolina, along with Atlantic Coast Conference power Virginia Tech came to Kenan. This yearís schedule lacks a big seller with James Madison, Rutgers, Virginia, Louisville, Miami, Wake Forest and Duke.
ěThe best marketing plan is winning,î Gwaltney said. ěIf we go out and win some games, hopefully people will keep coming out and supporting this team.î
Fans did that last year as 14 players missed at least one game and seven were forced to sit the entire season amid the probe. The school received the NCAAís notice of allegations in June outlining nine violations, and is scheduled to appear before the infractions committee in October.
While allegations of unethical conduct involving former associate head coach John Blake appeared most serious, the academic misconduct charges seemed to rattle the campus most. That included accusations of previously undetected plagiarism in a research paper by player Michael McAdoo, surfacing only when he sued the NCAA and the school after being declared permanently ineligible for receiving improper assistance on the assignment.
Itís no coincidence interim coach Everett Withers noted after the first practice that he planned to ětry to put the olive branch out there to the academics.î Or why most of the emails sent to Thorp in the 24 hours after Davisí firing and released in a public-records request supported the decision. Many came from faculty members or alumni saying the universityís integrity was more important than football.
Faculty chair Jan Boxill said itís all forced the school to do ěcritical self-evaluation.î
ěYes, we are likely to lose some supporters and thatís sad,î Boxill said. ě… I sympathize with the donors. I understand their frustration. But I do think in the long run, we do have to look at where our reputation is and our long-term effect on the state and educating our students.î
At least the players had plenty of practice last season tuning out outside chatter.
ěWe hear it. Weíre not deaf,î quarterback Bryn Renner said. ěBut we really try to stay focused on the job at hand. … Itís been a rough two years, but like we did last year, itís just focus on the field.î