The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish have deep pockets and have even deeper tradition in college football. Touchdown Jesus, Knute Rockne, Joe Montana and others have all contributed to the lore that is Notre Dame Football. Rumor has it that the Irish want to add UNC Tar Heels football coach Butch Davis to their long, rich history.
Notre Dame fired head coach Charlie Weis yesterday after five years of miserable football by Notre Dame standards. Weis, who is an Irish alum, compiled a record of 35-27 while at Notre Dame, with only one bowl win to his credit. To Notre Dame fans worldwide, this was unacceptable. The fact is, though, Irish Nation, when has Notre Dame been a factor in the past 20 years? The answer is: "they haven't". Notre Dame hasn't won a meaningful game since 1988 when the Lou Holtz edition won the Fiesta Bowl and the mythical national championship, compiling a 12-0 record. Since then, mediocrity has been king in South Bend.
Some would argue that the Irish have won a few big games since then, such as their 27-10 win over then #2 Southern Cal in 1988, or their 1989 win over then #2 Michigan, or perhaps their 1993 win over then top-ranked Florida State. But think about this: that was 16 years ago! Again, the mediocrity has set in with Notre Dame, and the natives are restless.
Enter Butch Davis, the head man at North Carolina. Davis has a history of turning programs around at the college level. At the University of Miami, Davis was charged with keeping order in a solid program, previously run by Dennis Erickson. Unfortunately after Davis' first season at Miami, things took a bad turn. Allegations from the NCAA banned the Hurricanes from postseason play. Other infractions continued to plague the program, and in 1997, the team suffered its first losing season in 18 years. However, Davis continued working and brought the 'Canes back to national prominence. When he left in 2000, the team was positioned to compete for national titles again, and won their fifth in 2001 under Larry Coker, largely in part to Davis' work.
After leaving Miami, Davis took a shot at coaching the NFL's Cleveland Browns. After a less than stellar experience there, Davis decided he was ready to coach collegiate athletes again. In 2007, North Carolina called on Davis and he answered. Davis' first Tar Heels team went 4-8, which was a slight improvement from 2006 when the Tar Heels finished 3-9 under John Bunting. The program had been wallowing and suffering ever since Mack Brown left in 1997. Davis has now found a way to make North Carolina a player in the ACC race, and quite possibly the national race. Davis' teams have improved steadily each year, including this season, where the team in ranked in the top 15 in all major defensive categories. Once he gets his offense in gear, the Tar Heels will most likely be a contender on all levels, much how Mack Brown did it during his tenure.
Tar Heel fans everywhere will be braced for the worst, though. Many football analysts believe that Butch Davis is the guy that can turn Notre Dame around. Notre Dame has the money to lure a coach like Davis to its campus. But is that enough? Notre Dame's television contract obviously pays the bills, but with no conference affiliation, will that be enough to take Davis from the Tar Heels? Davis could become a legend at North Carolina. Fans of UNC have been longing for someone to bring the football program to everlasting prosperity. Mack Brown had done that before he bolted for Texas, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of fans and supporters. They feel that Butch Davis can finish what Brown started and can be the hero of Tar Heel Football Nation worldwide. That alone, and the fact that Carolina can compensate him well in the process, should be enough to keep Davis at home in Chapel Hill.
This won't be easy for Tar Heel fans as programs without coaches will begin calling for permission to talk to Davis. Hopefully for them, though, Davis will not pull a "Mack Brown".
Stay tuned for more of the Tar Heel sports experience in later articles. Until then, go Heels!
Don't forget to check out Keith Cooke's other column, the Charlotte Cruise Ships Examiner, a great resource for taking that vacation before, during and after you follow the Heels!
And one other thing - Keith Cooke has another column, the Charlotte High School Sports Examiner, a great look at Charlotte's high school sports scene.
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Comments
As a former Clevelander, I wasn't impressed with Butch Davis in Cleveland. But we have had winning coaches such as Bill Belechik who have not done well in Cleveland either.
As a devoted Tar Heel, I pray this isn't so. It was devastating enough to lose Mack Brown, after only having him for my freshman year. I don't know if my heart can take this again! :(
I think if carolina loses Butch Davis they should go after the cinncinati coach or the coach of washington.
I'm getting a harley davidson V-rod.
What Butch did at Cleveland means nothign. Some college coaches don't translate well in cleveland. Hell, no coaches are translating well in cleveland. Their organization is run poorly, and it has a lot more to do with the coaching.
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