UNC Football: Everyone Saw This Coming Months Ago

No big surprises as Dick Baddour has planned on retiring right after the firing of Butch Davis on July 27. UNC is giving itself a chance to make things right with the NCAA after they dropped the ball amidst the NCAA violations and academic scandals that have taken place the past two seasons in Chapel Hill. 

It all started at the beginning of the last season when allegations of players receiving extra benefits hit the news stands and kept guys like Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn off the field possibly costing UNC a chance at an ACC championship and possibly an national championship. The first casualty from that episode was defensive coach John Blake. 

After Blake fell, then the tutor situation hit the news and 14 players were accused of academic scandal and most of them missed at least one game. However there were players like former North Carolina football player Michael McAdoo, who was declared permanently ineligible last year for academic misconduct, filed a lawsuit against the university and the NCAA seeking to restore his athletic eligibility to allow him to play for the Tar Heels this fall. Well things didn't work out in McAdoo's favor but its another casualty as he was probably the third best of the three defensive players who was unable to perform last season.

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College Football Has Some Real Problems

Since the beginning of last season, it has become apparent that college football has some real issues. Every week there is a scandal of some sort that gets uncovered and it makes you wonder is anyone out there running a legit college program anymore. Seriously, schools that have been perennial powers are being accused as well as schools without a ton of football tradition. Let’s take a look at a few incidents that took place this past season until the present.

The first account took place at the University of North Carolina. The attorneys for John Blake confirmed Thursday September 30th that the former associate head coach for North Carolina's football team received payments from sports agent Gary Wichard while Blake worked for UNC. According to Mike Potter of Indyweek.com, there were up to 15 players who would be declared ineligible or suspended from the incident.

The UNC scandal hit harder than just on UNC’s campus as well. Weslye Saunders of the University of South Carolina was caught up in the contacts with Blake as well and he lost his entire senior season for the Gamecocks.

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Butch Davis May Be Closer To The End Than We Thought

It looks like the beginning of the end for Butch Davis at the University of North Carolina. I hope that it is not the case because UNC hasn’t had a whole lot of excitement in their program since the departure of Mack Brown for Texas in the mid 90’s. Several newspapers including the Durham Herald Sun and the Raleigh News and Observer have both jumped on the Butch Davis should resign bandwagon.

Journalist Caulton Tutor of the Raleigh News and Observer wrote today that, “If that doesn’t happen – and soon – the school needs to dismiss Davis. In view of the revelations of the past several months, his removal from the job is the single most necessary step in the rehabilitation process for the school and the football program.”

What he doesn’t know is that it is easier said than done. But when you look at Davis’ contract, it gets harder to defend his continued employment.

Here is a clause in Davis’ contract under the just cause for dismissal heading:

(b) A violation by COACH, or knowing participation by COACH in a violation, or a violation by the assistant coaches under COACH’S supervision of which COACH had reason to know, should have known through the exercise of his duties under this agreement, or which COACH condoned, of a major NCAA regulation or bylaw, or of a policy of or applicable to UNIVERSITY. For purposes of this Section IX (b), whether or not a violation has occurred shall be reasonably determined in the sole discretion of UNIVERSITY after its review of the relevant facts and circumstances.

I know it is a little verbose but what it does entail is the formula that the university could use to dismiss Davis if they deem it necessary.

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Why John Blake Was The First To Fall On The Sword at UNC

Updated on Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 8:32PM by Joe Simmons

Updated on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 3:22PM by Joe Simmons

Not many people were surprised at the announcement of defensive line coach John Blake’s resignation on Sunday afternoon. It capped off a hectic weekend for a North Carolina football program swimming in a two-pronged NCAA investigation.

But a detrimental side effect of that decision lies in the fact that UNC will be without one of the most celebrated defensive line coaches in the nation for the remainder of the 2010 season. Make no mistake about it Blake, also known as Black Santa, for his ability to get the best prospects in the country, is one of the best if not the best defensive line coaches in the country. Take a look at the NFL prospects that have left that defensive line in the last four years and are playing in the NFL.

Butch Davis stated that he would probably make a few moves this week to balance out the coaching staff. There will be added responsibility to the coaches already in place and a few coaches will have to move to positions other than those they have coached in the past. The first move will probably be secondary coach Everett Withers leaving the defensive backs to coach the linebackers corps since he already has experience coaching linebackers when he was at Tulane.

According to Inside Carolina, “Art Kaufman, who has also been a defensive coordinator, will assume the role with the defensive line from the standpoint of being able to run the meetings,” Davis said. Helping Kaufman along the front line will be player development assistant Norris McCleary, a former NFL defensive lineman. “He’s worked in our strength and conditioning program,” Davis said. “He’s been a defensive lineman; he played at East Carolina. He came here as a result of his relationship with Jeff Connors.”

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