Butch Davis

Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis, Jr. (born November 17, 1951) is an American football coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former player in the United States. He was the head coach at the University of Miami from 1995 to 2000, the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 2001 to 2004, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2011.

Early years
Davis was born on November 17, 1951 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to Paul and Pat Davis. He attended high school at Bixby High School in Bixby, Oklahoma where he was an All-State fullback and defensive end for the Spartans and graduated in 1970. After graduation from high school, he attended the University of Arkansas and played defensive end for the Razorbacks. Due to a knee injury, Davis was sidelined after his freshman year. However, he became a student assistant with the Razorbacks throughout the rest of his college days. After graduation from college, he had several assistant coaching positions at several high schools including Fayetteville High School in 1973, Pawhuska High School from 1974–1975, and Charles Page High School (Sand Springs, OK) from 1976–1977. He landed his first head coaching job at Tulsa Rogers High School in 1978.

After that, Butch began a successful 15-year association with Jimmy Johnson, first as a receivers and tight ends coach at Oklahoma State University for the Cowboys, then later as defensive line coach at the University of Miami. During that time, the Miami Hurricanes won a national championship in 1987.

Dallas Cowboys
Butch followed Jimmy Johnson to Dallas where, as defensive coordinator and coach of the defensive line, he helped Johnson and new owner Jerry Jones create a back-to-back Super Bowl champion out of a Dallas Cowboys team that went 1–15 in 1989, Johnson's first year as head coach. Davis was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1993 after the departure of Dave Wannstedt. After Johnson left, Davis continued at Dallas for one more year as assistant coach under Barry Switzer.

University of Miami
Davis returned to college football when he got his first chance as a head coach. Back at the University of Miami, he helped turn around a program that was in disarray. Not long after he was hired, the Hurricanes were found to have committed several violations of NCAA rules during the tenure of his predecessor, Dennis Erickson. As a result, the Hurricanes were barred from postseason play in his first year (despite an 8–3 record) and lost 31 football scholarship spots over several years.

Despite these handicaps, he managed to post a 51–20 record during his tenure as head coach and by 2000, his last year, the Hurricanes finished 11–1 and #2 in the country. However, due to a quirk in the Bowl Championship Series formula, the Hurricanes didn't get a spot in the Orange Bowl (that year's national championship game). The snub still rankles Miami fans to this day, especially since the Hurricanes were passed over in favor of bitter rival Florida State, whom they'd beaten in the regular season and who lost the Orange Bowl to the Oklahoma Sooners 13-2.

The Hurricanes earned recognition from the American Football Coaches Association for outstanding graduation rates in each of his six seasons at Miami. The following players were coached or recruited by Davis in his stint at Miami: Ray Lewis (LB), Ed Reed (S), Yatil Green (WR), Kenard Lang (DE), Kenny Holmes (DE), Duane Starks (CB), Edgerrin James (RB), Clinton Portis (RB), Frank Gore (RB), Bubba Franks (TE), Dan Morgan (LB), Damione Lewis (DT), Santana Moss (WR), Reggie Wayne (WR), Bryant McKinnie (OT), Jeremy Shockey (TE), Phillip Buchanon (CB), Mike Rumph (CB), Andre Johnson (WR), Jerome McDougle (DE), Willis McGahee (RB), William Joseph (DT), Sean Taylor (S), Kellen Winslow II (TE), Jonathan Vilma (LB), D.J. Williams (LB), Vernon Carey (OT), Vince Wilfork (DT), Antrel Rolle (CB), and Kelly Jennings (CB). Moreover, Davis' smaller-than-usual recruiting classes are widely considered to have laid the foundation for Miami's undefeated national championship team of 2001 (under Davis' former offensive coordinator, Larry Coker), since many of his recruits were forced to play right away.

Cleveland Browns
Returning to NFL Football in 2001, Davis walked the sidelines as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. In 1999-2000 under head coach Chris Palmer, the Browns, led by quarterback and 1999 number one draft pick Tim Couch, who was injured in the 5th week, posted a dismal 3–13 record. Davis led the team to a 7–9 record in his first year at the helm, missing the playoffs by a game. The Browns posted a 9–7 record and got a playoff berth in Davis's second year, getting in after winning two close games in a row against the Baltimore Ravens and the Atlanta Falcons. In 2003, a quarterback controversy erupted between Couch and backup Kelly Holcomb after Holcomb, starting the 2002 playoff game for the injured Couch, threw for 429 yards and three touchdowns. Davis would ultimately give the starting job to Holcomb, though Couch did start a few games. In the 2004 offseason, Davis signed Jeff Garcia and cut Couch. Davis was forced to resign in early December 2004 after a 3–8 start and ended with a 24–35 overall record as coach of the Browns.

University of North Carolina
On November 13, 2006 Dick Baddour, the athletic director at the University of North Carolina, announced that Davis had been hired as the new head football coach at UNC. On November 27, 2006, he officially succeeded John Bunting, who was fired in October 2006 after posting only one winning season in six years as head coach of the Tar Heels.

Davis took over a program that had fallen on hard times. After a run of seven straight bowl games from 1992 to 1998—the second-most successful period in school history—the Tar Heels had only notched three winning seasons in the past eight years, and had only crossed the six-win plateau only two other times. He inherited a very inexperienced team; many of his players had never played a down of college football before. However, the Tar Heels were far more competitive than expected in Davis' first season. While they finished 4–8, six of those losses were by a touchdown or less, two of which were against teams ranked in the top 15 at the time. They also remained in bowl contention well into November.

For much of the 2007 season, unfounded rumors swirled that Davis would leave UNC after just one year if the head coaching job at his alma mater, Arkansas, opened up. The rumors grew louder when Houston Nutt was forced to resign at Arkansas, but Davis steadfastly denied he was leaving. On November 21, 2007, Davis agreed to a one-year contract extension, along with a raise. Davis now stands to receive an extra $291,000 annually due to the extension, according to the campus newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel. Davis said in a statement that one year at UNC convinced him that this was where he wanted to be, and that he intended to have "a long and successful career in Chapel Hill." He also hoped it would put to rest any talk of him leaving for Arkansas.

Davis originally signed a seven-year deal worth approximately $1.86 million per season, with a base salary of $286,000. He also gets $25,000 a year in expenses and a supplement from the Educational Foundation (Ram's Club) that ranges from $1 million in 2007 to $1.3 million in 2013. Baddour said he could not release all the details of the contract until it is approved by the trustees but did say the base salary will rise $29,000, the expenses will go up $5,000 and Davis’ supplemental income will go up $100,000.

The Tar Heels were expected to be much improved in 2008, with most outlets picking them to finish second in the Coastal Division. They didn't disappoint, finishing 8–5 and appearing in the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl, their first bowl appearance in five years. On October 4, the Heels dismantled the then 24th-ranked Connecticut Huskies 38–12 for their first defeat of a ranked non-conference opponent in 11 years. This victory vaulted the Tar Heels to #22 in the weekly AP rankings, their first appearance in a major poll in seven years. The following Saturday, the Tar Heels defeated Notre Dame to notch their first regular-season win as a ranked team in 11 years. A 16–13 overtime loss at Virginia on October 18 briefly knocked the Heels out of the rankings, but they were able to rebound with a convincing 45-24 victory over Boston College on October 25, making them bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004. It also vaulted them into the Bowl Championship Series rankings for the first time since the BCS began in 1998. A week later, they defeated Georgia Tech to clinch their first winning season since 2001, and only their fourth since Mack Brown left the school after the 1997 season. However, the Tar Heels lost three of their last four games, including a loss in the Meineke Car Care Bowl to West Virginia.

Davis led the 2009 Tar Heels to another 8–4 regular season record and a second straight bowl appearance. It was the first time since the 1997/1998 seasons that UNC had made consecutive bowl appearances. While they were ranked for much of the early part of the season, they swooned for much of September and October before rebounding to knock off Virginia Tech and Miami in successive weeks. However, a loss to N.C. State in the final game of the season sent them back to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. UNC faced Pittsburgh on December 26, 2009 in the game, but lost for the second straight year, giving UNC another 8-5 final record.

Following Davis' arrival, North Carolina has seen renewed enthusiasm for its football program, reflected in increased attendance. Despite a losing record in 2007, North Carolina fans averaged over 57,000 fans in Kenan Stadium during the season—the highest average attendance since Brown's tenure. The 2007 matchup against South Carolina saw a standing-room-only crowd of 61,000—the second-largest in school history. In 2008, a crowd of 60,500—third-largest in school history—watched the Tar Heels edge past Notre Dame. Additionally, Butch Davis led Carolina football to its 6th consecutive year of graduating more than 75% of its football players. The America Football Coaches Association recognized less than 30 public universities for superior graduation rates last year, with UNC the only such institution in the state of North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In July 2010, the NCAA began investigating possible violations involving improper benefits provided by agents to current players at UNC. In September 2010, the NCAA opened a second prong of its investigation, this time involving possible improper tutor involvement with UNC student-athletes. In response to the investigation, local and national sports columnists penned articles calling for Davis' termination. 13 UNC football players were held out of the team's season opener in Atlanta against the LSU Tigers. North Carolina fell behind 30-10 in the game, but rallied and nearly pulled off a victory, eventually losing 30-24. The Tar Heels later fell to ACC rivals Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and NC State, but won their first game since 1981 in Virginia's Scott Stadium and gained their first win ever in FSU's Doak Campbell Stadium when a Dustin Hopkins field goal missed wide right.

At the end of October 2010, three star players—WR Greg Little, DT Marvin Austin, and DE Robert Quinn—were ruled permanently ineligible after it was discovered they improperly accepted gifts from sports agents. Five other players were found guilty of accepting improper benefits and/or inappropriate academic assistance.

North Carolina fans responded to the calls for Butch Davis' job by beginning a movement in support of the coach. A survey of UNC fans reflected strong support for Coach Davis despite the ongoing investigation.

On July 27, 2011, Davis was fired by UNC chancellor Holden Thorp amid NCAA investigation of academic misconduct and allegations players receiving improper benefits from agents. Thorp said the move was necessary to restore confidence in UNC's integrity. He said, "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.""

On September 19, 2011, in response to an NCAA notice of allegations, UNC announced it was vacating all of its wins from 2008 and 2009, saying that its own investigation revealed players competed during those seasons while ineligible. As a result, those two seasons are officially UNC's first winless seasons in the modern era. It is only the second major infractions case in school history.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Davis will serve as a defensive assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012.

Broadcasting career
Davis also appeared on NFL Playbook, an NFL Network program where he discussed the week's upcoming games with fellow panelists. Davis also had his own segment of the show in the "NFL Playbook War Room", where he would break down key match-ups.

College
* North Carolina self imposed a penalty of vacating 16 wins in the 2008 and 2009 seasons due to NCAA violations. They are still awaiting final punishment from the NCAA.