Coach Butch Davis Fired by UNC Tar Heels

North Carolina fired football coach Butch Davis on Wednesday, saying the past year of turmoil amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct was doing too much damage to the school’s reputation.

The school issued a statement announcing Davis’ dismissal nine days before the start of preseason practice. Chancellor Holden Thorp said the decision was not prompted by any changes in the ongoing NCAA investigation but said he “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,” Thorp said in a statement. “The only way to move forward and put this behind us is to make a change.”

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This is a challenging schedule that presents a tremendous opportunity for our football team.

Having six home games and the Kickoff Game in Atlanta vs. LSU, will create a great amount of excitement for our fans, players and coaches.

Tar Heel Coach Butch Davis on the 2010 Football Schedule