North Carolina coach Butch Davis answers questions during the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff in Pinehurst, N.C., Monday, July 25, 2011. GERRY BROOME - AP
PINEHURST – Butch Davis said today that he “fully and completely” takes responsibility for North Carolina’s NCAA troubles, which he called the most important issue the school has faced in “many, many, many years.”
Davis spoke today at the ACC football media kickoff in his first extended interview opportunity since the NCAA charged the school with nine major violations in a notice of allegations in June.
“I’m the head football coach,” Davis said. “And things that happen, anything I can do to make sure these things don’t happen…anything that we can do to make sure that doesn’t happen again, that’s part of my responsibility.”
Thirty minutes before Davis’ interview, reporters were camped out at the time where he was to sit. By the time Davis sat down, more than 30 reporters had surrounded him to hear his answers.
Davis was not personally cited in the letter of allegations and said he felt like he always has had the UNC administration’s support. He said he never considered resigning in the wake of the investigation, but said he regrets what’s happened.
“It’s caused a tremendous amount of embarrassment and a tremendous amount of hard times for Carolina fans and alums,” Davis said, “. . .but we’re going to get through this.”
UNC has until Sept. 19 to provide the NCAA with a written response to the notice of allegations. School officials are scheduled to appear in front of the Committee on Infractions on Oct. 28 in Indianapolis.
Comments
g-alligator aka, " RED PUSSY"
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 16:36 — bluecat69bluecat69"TRUTHCOMESOUT" HAS GOT YOUR NUMBER-- BIG TIME, BITCH DAVIS IS THE BIGGEST CHEATER OF ALL TIMES, EVEN WORSE THAN ANY SEC COACH, U NEED TO TAKE YOUR BABY BLUE GLASSES OFF AND SEE THE REAL TRUTH, AT LEAST AT "DUKE" WE MAY NOT WIN MUCH, BUT WE DO IT THE RIGHT WAY-- WE DONT CHEAT!!! GO DUKE!!!!
If you are here to support
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 22:44 — TruthcomesoutIf you are here to support butch davis, please do your homework and find out what the guy is REALLY like. Put the punch down for just a few minutes and realize that butch played unc like a fool.
Find out what he REALLY did at the U.
Read what the NFL players think of the guy.
These two things alone will definitely open your eyes to a guy that is as shady as they come. He also will do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it is unethical. He doesn't care. The NFL players stated that ... you could tell that he was lying if his lips were moving.
This guy has a shady past and unc fell hook, line, and sinker for his lies and deception.
Read more on SI.com 10/30/04
Folks that play others for a fool
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 23:15 — gvillegatrThese kind of folks are long gone before you even know what hits ya. Butch is still in CH and every graduate and fan alike has known for a year now more or less.
Keep it coming, though.
And he's a cheater and still
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 23:20 — TruthcomesoutAnd he's a cheater and still hasn't done anything for you...keep him FOREVER!
PLEASE, KEEP HIM FOREVER!
"please keep him forever"
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 09:36 — gvillegatrThen why do so many of you think he should be fired or at least resign ?
And we're all still waiting for the proof he cheated. Good to know we have a resident NCAA compliance officer here at ACCNow !
I take full responsibility....
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 21:32 — dsspr1But I know nothing!
Taking Responsibility
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 21:43 — thebuckstopshereAs an Ohio State alum, I don't feel I have much room to cast stones at anyone these days, but taking responsibility means accepting the consequences of one's failures. It is clear that in that sense, Coach Tressel has taken responsibillity. What have been the consequences for Coach Davis? The flagrant violations of the players he recruited (exceeding anything proven about Ohio State players, who sold awards and autographed gear given to them or traded them for tatoos, vs. financial arrangements with agents and cash payments), and the actions of assistants he personally chose and elevated, speak to his complete lack of control of his program if he was not aware, and his dishonesty if he was. It's not hard to connect the dots here.
Taking responsibility
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 22:09 — gvillegatrLike you said, you shouldn't be casting stones.
But you did. And here is my stone back at ya.
"In Tressel We Trust" has been one step ahead of the NCAA for many years now. He finally got caught holding the bag (the emails along with the knowledge). He tried to cover it up and was caught. It is the only reason he's not the coach anymore at osu. You know that. I know that. We all know that.
To a man and many of us have said it in the past: The day they have proof Butch was involved or had knowledge of this mess is the day we all throw him out the door (figuratively, of course). Until then I'll continue to support him as you probably did with Tressel until you found out he actually did the thing he was accused of doing.
Taking responsibility
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 22:46 — thebuckstopshereOK. Then in that context, please explain to me what his inane comment about taking responsibility means. That is what led to my post. For what, exactly, is he taking responsibility, and what are the consequences of that? In case you don't know, you, like we, are in for years of public ridicule and an extended process of rebuilding our respective reputations. An we both await the NCAA's verdict on the seriousness of our offenses and the adequacy of our responses. I've had this happen to me twice in my life. I earned my undergraduate degree at SMU when we were coached by Hayden Fry before the well-deserved death penalty infractions. While Ohio State's offenses are nothing like those, I feel the same sense that something that was precious to me has been taken away by people who had no right to do so. UNC would do well to remember Paul Hardin, your former Chancellor for whom you recently named a building. He was the President of SMU who resigned rather than be complicit in the cover-up of SMU's offenses, led by the Chairman of the board of Governors and future governor of Texas, Bill Clements. The good names of Ohio State and of UNC mean much more than their football programs or coaches. And we both have a lot of work to do in restoring those.
Accepting responsibilities
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 23:12 — gvillegatrMeaning he is gonna ride it out for better or worse whereas every coach behind him has tucked tail and ran off to greener pastures. He coulda done that. He didn't. It's why I believe him when he says he didn't know. That's how a real man takes on the responsibility. I'm sure he is embarrassed for this happening under his nose and he wants to make it right no matter what someone else thinks. It's why I believe in him. It's why I'll continue to have his back on a message board with folks I don't even know like you. And trust me, you're kind in comparison.
Stuck
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 12:29 — noneyabusinessActually, Butch can't "tucked tail and ran off to greener pastures." Per his contract, he is stuck in pergatory. If he walks, he owes his boss $2MM and can not coach elsewhere for 3 years.
Yea
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 20:38 — gvillegatrBc coaches have never gotten out of contracts before. Noneya, coaches are the ONLY people in sports who break contracts and get away with it.
Not so sure about that
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 10:17 — JPDOhioGiven the current circumstances surrounding the program today, I am not sure that Butch has the leverage needed to break his contract without paying up. I will concede that sports probably is the one industry where contracts get broken or rewritten more often than most, but that usually is when an athlete or coach has so much success that they can demand more juice. When they perform poorly, the best they can usually do is continue to collect what's owed to them on their contract after they are fired.
Assuming those provisions do exist in Butch's contract, his actions now make perfect sense to me. He won't resign because there is no way he could negotiate those provisions away as part of an exit package. The public outrage would make what has happened so far look pale by comparision. It is not about what's good for the UNC football program. It's about Butch protecting his financial security.
How bout this
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 16:35 — gvillegatrWhy is it so hard for any of you guys to think he wants to be there. He's said it all along. He's said he wouldn't resign. Not to mention we would have already heard from someone somewhere that Butch couldn't go anywhere bc of his contract. Well, we haven't.
David Glenn was talking about many of you today.
Butch Davis
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 20:49 — belwoodTaking full responsibility for the "biggest thing to happen to UNC in many, many years" should include a resignation. So I don't think he's even close to sincere. And why does he take responsibility to see that it doesn't happen in the future? What was he doing in the past? Burying his head in the sand? Looking the other way? Distracted by what play to call next? I smell a rat here: "I'll be the fall guy among us as long as you don't fire me." We all know that if the same things happened in academia (well, it kind of did - but revenue sport athletes are exempt), a responsible Dean would be fired faster that an Alum can reach in his pockets.
A pathetic joke.
Oh butchy boy, glad you
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 20:48 — coastalconnectionOh butchy boy, glad you manned up and take responsibility, after all, u are the head coach. Now unc can give you a 2 million dollar pay increase, slip a cool million under the table to the NCAA and all will be right with the world. Does not matter that u oversee a bunch of cheaters, the only negative part of it was u got caught. I know the N&O is happy that u have stepped up and take responsibility. But if you really want to man-up, resign and really take responsibility. The NCAA hammer is coming!
Resign
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 20:48 — oldwellerThe old political tactic of "accepting full responsibility" is an empty gesture. If Butch really accepted responsibility, he'd do the honorable thing and resign. Butch hired Blake and gave him the title of Associate Head Coach. He's known him for forty years. They coached together in college and the pros. It is preposterous that Butch didn't know what Blake was doing, and how he did it. This is a third-rate scandal, and a first-rate university is getting its name dragged though the mud because of it. The sooner Butch walks the plank, the better.
If you're gonna accuse two guys of doing something together
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 21:47 — gvillegatr... at least get your facts straight. Butch and Blake only coached together with the Dallas Cowboys. Before that the only thing that linked the two was when Butch coached Blake in HS. You've probably done more with a best buddy of yours than these two "friends" did.
gvillegatr
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 11:11 — oldwellerGator: You're right. Butch and Blake had not coached a college team together prior to UNC. My bad. However, that doesn't change the fact that the two have known each for more than forty years. It's hard to imagine in the tight-knit fraternity of coaches that Davis wasn't aware of Blake's less than sterling rep. Further, I would submit, that's why he hired him. Blake was one of the best recruiters in the country because of his connections. The top recruits all want to play in the NFL. You can be sure that Blake's pitch included that he knew how to make the most of opportunities. It's not hard to connect the dots from there.
Dadgumit, oldweller
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 20:35 — gvillegatrYou got another fact wrong. Butch and Blake have only known each other for thirty years.
How many times does someone have to tell you guys UNC went through the proper channels to vet Blake ? The NCAA didn't have a record of any wrong doing on Blake. Just about every recruiter in the "bidness" has had someone say something negative about them on the recruiting trail. It was not a stretch to hear others say it about Blake.
LIke in the case at osu, the correct guy was "fired."
Question:
Should The Ol Ball Coach be fired bc of an assistant of his (late last night) pissing on a public street and being disorderly ? He's now gonna be a registered sex offender bc of it.
answer
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 11:36 — SurferI don't know... one bad apple [may] spoil the whole bunch (girl), but according to some posters around here, the whole University of South Carolina just exposed themselves, not just one idiot making a poor decision.
The problem with this logic
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 14:21 — danofncThe problem with this logic is that there is no reason to believe that this coach talked to Spurrier and said "Hey....I'm hammered and I'm geting ready to **** on a wall."
With Blake facilitating trips for players, it's a little harder to think he was doing it without the head coach's knowledge.
unbelievable
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 15:31 — SurferYou said it, hard to think.
4 straight years of liking Butch more and more.
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 20:16 — peetiepupWith each passing year, I like Davis even more. I just hope that UNC doesn't do anything to interrupt this love-fest.
The way i feel right now, I hope he keeps his job. Check back with me Nov. 6.
Butch: "I confess..."
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 20:13 — peetiepup"Blake did it!" "And Wiley, and Austin, and, and, and..."
Now, that's taking responsibility!
+1 !!!
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 10:22 — ProwlingWoofie+1 !!!
Eh, nothing new here.
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 19:45 — mad_maxEh, nothing new here. Pretty meaningless quotes from Butch. Basically the same crap from the initial press conference a year ago.
Still evading
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 19:03 — nonsequiturWhat a travesty this is for my alma mater. So clean, so long, so sad now. I suppose we can't expect the young chancellor to take the reins and apply the consequences to the man who let things get out of hand, on his watch, with his staff, with his players, with his family tutor.
Brd of Trustees ????
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 18:02 — AgentPierceOK .... now when will recent past and present members of The UNC Brd of Trustees accept their share of the responsibility for putting "Bragging Rights" above institutional integrity?
And yes .... the current UNC budget issues are considerably more important to UNC than Butch Davis.
Somebody's been drinking the punch
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 17:44 — TruthcomesoutI think you should really investigate the 'cleaning up the program', if you are refering to the U. There was some 'gaming of the system' going on, as butch and his counterpart used academic and track scholly's to get players on the team. Not really what you would call a clean-up, or ethical.
Just do a little researching...you will find out he's a slimeball. Better yet, he's lower than whale turds.
Ha !
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 18:37 — gvillegatrYea, a guy getting a track scholly an plays football is slimy an unethical. That s the first time that ever happened ! What a whine you are. Want some cheese too !?
PS ... You probably think RW was given a scholly in beisbol and football don't ya !!
It wasn't just ONE. Slow
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 18:39 — TruthcomesoutIt wasn't just ONE. Slow down on the punch...
Don't forget the academic scholly's for the football playa's?
Get your facts STRAIGHT, he didn't CLEAN UP the progam as you proclaim.
As I proclaim ??
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 21:39 — gvillegatrHow bout how everyone proclaims except one ABCer.
YOU ARE CLUELESS!
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 22:34 — TruthcomesoutYOU ARE CLUELESS!
"One thing can help: creativity with walk-ons. ESPN's Bruce Feldman had an intersting take on how Miami handled itself during severe scholarship reductions:
Miami was hit with hefty scholarship reductions (31) in the mid '90s, and had a one-year postseason ban. Butch Davis' program later ended up with little depth and was forced to play a lot of younger players well before they were ready. Davis and his right-hand man, Pete Garcia, had to be very creative in getting talented players into the program without some scholarships, either juggling with academic scholarships or track scholarships and also getting some help from a former pro baseball player."
Butch is a PRO at being shady...not to mention, do you have a CLUE what the players in the NFL thought of butch? Any CLUE? Would it surprise you that they didn't trust him? That they realized that he wasn't the wonderful Oz, that they had heard of...SI.com 10/30/04 - just before he was hired by unc, the writing was on the wall BEFORE he was hired, but NO ONE took the time to investigate. Just like NO ONE read McAdoo's paper or found the plagiarism ... are you kidding me? You call this a university? LOL
I'm clueless ?
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 23:04 — gvillegatrSchools do this kind of stuff. It is not illegal. It is not against the rules. Or at least it wasnt then and i'd be willing to bet it isn't now. What's the big deal ? How many times do you hear on any television tube that this guy runs track or that guy runs track ? Quite a lot.
As far as the NFL goes, please enlighten us as to what kind of players coach he was with the Browns since you were so emphatic about it. Let me drop a little knowledge on you that is fact. He's the only Browns coach since they came back to Cleveland to take a team to the playoffs. I bet his players really hated him that year !
Just give it a rest.
You'd lose the bet. The
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 23:36 — danofncYou'd lose the bet. The rules were changed by the NCAA, precisely because Davis used track and other non-football scholarships to circumvent the punishment that Miami was given.
Read this:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/web/COM1036134/index.htm
Here's an excerpt:
"As far back as midseason of 2002, when the Browns squeaked into the AFC playoffs as a 9-7 wild-card entry, I recall a Browns veteran telling me that many players questioned Davis' honesty and felt he did not always deal with them fairly.
"You can tell he's lying, because his lips are moving,'' said the player, who is no longer with Cleveland. "That's how guys feel about him. You can't trust what he says.''
The atmosphere Davis created within the Browns team complex had a touch of the Nixon White House. Sources within the Cleveland organization have long told stories of being wary of Davis and his autocratic ways, and some suspected Davis spies were sprinkled here and there. The longer Davis was around , the more power he consolidated into a tight little circle around him -- which mainly consisted of him and his right-hand man, V.P. of player personnel Pete Garcia."
Doesn't really sound like a guy that would be clueless to what is going on in his program, does it?
The rule was changed
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 16:21 — gvillegatrJust gonna pass that off as fact, huh !? If it was illegal how was Brackman allowed to play two sports even though he was under one scholly ? Ditto for RW. Ditto for I don't know how many guys (and gals) in college athletics today.
Furthermore your little cut and paste about Butch and the way he recruited is just that. Feldman doesn't say anything about him not condoning it.
Keep it up, though. You'll get it right at some point. Right ?
You can play two sports.
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 17:26 — danofncYou can play two sports. No one ever said you couldn't.
What you can't do is go to school on a track scholarship and then play football or basketball.
Butch had football players who were given track scholarships to circumvent NCAA punishments. That is no longer allowed.
TJ Graham runs track at NCSU. He isn't on a track scholarship. If he had gone to school on a track scholarship, and then decided he wanted to try football, he would have had to wait two years or give up his track scholarship.
That is the rule. It wasn't the rule when Butch was at Miami, and what Butch did at Miami was a driving factor in the change. It also showed, a decade ago, just what Butch thinks of NCAA rules. Or do you think he thought it was OK to given football stars track scholarships, since he was all out of football scholarships?
Annonymous
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 09:02 — gvillegatr1.) I'd love to try to sneak an anonymous quote by any of you state fans and call it fact.
2.) My fav part of your cut and paste was the player was no longer in Cleveland.
3.) whoever this mystery football player is, he probably didn't uphold his end of the bargain. I guarantee you he was a veteran and got beat out by a 1st or 2nd yr player. A disgruntled employee with an ax to grind. What a revelation I just came up with.
Anytime you want more stop on by.
Of course that's what you'd
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 09:20 — danofncOf course that's what you'd think.
When the player talked to Don Banks (a long-time NFL writer who probably knows which players he can and can't trust), he was with the Browns. Banks didn't publish the quote until after he'd left the team.
Banks also quotes "sources within the Cleveland organization", which doesn't really sound like a group of disgruntled former players.
Face it...you asked for evidence that Cleveland didn't like Butch. You specifically mentioned the playoff season. I posted an article that shows that people felt like Butch was an underhanded guy....even during the playoff season.
It's funny...my favorite part was when he talked about Davis and his director of player development forming a tight inner-circle. That's my favorite part because it makes it seem highly unlikely that Davis and Blake (who was essentially in the same position at UNC) didn't have the same type of relationship.
By the way....yesterday Butch said on 99.9 the Fan that he hired the tutor after she graduated with the complete blessing of UNC administration. When the story first came out, Baddour and Thorp said that the tutor's contract was not renewed because she was too friendly with some of the players, making it sound like she was fired. The first few strands of "the story" are coming unraveled.
Anon, anon, anon
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 09:32 — gvillegatrAnonymous crap is only there for anti fans to get a hard on. If you can't step up to the plate don't bother saying it. It only makes you look like sour grapes. Anonymous people ALWAYS have axes to grind. But to be fair I should also point out another fact. EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD IS NOT GONNA LIKE YOU. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE A HEAD COACH WITH MORE PLAYERS THAN STARTING POSITIONS.
Like I said, Davis took these guys to the playoffs. The ony coach to do so since the 80's.
You guys will throw anything up aaunat a wall to see if it sticks. Keep trying !!
Dan, that guy would argue
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 23:44 — TruthcomesoutDan, that guy would argue with a Stop sign. I am just trying to get him out of the trance he's in, cause it's BAD!
Good Luck
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 08:12 — YAR8packGood luck to you two fellas, because making gatr look at anything objectively instead of subjectively, even when it's staring at him plain as a punch to the chin, is quite the impossible task. If I may interject a cliche': Some people just can't see the forest for the trees.
Ah, you beat me to
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 16:05 — mad_maxAh, you beat me to it!
Truthcomesout must be new around here.
Mirror
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 09:04 — gvillegatrRight back at ya kid !
At least
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 10:36 — YAR8packAt least you've continually proven our points. Thanks.
Like the last post
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 20:17 — gvillegatrRight back at ya man.
Butch is so arrogant.
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 17:01 — PowderedToastManLosing funding to buget cuts is a more important issue than a bunch of thugs not being allowed to play football because because they're too self-entitled to have to follow rules.
UNC needs to step up and can Butch....why he still has a job after all of this is beyong belief.
back home
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 16:42 — JPDOhioBack home from the world capital of college football, Columbus, Ohio, where I gave my daughter away in marriage. It was an epic, celebratory weekend that would have made national headlines, except that Ben Rothlesberger's wedding that same day was deemed to be more newsworthy. One more reason to hate the Steelers. We didn't even make the local news, which was consumed by the hot weather and Ohio State's notification by the NCAA that no new violations were discovered and that they would not face a charge of failure-to-monitor. These failures on the part of the mainstream media to properly prioritize the truly newsworthy items did nothing to dampen our spirits. The open bar took care of that.
As I get caught up with reality today, The Ohio State news has me scratching my head, but just a little. I have heard rumors about low or no cost apartment rentals being provided to football players, and the stories of free cars being provided to athletes have been going on since the beginning of time. But, apparently, there is no evidence supporting any of the rumors. According to one of my anti-Ohio State acquaintances, the people who were interviewed by the NCAA are keeping quiet because they don't want to be run out of town. So what the NCAA is left with is Tat-Gate and Tressel's resignation as a result of his violations. Bad, but not any worse.
It has been interesting to watch how the NCAA investigations at different schools have played out. Each situation is different in some respect, but there is a key difference between UNC's situation and Ohio State's that I find intriguing. Both Tressel and Butch Davis have accepted "responsibility" for the violations in their programs. Yet, Tressel is out of a job and Davis isn't. Why? Probably because evidence exists that Tressel knew what was going on and lied about it, while Butch says he didn't know what was going on and no one can prove that he is lying about it. As a result, it appears reasonably settled that Ohio State will avoid any serious additional penalties. UNC may or may not, as the investigation carries on.
As to accountability and accepting responsibility, Tressel broke the rules and lost his job because of it. If others on his staff also broke the rules, there is no evidence of it. All incriminating evidence points to Tressel and he is taking the fall. As he should, being the head coach with ultimate responsibility. Butch on the other hand is accountable in name only, as others take the fall around him. He still has his job, no pay cut that I know of, just moving on. At a minimum, Butch is a hypocrite. How he can look his players in the eye is beyond me.
Congratulations...
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 18:39 — UNC1998for your daughter's wonderful new step in life. I wish the best for her and her new husband.
As for Davis, what do you expect he would say? "I feel no responsibility. I'm sure you saw the NOA, and I was not mentioned. Therefore, I am in no way connected to any of the ills the program is currently suffering from. I sleep well, and have absolutely no concern for the outcome, as I'm just in no way affiliated with it." I just couldn't imagine that. I'll say Davis is remiss for not knowing about what was purposefully being hidden from him. If the NCAA chooses to punish UNC for that it's just the way it goes. Some rules were broken, and a price will be paid.
If my 14 year old daughter steals the keys to the family van and cruises into a tree.... I am ultimately responsible.