CHAPEL HILL - Holden Thorp said today that he has no plans to step down as the University of North Carolina’s chancellor and that the UNC system Board of Governors “has been great through this” NCAA investigation of UNC’s football program.
“Carolina is a great research university,” Thorp said. “We’re getting a great class next week coming in. We have great students coming back. We’ll have the faculty continue to make discoveries. Our research grants continue very, very strong, and fund raising continues very, very strong. This is a great, great public university.
“I feel inspired by the way our faculty has responded to the economic crisis, and I’m proud to be their leader.”
Thorp spoke to reporters today after giving the Board of Governors Committee on University Governance an update on the NCAA investigation. UNC is charged with nine major rules violations and must respond to the NCAA by Sept. 19.
University officials will take the full 90 days to respond to the NCAA, Thorp said. UNC is scheduled to appear in front of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions on Oct. 28. Today, Thorp spoke publicly in front of the Board of Governors committee for only about 90 seconds before the meeting went into closed session to discuss personnel matters.
On July 27, Thorp fired football coach Butch Davis, saying he could not stand for the damage UNC’s reputation was sustaining because of the investigation. Many fans have called for Thorp’s ouster, saying Davis wasn’t directly responsible for the violations and that nine days before the start of preseason training camp was bad timing for the decision.
But a Public Policy Polling survey of 317 UNC fans in North Carolina found that 36 percent agreed with Davis’ firing, while 27 percent disagreed.
Board of Governors chair Hannah Gage said she supports Thorp.
“He did the right thing,” Gage said. “He made the right decision, and I think it took a lot of courage. He’s the first one who said the timing wasn’t perfect, but it took a lot of courage.”
Comments
I'm of the opinion
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 10:17 — UNC1998That Thorp's job is to run the University and protect it's "Brand" around the country. His decision to dismiss Davis certainly has divided UNC's followers into at least two camps. If he is the chancellor to be in charge when the new AD is hired, and thus the coach is retained or a new one hired.... they'd better succeed. Otherwise he's failing in one of this duties. Certainly, players graduating and following the rules of the game and laws of the community is vitally important. I'm confident that will happen. Also, though, his duty to give the athletic department fair treatment is his job also. After all, it could be argued that's the "Brand" that is most referred to.
Too much of a fanboy
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 01:22 — restonpack1I'm not that big a fan of Thorp. He should have fired Butch Davis last year. Instead, he spent time trash-talking Tennessee to football boosters. Even in firing Davis, he seemed unduly concerned with winning football games, sounding more like an AD or the head of the booster club than like a chancellor. And, he's now created an AD search committee that is loaded with sports boosters. There is only one person on the committee who appears to be anything other than a booster.
That said, the notion of firing him for not keeping the dirtiest ACC coach since Danny Ford is striking, and tells you a lot about just how far out of wack UNC's culture has gotten. Nine major violations, and they want to fire the chancellor for firing the coach. I doubt the most deep-fried SEC school would have this type of movement. For it to happen at UNC is a pretty strong signal that sports boosters are running the place.
Phony
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 21:47 — oxvegas2001Of course he won't step down - what could be worse than stepping down from one's dream job? He'll never admit that he's in way over his head nor acknowledge that the same reason he fired Davis and soiled Baddour's legacy is precisely why he should resign. What kind of leader lets the football coach and athletic director take the fall for academic violations when that same leader was the dean responsible for the tutor that caused these problems? Thorp, you are a hypocrite and a disgrace to our great University.
Regretful
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 20:32 — InspectorPittIt's all about academic integrity .....
and if it is, the Chancellor has to go, too.
And for your information....
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 20:30 — gradyjlHad Thorp not fired Butch Davis and not caved in to the pressures of non-UNC people (haters and detractors), he could now be focusing on his primary mission instead of fighting angry alumni at every corner. Face it Mr. tax payer, Thorp has damaged UNC by tearing it into. He will not go down in UNC history as a favorite son.
That darned pressure!
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 12:14 — peetiepupThe pressure of the "haters and detractors" in the chat rooms and comment boards? Wow. Do you mean that we have that much power? Cool.
But it seems that you must also include the UNC faculty, which was probably enduring intimidation from the pro-Butch Davis crowd that ran UNC. They were silent out of fear, it seems, of the backlash they would endure if they spoke out. Finally, they feel free to speak out.
Thorp probably knew that if he didn't wait for a majority of the board to side with him, firing Davis would lead directly to getting fired himself - and Davis, ironically, keeping his job. Sadly, Thorp might still get fired. I think he handled this the best way he could, considering how the sports boosters had too much control in Chapel Hill.
I didn't really care whether Davis got fired or not. Davis and his staff served the useful purpose of exposing what was going on.
Misplaced attention
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 18:51 — HaveSmartsWillTravelOK, I'm also a UNC grad, as is a son. If Thorp goes down over the replacement of a doggone football coach with what turned out to be a program working at and over the edge, that would be a real travesty. Really, good grief, it's a football coach. We aren't talking about Thorp having condoned or committed research malfeasance, or firing people in an attempt to promote academic decline. Au contraire, that's what he's tried to continue to focus on, while others waste his time and our time with the football thing. It's a university, dammit.
You are missing .....
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 01:30 — InspectorPittthe fact that Thorp has said he won't investigate the professor who graded McAdoo's plagiarized paper. That's academic integrity! Is plagiarism a widespread practice at UNC? I'd want to know the answer to that if I were the Chancellor at a flagship university.
It is about more than football now.
Butch Davis didn't grade that paper, nor did the Honor Court.
I would respect Thorp if he
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 17:16 — awdracerI would respect Thorp if he would dig into the academic fraud happening right under his nose. It doesn't look like it's going to happen though. Why is UNC allowed to "investigate" itself. It makes no sense.
I dont' care
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 16:51 — HeelsforeverI don't care if he stays or goes, but maybe he should keep in mind that Davis didn't have any plans to step down either, yet someone else decided that for him. I'm sure the BOG and the BOT and any other alphabet combination support Thorp and his decision, but the minute they realize Thorp's presence is causing the school to lose money, they will change their thoughts.
Would you have thoughts ....
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 01:31 — InspectorPittof stepping down if the AD and Chancellor were all in your corner?
Holden Thorp
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 16:28 — holstiI have a very warm spot in my heart for UNC. My daughter received MD and MPH degrees there in 1999 and did her residency there as well. It is really good to know that the leadership of the university--Dr. Thorp in particular--understand that education is a more important goal than entertain on the athletic field. Sports are great, but NOT when they get in the way of the university's main mission--teaching, training, research, etc.
I strongly suspect that Bill Friday, one of the great university presidents of the 20th century, would agree with Dr. Thorp's decision.
Bill Friday has been well
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 09:08 — unc098Bill Friday has been well ahead of the curve on this issue for many years.
For Thorp to step down over Football would truly mean that the boosters run the university.
The cynical comment about tarnished image and its consequent monetary implications has some merit.
Bill Friday has been very
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 09:28 — danofncBill Friday has been very outspoken about "big-time athletics" and the problems involved with them......right up until his beloved UNC-CH got into trouble.
Now, his tone has softened and he has dulled his pointy stick.
My how the heels fans have learned!
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 11:44 — peetiepupHeel fans, some of whom run newspapers and chair important boards and committees, have finally learned not to make such a big deal out of little things like sports scandals. Well, it's about time, isn't it?
Take the Valvano scandals, for example. 1990 was a long time ago, but the headlines on the N&O rivaled the headlines of Japan Attaacks Pearl Harbor and VE-Day. Day after day, hysterical front-page headlines and damning editorials roused the public into a frenzy. Valvano couldn't be tolerated in the UNC system, so an independent investigation soon followed, even though Valvano promised he would fix things.
Now those folks who whipped up that hysteria (at least those who are still around) have learned not to jump to conclusions and make such a big deal out of these things - JUST IN TIME TO SPARE THE BELOVED TARHEELS THE MISERY THEY PRESCRIBED FOR NCSU.
See how that works?
Why the paranoia?
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 17:43 — gradyjlI have a soft spot in my heart for UNC as well. I graduated from UNC as did my son. My wife has a graduate degree from UNC. We deserve a vote. I don't understand the paranoia of those who suggest that what was happening in the football program was someway undermining the academic integrity of the university. I believe what you have here is a cast of academic characters who are not UNC grads for the most part, and who did grow up in North Carolina, and therefore have no allegiance to the university. Several football players were getting incentives from agents to sign with them after graduation. While a violation of NCAA rules, that certainly was not condoned by Butch Davis and did not violate the university's integrity. The players' integrity, yes. Football players getting excessive parking tickets. Once again, if that threatened the university's integrity, then that is a university issue, not the football coach's problem. The issues with the tutor once again seem to fall under the purview of the university. Hell, Butch Davis was diagnosed with cancer withine nine months after becoming the UNC head coach. If you are close to anyone who has ever received such a diagnosis, then you should know that Butch spent more time on his knees that monitoring Marvin Austin's twitter account. He also trusted Blake, and said (and Thorp backed him up) he knew nothing about him (Blake) having a financial connection with an agent.
Thorp fired Butch Davis, putting all the blame on him. I think Thorp simply overreacted and made the worst possible decision. He and Butch and the AD could have worked this thing out. I have no confidence in Thorp, a man whom I earlier respected and thought was the right man to lead the university. No more.
Remember ....
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 01:33 — InspectorPittThorp acted after he got that email from Tom Ross .........
thorp status
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 22:26 — estallTo previous commenter with soft spot in his head. Thanks for getting to the bottom of the UNC football scandal; Cancer was the culprit! Metaphorically speaking, indeed the illegal and morally-depraved shanagins that landed the Tar Heel football program in the NCAA dogpen could be blamed on "cancer". The "moral cancer" that exists in the "Carolina Fold", to borrow from Coach Withers news conference terminology today, has spread to the pinnacle of the UNCCH hypocrisy/spin center, the chancellor's office. Along with the entire campus hysteria, the Chancellor has joined in "circling the wagons" to try and weather the NCAA "Storm" that is casting a pale of impotency campus-wide. So sad...
Football over academics?
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 19:13 — Locomotive_BreathHate to break it to you, but regardless of where we grew up or where we went to school, all of us pay taxes that go to support the UNC system. That automatically gives us a stake in UNC and perhaps a little clearer vision when not blinded by a soft spot.
The fact that Thorp had to spend so much time on the football program when there are more pressing academic issues at UNC undermines the academic integrity.