CHAPEL HILL — Four days after basketball coach Roy Williams was asked if he would be willing to take a pay cut to help the university, North Carolina football coach Butch Davis faced a similar question from the same local TV station during his news conference today.
Davis' answer, in a nutshell: his football program is trying to find a way to make cuts; he gives back to the community, the university and his church; that's a better question for the university's leadership to face.
Davis, like Williams, averages more than $2 million a year in salary, but neither coach is paid from state funds.
Here's the extended text of his comments:
Q: Do you have any concerns with the budget crises at the University at this time, and would you be willing to participate in an involuntarily furlough or take a paycut?
Davis: "That's a very, very interesting topic all across the country. There's no question everybody recognizes that we are in very challenging and difficult economic times.
"I can tell you there's not a day that goes by in this athletics department, and especially in this football program — we are always looking for ways that we can be smarter and more prudent about our budget: last year, busing to Virginia as opposed to flying to Virginia.
"This year, we just had a significant meeting about ways — whether it's hotels, meal plans, the number of players that travel ... the way we do training camp, are their smart ways that we can be prudent about that money that we have? I will tell you that I feel unbelievably blessed and fortunate to be a coach and be in this situation.
"And I will tell you that every single place that I have coached, my wife and I have given back not only to the community and not only to our church, we have given back to the institution itself. Long before it was economically in a crisis, we were doing that, and we look forward in the future to always being in a position to be able to do that, to give back to this university, to the community and to our church.
Q: Would you take a paycut, though, or participate in a furlough?
Davis: "That's not a question — that's a political hot button, and not really a question that any coach should be put in a position to have to answer. ... The leadership of the University, that's probably more in line with a decision they would need to make."
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at
Comments
The premise of the question
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 21:53 — tarheelfanblogThe premise of the question is flawed. If these guys do not draw state money then how does them taking a pay cut help? That is the question no one has answered.
yo
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 22:38 — gvillegatrthe first post (mine) asked the question.
Instead of asking him for a
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 18:43 — igliigliInstead of asking him for a paycut, hand him a pink slip.
College sports, the biggest taxpayer and student rip-off
around.
It was a very dumb question
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 17:00 — SweetsieIt was a very dumb question to pose. It is irrelevant. Roy and Butch are winners and winners fill seats and run quality programs. They pay their way and then some.
I think he did a very nice job..
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 16:21 — UNC1998answering a very loaded question. I'm proud to have him as the football coach at UNC. He portrays himself in a good light as an individual. He, in turn, helps the entire football program to portray itself in such a light.
I can't blame the reporter for asking the question. I only ask he/she ask it of every coach for every sport at every university in North Carolina. To do less is to be incomplete in one's job.
Annual renegotiation
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 16:04 — googleTo answer your question, State's coaches are paid about half those at UNC. But the real question is why Butch Davis has demanded raises each of the last two years. Doesn't anyone remember Dr. William Friday's impassioned editorials demanding that UNC NOT become another football factory by caving into BD demands? No way in the world BD gives up one penny. At least not until he leaves UNC for a better job.
Butch didn't ask for a raise this year
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 17:27 — festerButch hasn't asked for a raise either of the last two years. Get some facts straight. Butch got a raise last year because UNC's boosters and athletic dept pre-empted other offers from a few schools (one being Butch's old school.) Butch did not ask for a raise this year, however he did ask for a rasie for his 3 assistants who LEFT for more $ at other schools. Obviously those coaches didn't get the raise.
PAY CUTS
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 16:02 — adummyWHY should Butch or Roy give up anything so Gov Bev can use it to hire more of her cronies for jobs we don't need? Is Mikie's wife willing to take a cut in pay? Anyone who is willing to give up anything so politicians can squander it is an idiot. In the words of Nancy Reagan, JUST SAY NO!!!!
When asked if they'd take a
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 15:48 — TheBigGuyWhen asked if they'd take a pay cut these coaches should give a 1 word answer. No. If there's a followup question asking, " why?" they should say: Because. Any further questions should be answered with : I've given you all you need to know, next. Bunch a commies in our press, geeez.
I got a question
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 15:34 — gvillegatrwhy are these reporters asking Roy and Butch this when it is known they are not apid from state funds/?>?
how is Sidney and TOB paid?? I do not know that. anyone?? Bueheller?? why arent they being asked and if they have been, why is not being reported like at UNC.