TarHeelBlue.com • 81 North CaroliNa staff Profiles • HEAD COACH BUTCH DAVIS BUTCH DAVIS tackle Kentwan Balmer and wide incredibly well for the NFL,” says receiver Hakeem Nicks, both of whom Nicks. “Without his help and the as- became first-round draft picks under sistant coaches, I would not be where Davis’ tutelage. I am today.” Balmer had career highs in Carolina had an ACC-best five tackles and sacks in 2007, earned players picked in the 2009 NFL Draft, all-conference honors for the first time including Nicks, second-round pick and was selected in the first round by Richard Quinn, third-rounder Brandon Head Coach 3rd Year at UNC the San Francisco 49ers. Last year, Tate and fifth-round picks Garrett 35th Year Overall Nicks finished an outstanding three- Reynolds and Brooks Foster. Add year career with 14 school records and defensive end Hilee Taylor (Carolina was selected in the first round by the Panthers) and place-kicker Connor North Carolina head coach Butch in the classroom, the weight room and New York Giants. Nicks became the Barth (Kansas City Chiefs) from Davis has brought energy and enthusi- other areas off the field. We are climb- 30th first-round draft choice Davis has the previous season and UNC has asm back to the Tar Heel football pro- ing the mountain.” produced as a college coach. Many produced seven NFL players in just gram with his ability to motivate, teach Davis’s first season in Chapel Hill observers agree that Davis and his two years. and recruit at the highest level. A man was highlighted by an impressive 33- staff prepare players for professional But statistics and draft choices with a proven record of success and an 27 win over Miami, in which he earned football better than any other group in don’t reveal the full story. Davis has unyielding commitment to excellence, his first ACC victory against his former the country. hired an outstanding staff of assistant Davis has a clear vision for building school. Carolina was competitive “Coach Davis taught me how coaches, brought in three consecu- a championship program in Chapel in nearly every game, with to be a professional player,” tive recruiting classes stocked with Hill based on integrity, character and six losses decided by a says Balmer. “I know some of the nation’s top high school honor. combined total of just I still have a lot to players, and produced an entertaining The former head coach at the 24 points. Statistically, learn, but I think I product on the field. In addition, the University of Miami and the NFL’s Carolina finished 35th understand more of University is currently underway with Cleveland Browns, Davis is Carolina’s in the country in total what it takes to be a renovation of Kenan Stadium that 33rd head coach and the ninth since defense, improving an NFL player now will enhance the overall fan experience the ACC was formed in 1953. nearly 60 positions than I did before. I and provide much-needed recruit- Introduced as North Carolina’s from the previous year. wouldn’t be a first- ing and office space for the football head coach on Nov. 13, 2006, Davis Several indi- round draft pick program. A fifth floor was added to quickly rejuvenated the fan base and viduals have benefitted without his help and the Kenan Football Center following brought excitement to every Saturday from Davis’s return to guidance.” the 2008 season. The floor contains at Kenan Stadium. Beginning with his the college game, none “Coach Davis additional space for the day-to-day first Carolina recruiting class in 2007, more than defensive prepares players operations of the football program, which many analysts ranked among four premium gameday suites, a larger the top 10 in the country, Davis has video and studio facility and a state- connected with student-athletes and of-the-art press conference area. The fans alike with his brand of fast, hard- recruiting area and suites will also be nosed, disciplined football. used as academic study areas during Over the past two seasons, Caro- the week. The second floor was lina has sold out 12 of 13 contests, completely renovated for increased increased average attendance by nearly football meeting spaces, includ- 18 percent and sold a school-record ing bigger individual position 36,250 season tickets in 2008. meeting rooms and a larger team Carolina improved from 4-8 in meeting room. The fourth floor 2007 to 8-5 in 2008, the sixth-best renovations include additional turnaround in the country. The office space for football sup- Tar Heels won games over bowl port staff. teams Rutgers, Miami, Con- No stranger to success, necticut, Notre Dame, Boston Davis has coached in 12 College and Georgia Tech postseason bowl games as and were in the hunt for the an assistant or head coach, 2008 ACC championship including two apiece in the until the final week of Fiesta, Orange and Sugar the season. Carolina’s Bowls, and he either eight wins were its recruited or coached most since 2001. The nearly all the players Tar Heels earned an in- from Miami’s 2001 vitation to the Meineke Car national championship Care Bowl in Charlotte, its team. He also won two first postseason game since Super Bowls as an assis- 2004. UNC sold more than tant coach with the Dallas 22,000 tickets (10,000 more Cowboys. An excellent than its allotment) in just one motivator and techni- week of sales and had an esti- cian, Davis recruited or mated 40,000 fans in attendance. coached a number of “We are building a program to players at Miami who compete at the highest level for a were selected in the NFL national championship,” says Da- Draft, including an vis, who won a national title as an amazing 28 first-round assistant coach with Miami in 1987. picks. “It’s a process that takes time and we Prior to his arrival are heading in the right direction. The in Chapel Hill, Davis steps we take are not always evident served as an analyst on on the field, but are also accomplished the NFL Network for two 82 • TarHeelBlue.com North CaroliNa staff Profiles • HEAD COACH BUTCH DAVIS No stranger to success, Davis has coached in 12 postseason bowl games as an assis- tant or head coach, including two apiece in the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls, and he either recruited or coached nearly all the players from Miami’s 2001 national championship team. He also won two Super Bowls as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys. As a head coach, Da- vis has recruited or coached an amazing 30 first-round NFL Draft picks. seasons. There he was able to watch including a 37-20 victory and study the latest college football over Florida in the Nokia offensive and defensive schemes. Sugar Bowl. That team Yearning to return to the college was second in the nation coaching ranks, Davis surveyed the in scoring, fifth in total college football landscape, and when offense, fifth in scoring the Carolina job came open, he was defense and eighth in pass immediately interested. defense. “When I looked at everything Davis also empha- North Carolina had to offer in terms of sizes the importance of a great campus setting, access to play- academics, and his Hur- ers and the proper balance between ricanes earned recognition athletics and academics, I knew this from the American Foot- would be a good fit for me and my ball Coaches Association family,” said Davis. for outstanding graduation Davis was head coach for six rates in each of his six seasons at Miami (1995-2000) and seasons. The Davis Family: Drew, Tammy and Butch led the Hurricanes to a 51-20 record, Davis left Coral three Big East Conference champion- Gables following the defensive coordinator in the Cowboys’ five years at Oklahoma State. The Hur- ships and four postseason bowl wins 2000 season to join the Cleveland 30-13 win over Buffalo in Super Bowl ricanes went 52-9 in those five years in as many appearances. He took over Browns. In his first season in Cleve- XXVIII. As defensive line coach in and won the national championship a Miami program faced with NCAA land in 2001, Davis led his young team 1992, Davis helped the Cowboys lead after beating Oklahoma in the Orange sanctions that restricted the number of to an impressive 7-9 record, exceeding the NFL in rushing defense. As coor- Bowl to cap a perfect 12-0 record in scholarships in his first three seasons. by two the expansion club’s combined dinator a year later, the Cowboys set a 1987. He coached 15 linemen who However, his Hurricane teams finished victories from 1999 and 2000 (5-27). team record by allowing just 21 touch- went on to play in the NFL, including ranked in the Associated Press Top Cleveland led the NFL in takeaways downs in 16 regular-season games and All-Americas Bill Hawkins, Cortez 25 on four occasions, including No. 2 with 42, including a league-high and allowed one offensive touchdown or Kennedy, Russell Maryland, Daniel in the nation in 2000, when the Canes team-record 33 interceptions. The less in 12 of 16 games. Stubbs and the late Jerome Brown. went 11-1 and beat Florida, 37-20, in Browns defense also scored 32 points Davis was also de- the Sugar Bowl. (four interception returns, one fumble fensive coordinator dur- First-round draft picks coached or recruited by Davis as a college head coach: In his first year in Coral Gables, return, one safety).