Comments on: Evaluating Butch Davis

By: Ron

Ron — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:03 +0000

All good points. I think what stings the most is where we are in the won-loss column and where Duke is to date.

I admit my expectations were out of whack this year. I wasn’t figuring on taking a step back from last year. But then too every season stands (or falls) on it’s own merit. Things happen, people leave, players get hurt. It’s how the team adjusts to that, how the coaches adjust, that gauges how good or bad they are.

By: badbadleroybrown

badbadleroybrown — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:21:56 +0000

I think we are where we should be in developing a program. THF makes some good points on the direction of the program. It’s the third season, the first doesn’t really add up to much given the time available for the coaches and staff to get settled in. I think we had a few assistants leave as well which is a challenge when you are building something. It takes time to make this happen, again look at the win/loss column over the last 10 years…the hopelessness that was football in the final years under Bunting. We have to build out our talent and skill positions, we have develop a robust conditioning process and we are still working through players from our previous coach. Some of them have been great others not so much. At the five year mark you should evaluate where you are and move on. I like how we have adjusted from game to game, the conservative approach not so much when we have the points but from a statistics perspective it works more than it doesn’t. I want to win but I recognize it takes time and I’m going to continue to invest in UNC sports, football included with my money and my time. Go Heels!

By: goheels

goheels — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:37:08 +0000

Good comments. I must disagree with a few though. I think the coaching staff is getting too much criticism. You can always find calls to disagree with. Davis, Blake, Shoop and Withers are all above average coaches, in my opinion. Did you see the offensive trick plays called in the first half? Now that’s fun.

Talent is all over the field, with the exception of the offensive line. What we need is toughness and leadership. Did you see Burney hit that guy? Our captains need to step up and show the team how to finish. I want some bad guys out there.

The players just need to execute better and be more consistent. It doesn’t matter what play is called if the players execute. For the record, I’ll take Yates over Turner, Sewell, Nesbitt, Taylor and Shinskie any day. But these guys need to show that they want it more than the other team. Be the aggressor and show some heart. It’s football – it’s okay to be a little bit nasty.

By: DSchwind

DSchwind — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:18:26 +0000

Also remember, ap1, that Butch was expecting a couple guys to be here this year that didn’t end up being here either because of injury, early graduation or personal issues. If they’re here, we’re looking at a deeper line with experience.

Talent takes time to recruit. It will be alright.

By: ap1

ap1 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:20:51 +0000

I hope I am wrong, but since the UVa game I have been convinced we would not win again this year. The fact we could score against FSU was a pleasant surprise, although FSU’s defense had a lot to do with that. Here is the reality: even in the ACC, you can’t win with this kind of talent on offense. it brings to mind the vile talent level Dick Crum left behind for Mack Brown, although it is not quite that bad. Butch just hasn’t yet recruited well at the offensive skill positions or at 0-line. Unless Renner is it, there is not an ACC-caliber QB in the program. Same is true at RB and receiver. The O-line is a mess. and this year’s recruiting is not, so far, promising. There may be some good talent redshirting this year, and I think next year will be better than this one, but if the talent level doesn’t pick up soon, the program is going nowhere.

By: Andy In Omaha

Andy In Omaha — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:14:51 +0000

We have all bagged on TJ Yates at some time, and I’ve more than advertised that I’ve started to throw him under the bus also. But what does it say if Mike Paulus isn’t ready to get any type pf playing time? If I were the UNC coaching staff, Paulus would have been getting snaps in the UVa game. The fact that he hasn’t played means that either a)he really sucks, or b)the coaching staff hasn’t done their job with developing him. Since his last name is Paulus, I would lend legitimacy to answer a, but I think answer b is legitimate as well.
Personally, I think that Butch and Co. aren’t really good at deceloping players. As I’ve stated in the past, try telling me that TCU, BYU, Boise State, and Houston are able to bring in more and better talent than UNC. You need to be able to teach and develop players in the college level, not run it like an NFL program where there’s not a lot left to teach.

By: heeledsoul

heeledsoul — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Please nobody utter the word “fire Butch.” a name coach like thy deserves 5 years or even more. No questions asked. We push him out prematurely and we will get ABSOLUTELY no “name” coaches for decades. More of Torbush and Bunting. Wonderful!

I chalk up our season to date to injuries and some fixable coaching blunders. Let’s let them shake it off. I’m still giving them a couple more years to prove to me that they need to go. In the mean time, Butch will get his players and he’ll give us some good wins too.

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:35:21 +0000

I don’t believe anyone is calling for Butch’s job or any of the other coaches just yet. The title of the thread is “Evaluating Butch Davis” and I believe most posts are in that vein.

That being said, a lot of UNC fans are disappointed in the seeming inability of the coaches to make changes during the game that would put us in a better position to win. The “conventional wisdom” that says you have to mix in a pass now and then to keep the defense honest works if you have at least two things going for you. 1) a QB that doesn’t rattle easily, makes good decisions, and has an accurate arm. 2) receivers that run their routes and catch what is thrown near them. Having a QB that is mobile and gives another option can go a long way to keeping defenses on their heels.

My question is why stop running the ball until the defense proves they can stop you? Sure we ran the ball up the middle and got stopped time and again. But they never stopped UNC when they ran the ball to the outside. So why stop when you’ve marched the length of the field by running the ball and been hugely successful doing it?

Butch has done a grade A recruiting job, but game day coaching leaves a bit to be desired.

By: william

william — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:54:45 +0000

Butch is doing fine, which is to say slightly better than the guy before him and good enough not to embarrass the school. If he makes some bowl games once in a while that should be enough to ensure his job security.

UNC has had 3 truly important football games since 1981 and we lost all three, to Clemson in 1981, and then to FSU the two years that Brown had decent teams. Why would we expect this guy to change things overnight, especially given that teams like Wake are actually trying to be competitive now.

People cried when UNC lost to Marquette in the 1977 NCAA Finals and to UVa in the 1976 ACC tourney finals. I have yet to meet a UNC football fan who has ever cried about one of our football losses.

By: Heels Perspective

Heels Perspective — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:51:46 +0000

Great comments and a good read for Tar Heel football fans.

I do think it is very premature to even suggest getting rid of Davis as the head coach. I think the talent pool wasn’t very deep when he took the job and would give any coach in football 5 full years.

There are a couple of things that do bother me and certainly that has been the handling of end of game situations, where it was obvious that UNC did have equal talent, only to lose those games due to coaching decisions that put the players in bad situations.

The other thing that bugs me, and some disagree is the handling of the Cameron Sexton situation. Certainly Davis and company didn’t not expect the injuries (and loss of Aaron Stahl) to the OL, but clearly Sexton would have given the Heels (this year) a better chance due to his mobility. Does anyone here want to argue that Yates is not the worst QB in the ACC?

I totally disagree with the Amato comparison regardless of how his tenure pans out. Butch has a relatively big name, but he doesn’t in any way shape or form really hype himself or his team in the media the way an Amato did. Amato had the fortune of having a top caliber NFL QB cover his mistakes early on and my guess is that, had he not been a State alum, his tenure would have been even shorter.

Hopefully BD can continue to recruit well, have the nads necessary to bring on Renner or any other QB who performs and start developing him. Along with the OL recruits the Heels need a top notch running back and hopefully the defensive juniors this year will stick around.