As if the thrashing, and yes it was a thrashing, UNC got from UVa last night in front of a national TV audience was not a clear sign of Bunting's impending doom, then the comments UNC AD Dick Baddour made to ESPN's Erin Andrews before the game most certainly point to trouble ahead for the coach. From the N&O
Before the kickoff, he told ESPN that he was proud of the way UNC's players and coaches had continued to work hard to try to turn the season around. He said everyone was disappointed with the way the season has gone but that Bunting had done a lot of things to solidify the program -- including recruiting and team discipline. And, obviously, he said, everyone -- including Bunting -- thinks they need better results.
This is a case of looking at what he did not say . There was not anything remotely close to a ringing endorsement or even a statement saying that UNC wanted to wait for the season to conclude before evaluating the situation. In other words Baddour basically put all the options on the table. As far as what he did say, anytime an AD starts listing all the off-the-field accomplishments and then says better results are necessary you can pretty much assume that coach is done at that school. When you add this statement to the two N&O articles yesterday, the numerous calls from respected columnists and the general unrest in the fan base, there is really only one conclusion that can be drawn.
In my opinion, Bunting is a de facto lame duck at this point. Whether or not the next season or two would turn around is really inconsequential. He has lost support in every corner with the exception of his players. There is no chance of survival when that happens.