With Tennessee apparently eying Butch Davis, among others, for its football coaching job, North Carolina is getting a glimpse of how much it can cost to win big in both football and men’s basketball.
In only his second season at Carolina, Davis makes about $2.2 million a year. That’s in the same general bracket as sixth-year basketball coach Roy Williams, who makes about $2.6 million.
But if Tennessee — or perhaps another school — offers $3 million or more, what’s UNC to do? The response by many of the school’s fans would be to match the offer, particularly if Davis wins nine or 10 games.
That’s the double whammy. It’s impossible to imagine that Carolina would pay Davis more than Williams, who has won a national title, reached the Final Four twice and could win the championship again in ‘09. Davis went 4-8 last season. If the school bumped Davis to $3 million, wouldn’t Williams deserve $3.5 million or more if he has another deep NCAA run?
Few schools attempt to balance the two sports coaches so equally. The leader is likely Florida, which pays basketball’s Billy Donovan about $3.5 million and football’s Urban Meyer $3.4 million. But Donovan has won two national titles and Meyer one.
At Texas, football’s Mack Brown makes about $3.2 million and basketball’s Rick Barnes about $2.2 million. Brown has a national title and Barnes’ program is among the national top 20.
In a tight economy and already having made a heavy financial commitment to expanding Kenan Stadium, UNC almost has to hope that Davis will stay for a modest raise and hope to win big again next season. That rarely happens, however. In the aggressive marketplace, money is almost always the driving force.
The ACC schedule may make it difficult for Davis to win nine or 10 games next season. At home, the Tar Heels will face Duke, Miami, Virginia, Florida State, The Citadel, East Carolina and an opponent to be announced later. On the road, they will visit Connecticut, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Boston College — all five will be challenging.
Davis may have to replace his entire group of wide receivers, including league player-of-the-year candidate Hakeem Nicks, a junior. He won’t make a decision on the NFL until after the bowl, but there’s reason to assume he’ll leave early.
There’s no doubt that Davis has made a quick, positive impact. He was rewarded with a raise after ’07, but an even bigger one may be needed soon.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
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Comments » 96
jsmithnga#207674 writes:
Expensive for them to keep their coach and expensive for us to lose ours.
TommyJack writes:
NC: Do what it takes to keep him.
NoMoreWooAfterGoodOleRockyTop writes:
In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina...errr...Tennessee! See ya Heels! Enjoy your ride back to the ACC cellar. Woody Durham is going to need some serious therapy.
JBruce writes:
Davis & Williams will both get raises this year. I believe him when he says he is not interested.
MANVOL writes:
I Don't want him anyway. Bring on Kelley or Leach. Shouldn't have to break the bank to get a coach. If you made an offer to Davis and he said know then move on this is to great of an oppurtunnity for a coach.
MANVOL writes:
that would be "no" not know.
orngbluded writes:
As a huge vols fan i would love to see Butch Davis in knoxville.I think we can offer more money,but does he really like it in chapel hill,if so he may stay put.If he wants to coach against the best coaches in the country, in the toughest conferance in the country year in and year out then he will come.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
what are we supposed to do ? Wait until January to start recruiting? Or just figure on another bad season? Where was the brain trust on this one? And you people tell us Fulmer is the idiot! Like we've always said the inmates are running the asylum!
keithvol1971 writes:
Does anybody know how much Coach Pearl makes? This coaching hire could cost us even more than what we pay our new coach. Coach Pearl may feel like he needs more than the new guy coming in. Just a thought.
orngbluded writes:
pearl i think makes 1.5 million
ATLVOL1 writes:
If davis doesnt even win his acc division he's not geting much of a raise compared to what Tenn can offer him. UNC should win the nat title barring injuries in basketball this year,so it wont even be a huge priortiy for UNC to worry about football, they should let davis go for anything over $3 million. If Tenn really has him as #1 candidate its a done deal the second UNC is eliminated from the ACC title.
keithvol1971 writes:
Thanks for the info! Lets say we get Davis for between 3 & 4 million. Wouldn't you think Pearl will be expecting a hefty raise considering where we are now in basketball. Sure...I know he hasn't won a NC with us but look at where we were four years ago to where we are today. Its like night and day. I was all for this coaching change but what will it cost UT in the long run? I'm glad I'm not paying the bill!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Kelley would also have a short trip and probably be hungrier.
asand211#361548 writes:
Thanks for your funny posts as we all get a laugh from them. Hopefully, you post them for humor and without any seriousness as they are plain ignorant. You've got no clue what Davis wants to do just like the rest of us. It is all speculation and if you think any coach will give a truthful answer when they are contending for a conference championship you are nuts. Actually, your screen name displays your ignorance and you probably really think Sanders should be brought back.
Volunatic writes:
Congratulations on posting on govolsxtra without adding a political diatribe. Is that a first?
asand211#361548 writes:
Yeah, we don't want Davis, a coach who's proven time and again he can actually coach and recruit. Let's go for Leach, someone who's had one good season and zero conference titles. It might work out, you never know. It's like going to the horse races and rather than betting on the best horse you go for a no name that came close to winning in one of his many races in the belief he will be spectacular even though there is little proof that will happen.
keithvol1971 writes:
Guess we should lower our standards to the likes of Kentucky huh? Enjoy your bragging this year bro. because Kentucky will be our b**ch again for years to come. The T for terrible is old....try coming up with a new one.
Volunatic writes:
I hope you mean "Whittingham" and not "Willingham"-- or were you joking?
It's kind of difficult to tell if a guy whose posting name is "HireSanders" is joking sometimes.
ATLVOL1 writes:
Pearl doesn't need a raise until we get further in the tournament than Jerry Green did...tho I am excited about BBall in the coming years, Pearl still needs to get to the final four.
orngbluded writes:
davis said he doesnt want to come here,saban said he wasnt going to coach alabama,nobody said leach doesnt want to come here he hasnt come out and said anything.we dont want spurrier hes 63 years old,so i wouldnt count anybody out at this point,no coach and come out and say they do want the job till the season is over.
jmbigorange#280428 writes:
No need to respond to this guy. Nobody cares what this moron has to say. Remember...When you feed a stray cat it'll never leave.
asand211#361548 writes:
That's a good point.
Jamey1210 writes:
Dude you have serious issues. Why not go to another site and post your ingnorant thoughts there.
soknoxcomom writes:
Muschamp for UT!
GoVol writes:
A good football program will always generate more revenue than a good BB program. Therefore, the FB coaches should be paid more.
asand211#361548 writes:
Muschamp would probably be a good coach, however, he's as unproven as Leach and I think that scares Hamilton because he is fully aware that a poor choice will cost him his job.
rusty_shackleford writes:
For everyone who believes a coach who says "no" in the middle of his season, read very carefully...
No coach is going to say "Hey, that's a great opportunity! I've got kids here still playing out the season, but I'd talk to anyone about another job at another school."
Don't be like Mike.
stillavolsfan27 writes:
My top 3 coaching jobs for Tennessee is
1. Butch Davis
2. Bill Cowher
3. Lane Kiffin
bobbyutvol writes:
MIKE LEACH IS THE CHOICE GUYS THIS GUY IS A WINNER. 108,000 VOL FANS WATCHING THE VOLS SCORE LOTS OF POINTS... WILL BRING IN A NEW STYLE OF FOOTBALL THE VOLS NEED TO COMPETE.. NO OFFENSE BUT MAJORS AND FULMERS STYLE LEFT YEARS AGO /// ONE REASON WE ARE NOT COMPETIVE... THOSE DAYS ARE OVER....LOOK AT THE FIVE STAR RECRUITS WHO WOULD WANT TO COME TO UT.. QB AND WIDE RECEIVERS TAKE YOUR PICK. KIDS NOW WANT TO SCORE AND HAVE FUN.. FULMERS STYLE WAS BORING VERY BORING.. LOOK AT LEACH"S RECORD WHILE AT KENTUCKY MANY RECORDS STILL THERE IN THE SEC.. WE NEED EXCITEMENT HE WILL BRING THAT FOR SURE.... GO VOLS
SemperVol writes:
The 'Caps Lock' is on the left end of the key board. The 'Enter' is on the right side.
No offense, but for the sake of the readers hit those two buttons every now and then.
blitzshoot writes:
I agree PD...Brian Kelly is a solid recruiter with a very solid base in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The only problem, he grew up in the shadows of Boston College. Whenever they call, he is gone.
blitzshoot writes:
Funny.
RE: Leach, I am not sold that Haslam/Thornton will warm up to his personality. I wonder if he would keep Chavis. I think he will be the one hit the hardest in this mess.
7_Game_Maxims writes:
We'd have to give him a raise.
orngbluded writes:
The question is can Leach recruit,he has been at Tech for 9 years and he hasnt won anything,look at his 2009 recruiting class,he has about 15 committs,all but one is from the state of Texas,so can he recruit anywhere else he will have to at Tennessee.
orngbluded writes:
it is suppose to be in response to bobbyuvol.
SemperVol writes:
Ha! Kinda figured that...but I'll respond anyway:
You know what would be cool. If we are gonna drop 4-5 million chedda peppas on a coach. ....
Sign Leach as an offensive coordinator for 2-2.25 million (that'd be a raise). Then, with the rest, bring on some wild-eyed young buck as the head coach and make him think he is running the show. Whatever's left give it to the Chief. However, fine him everytime he gives up a third and long
With his energy he can wander around the country and bait recruits with Leach's offensive scheme. Kiffin is too expensive.
After all, a true leader will surround himself with folks that are smarter than him.
JBruce writes:
Here is my top 3:
1. Bruce Willis
2. Jackie Chan
3. Barrack Obama
I don't think either list has a shot.
Volumni writes:
Here was ESPN's report on Pearl:
Looks like he's making $2.3MM per year on average.
Pearl was previously signed through 2013 and made $1.3 million last season. His new deal increases his salary to an average $2.3 million a year. It includes a $250,000 bonus and an upfront retention bonus of $1.5 million.
"We went to Bruce and talked about giving him some upfront money to incent him to feel even better about Tennessee than he already does," Hamilton said.
Should he chose to leave Tennessee in the next five years, Pearl would owe a buyout that starts at $2.5 million and decreases incrementally each season to $1 million.
brody1969 writes:
why want they just say they have interviewed kiffin or contacted kelly or emailed peterson...something at least let the recruits know your trying to do something.we are going to dick(d*ck} around and loose what recruits we have...
brando0275 writes:
Yes, yes, yes.....bring on Muschamp. If we don't get him someone else will and make us regret it later....
WhitePineVol77 writes:
In 8 years, 6 million will look cheap for a prominent national stage college team coaches salary...get used to it. The game has gone that way in part because the football teams stimulate local economies so well.
Butch Davis has his price, and he'd be a fool to turn down a $2.5 to 2.8 million first year TN salary.
BTW, it's "eyeing"
memphistnvol writes:
UT had better go ahead and bump up Bruce's pay now.
We want to keep him.
memphistnvol writes:
Phil should give half his $6 mil to Chavis. Chavis kept him in games for years. The stats would have been a lot worse without the defense's efforts.
If Phil deserves a nice severance package, so does the Chief.
OrangePower11 writes:
Then I surmise the screen name on your post stands for MORON.
gavol writes:
ESPN is saying that Clemson interviewed Lane Kiffin. It also said that they interviewed Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables last week.
It mentions Will Muschamp and Bobby Johnson as others who have been connected to the search.
cainclifton23 writes:
I still think we need to get Kiffen.
33 years old,
One the best recruiters.
But Clemson will probably get him. because we are chasing after big east and big 10 caoches. because they are so succesful against the SEC.
cjraney writes:
1. Muschamp
2. Kiffin
3. Kelly
If you don't read the whole Muschamp link, at least skip down to the part where Pro Bowl LB Zach Thomas says he didn't expect to respect Muschamp as a coach. Very telling.
http://3rdsaturdayinblogtober.wordpre...
givehim6 writes:
I have a question, we paid Fulmore 6 mill. to leave. If Davis is holding out for a 3 to 4 mill.offer can we afford that?
Colliervol writes:
Jealousy is a terrible trait. You should get help with that.
yeavols#228407 writes:
AGREED!! Muschamp! Keep dreaming on DAVIS...he's getting ready to retire in a few years and Carolina is a nice place to live..We need the young steely eyed ambitious coach that has lots of experience..Muschamp comes from the SEC..was an assistant coach and Cooridnator..where all coaches come from. PETERSEN, KIFFIN, LEACH all ok too..even the CINCY coach will work..
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