[rmjvol]

Now that we know that John Bunting's fired, who will be his replacement?

Could it be Frank Cignetti?

What about Paul Johnson from Navy?

Who do you think will get the job and why? When do you think we'll know John Bunting's replacement?

[Lefty Noob]

I brought up Bill Cowher's name in another thread. He recently bought a house in Carolina and has broken off talks about a contract extention with the Steelers; rumor has it he may want to coach somewhere close to his new crib, and since John Fox is firmly established with the Panthers, why not UNC?

How about your boy Cutcliffe, Ross? He's said he wants to be a head coach again.

[cwstech]

I keep hearing Rich Rodriguez on other sites. Why would he leave WVU? He is an alumni of that school and he has already used UNC once as a bargaining tool to get a pay raise.

[Lefty Noob]

No way Rodriguez would leave WVU for UNC, in my opinion. A higher profile job, such as Miami (where his name has also surfaced)? Maybe. But why bail on the #3 team in the BCS to go coach at a basketball-centric school? Doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I think its more wishful thinking than anything.

[cwstech]

I did some research on the Rodriguez thing and he has quite a few years left on his contract at about $2 mil a year. I don't think UNC would be willing to pay that off.

As far as Butch Davis is, he has shown interest in UNC. Here is an article about that from the Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte Observer | 10/25/2006 | Davis expresses interest in UNC

For Miami, I was thinking more along the lines of Greg Schiano from Rutgers. As much as I would like to see him come to UNC, I don't forsee that happening. He was the defensive coordinator at Miami, and despite the success of Rutgers, that would be a step-up for him and the high profile job that every coach is looking for.

[cwstech]

I read this today on ESPN.com. A very interesting article.

ESPN.com - NCF - Heel turn? WVU's Rodriguez discusses UNC rumors

[mervinout]

ya i posted this in the wvu section, i think coach rod wants a pay raise, but if he comes to unc, hide your cheerleaders, he seems to like them alot

[ccorces1]

lol well he has good taste! i keep reading that same rumor but it makes no sense, pay raise or not, unc doesn't exactly have the same calibur players on the football field as they do in other sports

[mervinout]

Originally Posted by ccorces1

lol well he has good taste! i keep reading that same rumor but it makes no sense, pay raise or not, unc doesn't exactly have the same calibur players on the football field as they do in other sports

ya but unc is got a better supply of cheerleaders

[drwtmorris]

I am hearing many names right now, and I think Dick Baddour (UNC AD) wants it that way. The names I hear most consistently are Cutcliffe, Davis, and Johnson. As a Tar Heel fan I hope it is someone with proven head coaching experience. Someone who has proven they can not only coach but recruit as well. Just as I was writing this I got a call saying a new rumor in Chapel Hill is Terry Bowden. That would be interesting! Bunting came from the NFL, I want a proven college head coach!

[cwstech]

I read this a few minutes ago on ESPN.com. Thought I would share.

ESPN.com - NCF - Butch Davis jumps to top of list for North Carolina job

[gatarheel]

I think Davis is a big name and will do well, but he also had some bad players down there and they were not going to class and just gave the school a bad name. It seems that he want to get back to a big name school, so if we hire him I think he will be gone in 5 years. So we need to look for a coach that will stay a while.

[Lefty Noob]

Agreed. Davis has already said he wants to go back into the NFL eventually, so he'd just be using the Heels as a stepping stone. Of course, if he comes in an turns the program around, maybe one of his assistants could just be promoted to keep things going, but I'm not sure that's a gamble UNC should take.

[cwstech]

I agree. It is a very big gamble. A gamble that it seems we are willing to take. I agree with Lefty too. Maybe he can turn the program around and if he does leave another big name coach will maybe take the job and stay for a while.

I was telling someone earlier today, that as a person that attends 4 to 5 UNC football games a year, I would love to go to a game knowing that we have a shot at winning! That's what I want to see.