September 13, 2005
Butch Davis remains mum on his future, Razorbacks
As the hot seat for Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt heated up after an embarrassing 28-24 loss to suddenly surging Vandy, Butch Davis' Touchdown Club speech in Little Rock seemed like perfect timing (or terrible timing, depending on your point of view).
The former University of Miami and Cleveland Browns head coach was ready to be quizzed about the Hogs' job, and artfully declined to express direct interest in job, while not ruling it out.
"That's an unfair thing," Davis said. "Houston is a friend of mine.""It's a great place," Davis said. "I've got family and friends - but it's a difficult thing. It's unfortunate that Houston's going through a tough time and I wish him the best and want him to win this weekend."
"Where I am right now, I'm keeping all my options open," he said.
Make no mistake...Butch Davis is THE #1 free agent head coaching candidate on the market this season, just as Spurrier was last year. Davis is flush with NFL buyout cash (at least $11 million), and can certainly afford to take his time to pick and choose the right opening in the college ranks.
Arkansas, where Davis played college football, has long seemed like a logical fit. However, Houston Nutt just got a brand new contract extension through 2011 (making a coaching change very expensive), signed a super-elite prep quarterback, and got a vote of confidence from AD Frank Broyles on the eve of the season opener (for what that's worth). However, nobody denies that the mere availability of Davis makes the hot seat hotter for Nutt.
Other schools that could vie for Davis' services--should vacancies occur at any of them--include:
Alabama
Mike Shula needs to win big games to keep the job, and Davis flirted with the Tide back when Mike DuBose was fired. Yesterday's humorous pot-shot at Bama won't endear him to the Crimson crowd, but probably wouldn't keep them from courting him again.
Miami
Is Larry Coker hearing hoofbeats in Coral Gables? If his tenure there ends soon (either by firing, retirment, or something in between), expect to hear clamor for a Davis encore engagement. After a less-than-stellar NFL stint, Mike Riley trekked back to Oregon State for a second round there, though Steve Spurrier did not seek to tread the waters again at Florida. Of course, Spurrier had already won a national title with the Gators, something Davis didn't get to do at UM.
Texas
Mack Brown's stock is rising these days--especially after the big win over Ohio State. However, considering all the hype and hopes surrounding the 2005 Longhorns, a collapse this season could seriously jeopardize Brown's future in Austin, considering the fanbase there that has long wondered whether he can lead national championship talent to a national championship. Butch Davis has long been mentioned a potential solid fit for UT, given his old Southwest Conference pedigree and successfull tenure as a Dallas Cowboys assistant. The odds are slim on this one, but you never know.
UCLA
Could Karl Dorrell's days be numbered in Bruin-land? It's too early in the season to know for sure, but you can bet the Bruins could do worse than to give Davis a ring. Butch Davis has the NFL head coaching credibility (like Pete Carroll) to open doors and sell tickets in SoCal, has experience coaching at an urban university packed with pressure to win, and has experience coaching in a market where recruiting competition is fierce. UCLA, however, may be tempted to turn to another super-successful former 'Canes coach--Dennis Erickson--who has solid Pac 10 coaching experience (something that Davis lacks).
An unexpected retirement at either Florida State or Penn State could also pique the interest in and of Davis.
Trackback
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.fanblogs.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/5579
Trackbacks sent to this entry are moderated and will appear once approved. You can use this specified URL in a weblogging program that supports pinging, such as Movable Type.
Comments & Trackbacks
