UNC's Davis says he will not seek job at Tennessee

Reports say Vols offered more than $3 million a year

By: By Bill Cole | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: November 13, 2008

Butch Davis will not leave North Carolina to become Tennessee's next football coach.

Davis said yesterday that he will not be a candidate for the job, which will open at the end of the season when Phillip Fulmer steps down after 17 seasons as coach.

"I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the University of Tennessee job," Davis said. "It's a great job, but I have no interest in it."

Davis was linked to Tennessee almost immediately after Fulmer and school officials reached an agreement that Fulmer wouldn't return as coach next season and would accept a $6 million buyout.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported late Saturday night that multiple sources said that Davis was Tennessee's top choice. The Tennessean of Nashville reported yesterday that the school was prepared to offer Davis more than $3 million a year to become its coach.

Davis, who will be 57 on Monday, said that he is committed to North Carolina and to building his program in Chapel Hill.

"I love being here," Davis said. "My family loves being at Carolina. We're building and with the administration we're doing everything we can every single day to build a championship football program here."

Davis has guided North Carolina to a 7-2 record in his second season headed into Saturday's game at Maryland. North Carolina is 11-10 under Davis overall, but has won 10 of its past 16 games dating to last season.

Davis said that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, hasn't been contacted by Tennessee officials to discuss the job or to gauge Davis' interest.

North Carolina gave Davis a one-year contract extension after last season through the 2014 season and a raise of $291,000. Davis' salary is about $2.1 million. North Carolina is also paying Davis a retention bonus that will be available if he stays at the school for five years.

North Carolina is paying $100,000 into the retention fund yearly through the first five years of the contract. The total will increase to $300,000 for the last two years of the contract.

■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.