CHAPEL HILL, N.C., July 27 (UPI) -- The University of North Carolina Wednesday fired head football Coach Butch Davis amid an NCAA investigation of the program.
UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp issued a statement saying Davis was being let go "to restore confidence in the University of North Carolina and our football program."
"It's time to make a change," Thorp said. "What started as a purely athletic issue has begun to chip away at this University's reputation."
The NCAA notified the school last month it is investigating a series of alleged instances of academic misconduct and improper benefits for players. The team's 2010 season was derailed when seven players were disqualified and 14 others missed at least one game because of academic and other issues.
"I have lost confidence in our ability to come through this without harming the way people think of this institution," Thorp said. "Our academic integrity is paramount and we must work diligently to protect it."
Thorp said the decision was not related to any new development in the NCAA probe, but instead was about the "cumulative damage to the University's reputation over the past year."
Davis had been under contract through 2014.
