Holden vs. Butch: Collision of cultures at UNC

Posted Aug 12, 2011
On July 27, Holden Thorp, the genteel, baby-faced chancellor of the University of North Carolina, fired one of the highest-paid and highest-profile employees of his institution, the drawling, $1.7 million-per-annum football coach, Butch Davis. The applause from the faculty and reform-minded media who saw Thorp’s move as a blow for books over balls was immediate and predictable. (Independent Weekly)

Related: Business & Administration

Martina Ballen To Retire After 38 Trailblazing Years In Carolina Athletics
North Carolina Senior Associate AD/Chief Financial Officer Martina Ballen is retiring after a groundbreaking 38-year career. The first African-American administrator in Carolina Athletics history, Ballen...
Wed Nov 5, 2025

Marcus Ginyard Named UNC Director Of Special Projects
Former UNC forward Marcus Ginyard was recently named Director of Special Projects at UNC, a role supporting leadership in the Offices of Public Affairs and...
Tue Oct 14, 2025

In-Depth With Bubba Cunningham and Steve Newmark
North Carolina Director of Athletics, Bubba Cunningham, and Executive Associate Athletic Director, Steve Newmark, discuss UNC athletics, why Newmark was the right man to replace...
Sun Sep 28, 2025

Chansky’s Notebook: Overspending
UNC’s Board of Trustees has gone from one spendthrift to another. The university has never revealed exactly how Bill Belichick was hired and who negotiated...
Fri Sep 26, 2025