Butch Davis Not Yet Officially Tar Heels' New Coach

Although the University of North Carolina has announced the hiring of Butch Davis as their new football coach effective at the end of this season, his appointment is not yet official.

There are two "small" hurdles UNC will have to clear before the deal is officially done. First, Davis must actually sign the contract. Second, the contract must be approved by UNC's Board of Trustees.

Each of these items should be addressed in "a matter of days" according to Nelson Schwab III, who also stated that the UNC system Board of Governors has approved certain exceptions in the contract (i.e. Davis' large salary) that allows the University to finalize their negotiations.

My question is why would UNC announce the hiring of a coach who has yet to sign a contract? Especially with such a high profile, highly sought after coach like Davis?

For athletic director Dick Baddour's sake and the sake of the Tar Heel program, I hope this deal is finalized quickly before it has the chance to blow up in UNC's face.

I sure hope no one is counting their chickens before they're hatched or we'll all have egg on our faces.