Perhaps FIU's surprise firing of Mario Cristobal this morning makes a little bit more sense now. Butch Davis, the man who helped rebuild the Miami Hurricanes in the late '90s, is rumored to be the top candidate for the job.
According to multiple reports, including those from Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, FIU's athletic director Pete Garcia is hot on the heels of hiring Davis. The two have a history: Garcia worked with Davis at UM and then followed him to his ultimately ill-fated stint in the NFL as the Cleveland Brown's head coach.
Davis was forced out of his most recent head coaching job at University of North Carolina during an NCAA investigation but was never directly implicated.
Though Davis never won a national championship with the 'Canes, he's widely regarded as being the mastermind who assembled the team that ultimately won a championship a year after he left under Larry Coker. FIU probably hopes that he would continue that local recruiting success.
It would be by far Davis' least high-profile head coaching job. You don't find many former NFL coaches at programs in C-USA schools. But considering the baggage he picked up at UNC, it's a good chance for him to reestablish himself.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
