Bucs candidate Davis has UNC buyout package

When the University of North Carolina fired former head coach Butch Davis amid an NCAA investigation of academic misconduct and unlawful player-agent relations, it put itself on the hook for a $2.7 million buyout.

Because Davis was fired without cause, he immediately became entitled to a buyout package that included a payout of $933,500 for 2011 and supplemental payouts of $590,000 each year from 2013-15, UNC officials said when Davis was fired in July.

"The University will owe Coach Davis an additional $590,000 each January 15, starting in 2013 and concluding in 2015,'' the University said in a statement at the time of Davis' firing. "These amounts would be reduced by any compensation that Coach Davis might earn for coaching in a college or professional program. The maximum total that Coach Davis could receive is $2,703,500.''

It is unclear whether the terms of Davis' buyout with North Carolina are impacting his negotiations to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Late Thursday, two sources close to the negotiations told The Tampa Tribune a deal to make Davis a part of new head coach Greg Schiano's staff had not been completed. Earlier Thursday, a FoxSports.com report said Davis had been hired in the capacity of a senior advisor.

Meanwhile, ESPN's Rachel Nichols posted Friday on Twitter that New York Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan was interviewing for the Bucs' offensive coordinator position.

Sullivan helped Eli Manning to the best season of his career in 2011, when he led the Giants to their second Super Bowl title in the last four years. Manning was named the Super Bowl MVP for the second time.

Sullivan was receivers coach with the Giants for six years before taking over quarterback duties in 2010.

Schiano has been working to assemble a staff since being introduced on Jan. 26 as the team's ninth head coach. The previous staff was let go when Raheem Morris was fired as head coach on Jan. 2 after three seasons.

Schiano, who spent the past 11 seasons as the head coach at Rutgers University, was an assistant on Davis' staff at the University of Miami, serving as defensive coordinator from 1999-2000.

Davis, 60, coached the Hurricanes for six seasons, compiling a 51-20 record and finishing with a No. 2 ranking in the final BCS standings for 2000.

Davis moved onto his first NFL head-coaching job, but struggled in his attempt to turn the Cleveland Browns into winners. He resigned after four years, a 3-8 start in 2004 and a 24-35 record.

Davis was out of the game for nearly two years before the University of North Carolina named him its head coach in November 2006.

Much like Schiano at Rutgers, Davis took over a struggling program at UNC. The Tar Heels posted winning records in three of their previous eight season before Davis arrived.

Though the Tar Heels won only four of 12 games during Davis' first season, they were considered a far more competitive team in losing six games by a touchdown or less, including two to teams ranked in the top 15.

The Tar Heels then produced three straight winning seasons under Davis, who compiled a 28-23 regular-season record at UNC before he was fired in July 2011 amid an NCAA investigation of academic misconduct and allegations of players receiving improper benefits from agents.

Two months later, UNC officials announced the forfeiture of all its victories from the 2008 and '09 seasons, saying its own investigation revealed players had competed during those seasons while ineligible.