(IMAGE SOURCE: Charlotte News Observer)

BY JOSH FRYDMAN

After standing by its embattled coach through months of NCAA allegations, it appears North Carolina finally had enough. The Tar Heels cut ties with head football coach Butch Davis, showing him the door, just a week before the team begins preseason camp.

UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp made the decision after meeting with the UNC Board of Trustees in a closed session following a public meeting.

"I have been deliberate in my approach to understanding this situation fully, and I have worked to be fair to everyone involved. However, I have lost confidence in our ability to come through this without harming the way people think of this institution. Our academic integrity is paramount and we must work diligently to protect it. The only way to move forward and put this behind us is to make a change."

Carolina will now be in search of not just a new head coach, but a new Athletic Director as well. AD Dick Baddour announced in a press conference Thursday morning he’s resigning as soon as the school can find a replacement.

The North Carolina football program has been in turmoil for more than a year. NCAA investigations found UNC players involved with improper benefits, illegal agent activity and academic dishonesty.  In all --14 players were benched for the 2010 season opener.

In June, the Tar Heels were formally charged with nine major NCAA violations. But ESPN's Joe Schad wonders what triggered the firing now?

"There were no new findings according to North Carolina. Recently, Butch Davis had agreed to release some of his personal cell phone records, and there are some questions about what would be found in those records, but I'm told that this is more of a cumulative decision. Obviously this is a very difficult time to make this decision because it's so close to camp."

A columnist for the Charlotte News Observer adds --  it was the right move, but the wrong time to make it.

"Davis had to go. That much had been obvious to neutral-minded people for months….By firing Davis now, Thorp and the trustees put the players on their football team who didn’t do a thing wrong -- the vast majority of the players on this year’s roster -- in an almost impossible position going forward...what was the harm in letting the NCAA process and the football season run their course?"

How big of a surprise is this to Davis? Well, just 48 hours before he was fired, the coach spoke to the media at ACC kick-off -- with no inclination his job was in jeopardy.

"And I can tell you this. The character and the reputation of the University of North Carolina, it will get repaired. There's an awful lot of unbelievably positive things about that institution. It's still a great school for education, and I'm very fortunate and proud to be the coach."

In four seasons at Carolina, Davis went 28-23, taking the Tar Heels to three straight bowl games.