Durham: Meet Butch Davis' Assistant Coaches

Learn more about the Tar Heel assistant coaches.

June 15, 2007

Butch Davis was formally introduced as Carolina's new head football coach on November 27, 2006. It then took him 10 weeks to put together his staff of nine assistants along with a strength and conditioning coordinator.

Four of the assistants had previously worked with Davis, and a couple of them each recommended another assistant who was eventually hired. It was mid-January when he decided to retain two assistants, along with a strength and conditioning coordinator, from the previous staff. The final spot was filled during the first week of February.

Collectively this staff, including the head coach, has over 150 years of coaching experience in college football and another 36 years in the NFL. Four have been college head coaches, while three have been head coaches in the high school ranks.

After being together for 18 weeks, during which time a highly regarded recruiting class was secured and a competitive four weeks of spring practice was concluded, this staff has displayed a strong work ethic and a high degree of chemistry. It'll be fun getting to know this group as they carry out their leader's plan, but right now you probably don't know a lot about these coaches. Here is a sampling of a few things you might not know about them.

  • Butch Davis was John Blake's biology teacher in high school.

  • In 13 years at Carolina, Ken Browning has coached seven NFL draft choices.

  • During his 10 years at East Carolina, Jeff Connors was offered a position at Miami by Butch Davis.
     

     

  • Steve Hagen was a ball boy for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys during their summer training camp in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

  • With 28 years on his resume, John Lovett has more collegiate coaching experience than any other coach on the staff.

  • Chuck Pagano is the only assistant to previously work with Butch Davis in both college and pro football.

  • Sam Pittman had the nation's top two rushers running behind his offensive lines at Northern Illinois.

  • John Shoop grew up 100 yards from the first tee at the Oakmont Country Club, and caddied during high school at the site of the 2007 U-S Open.

  • Tommy Thigpen worked three years for Urban Meyer at Bowling Green before Meyer's successful stints at Utah and Florida.

  • During his six years with the NFL's Tampa Bay Bucs, Charlie Williams had Keyshawn Johnson play in three Pro Bowls.

    Beginning June 18 and continuing until August 24 on tarheelblue.com, each of the assistants on Davis' staff will be highlighted in a weeklong series of five-minute interviews. They'll discuss their coaching backgrounds, their memorable moments, their coaching philosophies and will update their positions of responsibility.

    Click on columnists on the home page of the website, and then click on Woody Durham's Daily Shows.

    Here is the schedule of the daily interviews which will be up for two weeks once they are posted:

    June 18-22: Jeff Connors
    June 25-29: Chuck Pagano
    July 2-6: John Shoop
    July 9-13: John Blake
    July 16-20: Sam Pittman
    July 23-27: Steve Hagen
    July 30-August 3: Tommy Thigpen
    August 6-10: Charlie Williams
    August 13-17: John Lovett
    August 20-24: Ken Browning

    You'll enjoy getting to know the assistants before Butch Davis' daily shows begin on August 27.

    • Meet Chuck Pagano and the rest of the Tar Heel assistant coaches beginning June 18.