In a surprising move, North Carolina's Board of Trustees sent head coach Butch Davis packing Wednesday. The decision comes in the wake of a laundry list of allegations against the school's football program and the looming threat of NCAA sanctions.

Chancellor Holden Thorp made the announcement, citing a desire to "restore confidence in the University of North Carolina and our football program" as a factor in the decision to fire Davis. And while removing Davis was expected and may have been necessary, SI.com's Andy Staples explains that UNC's timing probably couldn't have been worse.

"If North Carolina's Board of Trustees fired Davis on Wednesday for the sole purpose of protecting the reputations of the program and of the university, the trustees fired Davis about seven months too late," Staples writes. "If they wanted to protect only the health of the program, the trustees fired Davis about four months too early."

With Davis being fired just days before preseason practice begins, UNC's options are extremely limited in terms of finding a replacement. Thorp as well as athletic director Dick Baddour plan to meet with reporters Thursday to shed some light on their decision - and its timing.

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