Mar 21, 2007, 1:20 GMT
Chapel Hill, NC - University of North Carolina head football coach Butch Davis is in good health after he had a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma growth removed from his mouth.
The problem was discovered by Davis' dentist during a routine cleaning several weeks ago, which led to many tests done on Davis to determine if cancer had spread to his body. The results were negative, however Davis is in the process of chemotherapy just to be sure.
'Our doctors felt it best to take every reasonable precautionary measure to insure my continued good health,' Davis said. 'My family, my health and coaching this football team are my top priorities. I would appreciate and expect the focus to remain on the North Carolina football team and our preparations for the 2007 season.'
Davis replaced John Bunting in November as head coach of North Carolina, which has never had a lengthy winning tradition in football despite top-notch football facilities and a strong in-state recruiting base. Davis hopes to change that.
'(UNC is) one of the most outstanding universities and athletic programs in the country,' Davis said after he was named head coach. 'My decision to consider coaching opportunities and the opening at UNC seemed to intersect perfectly.'
The Tar Heels finished 3-9 in 2006, including a 2-6 mark in conference play.
Davis found great success when he revived a then-suffering program at Miami- Florida in the late 1990s. The Hurricanes had been on top of college football for 20 years, but fell on hard times after heavy violations were levied against them by the NCAA. Davis, though, cleaned up the program and brought the Hurricanes back near the top before he left to coach the NFL's Cleveland Browns prior to the 2001 season.
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