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So, now that Dick Baddour has pulled the trigger and fired John Bunting – his critics would call it his best move as AD yet in almost 10 years – we take a look at names who may be on Baddour’s short list, if he in fact has one.

At the least, there are some coaches here that legitimately could have an interest in the UNC job or that the school has reason to believe it has a shot to hire.

What's a good fit? Well, there are the known quantities, big-name Frank Beamer-type coaches, the kind who have already burned Baddour in the past. West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez might fall into this category, as he (or one of his proxies) is rumored to have contacted UNC about the job. He could just be trying to get himself or his assistants a raise, if so. There are also the lesser-known "next-hot-coaches" out there. Texas’ Gene Chizik, Tulsa's Steve Kragthorpe and Navy’s Paul Johnson might fit this description.

It's unlikely Baddour and his cadre will rule out any particular background out of hand, except maybe NFL position coach. Generally, you don't make the same mistake back to back. And don't think Baddour, a UNC grad and lifelong employee, is married to the idea of hiring within "the family." Like you, he remembers Matt Doherty, and Bunting hasn't exactly worked out. His preference is for a proven winner.

Here's a list of potential candidates for the job, and some reasons why the Heels have reason to consider them and, in some but not all cases, a legitimate shot at hiring them:

Name (current job): The skinny

* Gene Chizik (Texas DC): Don’t worry UNC fans, he’s only been with Mack for the last two years. Oh, in case you forgot, the Longhorns won the national title in Chizik’s first year in Austin. The year before that, he was the defensive coordinator at Auburn, where the Tigers went 13-0. Coincidence?

* Norm Chow (Tennessee Titans OC): Vince Young is his pet project right now in Nashville, but Jeff Fisher’s staff could be looking for work soon. That means Chow, one of the great offensive coaches at the college level, could be back on the market soon. Mike Paulus might take note of what Chow did for Philip Rivers at N.C. State. But can UNC afford him?

* David Cutcliffe (Tennessee OC): Yes, Cutcliffe got canned as the head coach by Ole Miss, but many think he was unfairly let go. Plus, he’s worked wonders with Erik Ainge, Eli and Peyton Manning. Think Mike Paulus might be interested in working a with a quarterbacks guru?
Butch Davis (NFL Network analyst): He is being reported as a person of interest for UNC. It appears Davis is ready to return to the college ranks after a failed go with the Cleveland Browns. But if you’re Davis, wouldn’t you wait to see what fate befalls Larry Coker at Miami, where they think you walk on water?

* Jimbo Fisher (LSU OC): His name has been floated for a number of jobs in recent years, begging the question: Why hasn’t he become a head coach yet? Fisher, in his seventh year at LSU, is considered one of the top offensive minds in the college game who is the passing QB’s best friend. He gets the ball in the hands of his star talent, which could draw better talent to UNC if here were to come.

* Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt HC): He’s not just the coach that beat Torbush 28-3 while at Furman. Johnson, a Clemson grad, hasn’t won nearly as often at Vandy but has made the Commodores competitive in the SEC, even beating Georgia two weeks ago. If not Johnson, maybe his disciple, Bobby Lamb.

* Paul Johnson (Navy HC): He won big at Georgia Southern, then took his spread option offense to Annapolis, where he’s engineered a huge turnaround at Navy. Many could be coming after Johnson, but the Heels have this going for them: He’s from Avery County.

* Steve Kragthorpe (Tulsa HC): In 2003, Kragthorpe took a Tulsa team that hadn’t had a winning season since 1991 to a bowl in his first year. Now he’s turned the Golden Hurricane into the power of Conference USA. Granted, he doesn’t have many contacts east of the Mississippi, but his brother is a sports columnist with the Salt Lake Tribune. What’s not to love?

* Bo Pelini (LSU DC): Like defense? Well, Bo knows defense. His Tigers rank No. 1 in total defense, and he had a dominant unit prior to that at Oklahoma. He also has nine years of NFL coaching experience. He might be able to do better than UNC, if he’s willing to wait for the right opportunity.

* Rich Rodriguez (West Virginia HC): Why would Rodriguez, who’s rapidly reaching legend status in Morgantown, be interested in a move to UNC? He would likely score a big pay raise by heading south. Skeptics, though, wonder if Rodriguez might give the Heels the Beamer treatment instead.

* Charlie Strong (Florida DC): If UNC really wants to make a splash with its hire, it could either throw a lot of money around or hire a talented up-and-coming African-American assistant coach (sadly, hiring a black coach is still so unusual in college football that it qualifies as major news). Strong, who has worked wonders with defenses at Florida and South Carolina, certainly fits the bill. Marvin Sanders might have before his Tar Heels defense took major steps backward this season.

* Ty Willingham (Washington HC): He’s a Kinston native, a Jacksonville High grad and he’s been the head coach at Notre Dame. But Willingham didn’t leave South Bend on his own terms and is still early in a rebuilding process at Washington.

_ compiled by Jeff Carlton and Jim Young