North Carolina Names Defensive Coordinator Everett Withers Interim Coach

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In the wake of the puzzlingly timed firing of Butch Davis, UNC has officially named defensive coordinator Everett Withers as the interim head coach. 

In a bizarre twist, Athletic Director Dick Baddour was part of the decision to appoint Withers, despite announcing earlier today that he would step down when his contract expires. Add in this nugget from SB Nation's Tar Heel blog, Carolina March...:

Chancellor Thorp will seek a replacement as soon as possible, with Baddour staying on primarily to deal with the ongoing NCAA investigation. Baddour will have little to no input on the hiring of the next permanent football coach.

...and this whole thing just went from puzzling to bizarre to...whatever is stranger than bizarre. What's more, it's being reported that UNC has found an interim AD, to which the UNC announcement makes no reference. Here's the money quote from Withers:

"I'm excited for this opportunity and I'm honored the Chancellor and Dick Baddour have faith in me to do this job."     

It bears mentioning that Withers wasn't hired by Davis, so university officials probably feel as if they're taking the team in a more reputable direction with this move.

For more on the Tar Heels, check out Carolina March