UNC African Studies: Can the failure of a university's academic programs require suspension or dismissal of athletic coaches?

Two years ago or so, I was writing for Bleacher Report on a number of subjects and in several areas. Among my subjects were UNC football and basketball.

During this time, I wrote an article blaming the UNC academic side at Chapel Hill, and specifically its Chancellor, for failing to properly monitor the academic situation, resulting in the still continuing scandal at UNC dealing with the fake African Studies department and its Chair Julius Nyang'oro.

Bleacher Report killed my article. I was told that they had received a call from someone who I understood was from UNC complaining about the article and that it was not fit for publication because it failed to have sufficient sources.

Now, after major articles written by many about the failures at UNC, and with the eventual resignation of Chancellor Holden Thorp, UNC continues to ride the wave of blame anyone but the management in public statements and let the coaches and player dangle. Doing this not only demeans people close to the athletic departments and lets the real culprits go free, it also presents a politically charged approach to the way in which academic programs are treated by the NCAA. 

It appeared that the case dealing with the athletics department was over until a "student"-athlete leveled new charges against the UNC basketball program and its coach Roy Williams. Having fired Butch Davis as the first scapegoat of the cheating scandal, and having done whatever they could do collectively to adversely affect sports over their treasured academics, the UNC board and its chancellor found the going tough especially when outside consultants and attorneys began their review. There is no question but that the academic side took a hit by requiring the resignation of Holden Thorp, at least in my personal view. After all, the sporting side of a university is not at fault for what the academic side does. 

And there is also little question but that the continuing scandal has been thrust on the sports side again by the attorneys and others in order to try to avoid further damage to academics.

Yet, there is also no question but that Roy Williams has not run a dirty program. Why would he? And also no question but that paying off the sports side in getting Butch Davis fired is only the tip of the iceberg of what the academic side has done to major revenue generators by continuing not to defend their sports program and taking the entire hit on academics.

To suggest in any way that academics were not involved in courses for athletes is the joke here. Roy Williams and Butch Davis should have monitored classes at the university to ensure they were run correctly? They were responsible for academics? 

Nonsense. This is a figment of a man or group trying to hold onto their jobs and positions at UNC, and those people know who they are. 

The deeper question however is not what the sports side did, but rather what more damage will occur. Larry Fedora has already made a public statement about what he was told not jibing with what has occurred recently, with the clear possibility of leaving UNC, something he may have done anyway. And tinkering with the program like the NCAA is now doing again makes Roy Williams and basketball at risk.

For a huge university like UNC, the blight of a small, insignificant program is incredible. How or why criminal charges were dropped leads to speculation that far bigger fish are about to be fried. 

It is the view from here that these people will include Holden Thorp, shown above with Dick Baddour and Butch Davis. We will see.