Chuck Amato Does nothing to Help Himself

If there was ever a year where the Wolfpack had no excuse to lose to the Tar Heels from UNC, then it would be this year. The Tar Heels entered the game with a lame duck head coach and a 1-9 record and that lone win came against D-1AA Furman (barely!). The 'Pack didn't come in much better either. Five straight losses, all of which the team could have and should have won, and a non-existent offense. However, there was no way that Chuck was going to drop a third straight to Carolina. That would only incite riots in Raleigh. The Wolfpack managed only 3 field goals and lost the game 23-9. John Bunting ended his tenure as the Tar Heels head coach with a 4-2 record versus Chuck Amato.

Could Amato's fate be the same as Bunting's? It looks more and more likely with every passing minute. There is no excuse for losing to Carolina this year. There is no excuse for being penalized more than the Oakland Raiders. You can't win games when you have more penalty yards than rushing yards.

Any other year my opinion would be: Chuck deserves one more year, at least, to right the ship and win big. However, the loss to the Tar Heels altered my sentiment. If we can't beat a 1-9 Tar Heel team with their already replaced coach, then what is there to make me think that we can beat them when Butch Davis takes over on Nov. 27? A repeat performance next season by Chuck and the 'Pack could set the program back a decade.

It will not take long for Davis to start attracting big time recruits to Chapel Hill. In fact, he already has had one change a committment and a few others considering it. Jim Grobe will more than likely be back in WInston-Salem next season and he is making his name known in recruits' households. Skip Holtz could likely have bragging rights over N.C. State, if the ECU Pirates were to come into Carter-Finley and win this weekend's rivalry game.

I have been a supporter of Chuck all along. And up until this weekend I stood firm with my support. I felt sick to my stomach watching the Tar Heel defense score a touchdown on a 4th and 6 fumble by QB Daniel Evans. That was the straw that broke the camels back. We had an offense that couldn't score against tall grass, 3 time outs and were backed up in our own territory. That screams punt, especially with the way the defense had played. But, we went for it and gave the Heels a TD and an emotional win.

There is one sign that a coach should be fired. If the coach looks like he has lost his players. If the players are no longer playing hard, disciplined or with any passion. Throughout the first 10 games of the season, I felt like the team had played hard. They didn't play disciplined, but they never have. And, they always seemed to have a passion out there on the field. However, that was not the case this past weekend in Chapel Hill. The team just looked as if they were out there because they had to be. They must have been ready to watch the Michigan v. Ohio State game or something.

I have never been more dissapointed. It is one thing to lose and go down swinging. It is a completely different story to lose and go down in a fiery nose dive. It looks like Chuck has lost the players and he has definitely lost the fan base. If he is going to stay, then Athletics Director Lee Fowler and Chancellor James Oblinger need to let it be known that Chuck is the man for the job. But, if a change is going to be made, it needs to be made this year. Amato has done a lot for the University and the football program. He has laid the foundation for a successful program with facilities and national prominence. Maybe he has reached his peak and has set it up for the next guy to take it to the next level. This is no light matter. A lot of people could lose their jobs just before the holidays. But, a lot of money and time has been expended by a lot of people and they deserve a return on their investments. The time is now. Either give Amato a loud vote of confidence or walking papers.

Photos:
1. http://www.tarheeldaily.com/photos/buntingamato300.jpg
2. http://abclocal.go.com/images/wtvd200.101705amato.jpg