Butch Davis is the leading candidate to replace Mario Cristobal at Florida International, according to multiple reports.
Cristobal's firing on Wednesday came as a surprise following six seasons at FIU. He led Florida International to bowl appearances in 2010 and '11, but finished 3-9 this season. Tension had built between Cristobal and FIU athletic director Pete Garcia according the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Davis has ties to the south Florida are,a having served as head coach at Miami from 1995-2000, compiling a 51-20 record. In his final season, Davis led the school to a No. 2 ranking in the final polls.
Davis and Garcia have close ties. Garcia served as Miami's director of football during Davis' tenure with the Hurricanes and after Davis left to become the head coach for the Cleveland Browns, Garcia eventually landed there as the team's vice president.
After his stint in Cleveland didn't work out, Davis found his way back to the college ranks as head coach at North Carolina. While the program saw vast improvement on the field under his watch, he was fired after four seasons amid an NCAA investigation into academic misconduct and allegations of players receiving improper benefits.
Davis is currently serving as a special assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
