Butch Davis resigns as Cleveland Browns coach

11/30/2004

CLEVELAND - Beleaguered Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis resigned today, leaving a last-place team with five games left in the season.

The Browns (3-8) lost their fifth straight game on Sunday, 58-48 at Cincinnati, and are in fourth place in the AFC North. The team went 24-36 and made the playoffs just once in Davis' four seasons as head coach.

Davis left with three years remaining on a contract worth about $12 million.

Browns president John Collins was to speak about the move at an afternoon news conference, team spokeswoman Lisa Levine said.

Offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie or defensive coordinator Dave Campo is expected to take over as interim coach for the Browns, who host the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Sunday.

Pressure had been mounting on Davis for weeks as the Browns' season crumbled with a score of injuries to key players and heartbreaking losses.

Amid speculation last week that Davis was about to be fired, Collins said the coach would remain in place for the rest of the season - unless he resigned.

Davis, who helped restore the University of Miami's program before joining the Browns in 2001, could be a candidate for the job opening at Florida.

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