Davis doesn't plan to leave Miami

HOUSTON (AP) _ Butch Davis, who has the Miami Hurricanes in contention for a national championship, reportedly has no plans to go elsewhere. <br><br>``To be honest with you, my intent today is to stay

Tuesday, November 28th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

HOUSTON (AP) _ Butch Davis, who has the Miami Hurricanes in contention for a national championship, reportedly has no plans to go elsewhere.

``To be honest with you, my intent today is to stay at the University of Miami,'' Davis told to KTRH-AM and KRIV-TV as he was preparing to leave Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday after meeting with officials of the Houston Texans, the next NFL expansion team.

Davis said he agreed to met with the Texans because several people, including NFL types and church friends from Dallas, told him the opening was worth investigating because of owner Bob McNair.

``He really is what they said he was,'' Davis said of the Houston billionaire who beat out Los Angeles last year for the league's 32nd franchise.

When asked if he was considering coach at Alabama, Davis was blunt: ``I'm staying at Miami.''

Davis met with McNair and general manager Charley Casserley to discuss coaching the Texans, who will begin play in 2002.

``Butch is a highly qualified coach, who had done an outstanding job at Miami, as he did as an assistant with the Cowboys,'' McNair said. ``He has all the credentials in my view and certainly is well qualified to be head coach of the Texans.''

But McNair was quick to add this was just a meeting designed to ``get to know each other.''

The 49-year-old Davis has guided Miami to a 10-1 record this season, his sixth with the Hurricanes. If Oklahoma loses to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game, Miami will get a rematch with Florida State in the national title game.

Davis was with Dallas from 1989 to 1995, the last two seasons as defensive coordinator.

McNair praised Davis' coaching experience, citing his role in helping former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson transform the 1-15 club of 1989 into Super Bowl champions after the 1992 and 1993 seasons. McNair also credited Davis with returning Miami's program to dominance despite having the number of scholarships he could offer over his first three years on the job cut by 31 because of NCAA sanctions.

McNair said such ability in the face of adversity is needed in coaching an expansion team.

``An expansion team is different than going into an existing situation,'' he said. ``It will be important to be prepared for some adversity because it's going to take several years to put together a solid team.''

Davis is the first of five to 10 potential candidates the Texans might interview in the coming months. The two qualifications all candidates must have are head coaching experience and NFL experience, McNair said.

The team might make a decision either in February 2001 or February 2002. Although the Texans would prefer naming a coach in 2002, McNair said he might make a decision sooner if the situation warranted.

While the meeting with Davis was publicized, the Texans won't always announce who they are meeting with, McNair said.

Miami athletic director Paul Dee said he has offered Davis an extension to his current contract, which pays him about $900,000 annually and has three years remaining.