Miami’s Davis Close to Contract Extension

Miami’s Butch Davis says he has no interest in coaching the Cleveland Browns.

They appear to be just another name on a long list of teams trying to lure Davis away from the Hurricanes.

Davis insists he is not leaving Miami. He said Thursday that he was close to signing a new contract with the Hurricanes, a five-year deal that could be finalized in the next few days.

“It’s almost completely done,” Davis said.

Davis said he met with Athletic Director Paul Dee on Thursday morning and the only thing preventing the coach from signing the contract was final approval from the university’s board of trustees.

Miami has offered Davis a new five-year contract believed to be worth about $1.3 million annually. Davis, 49, is in his fourth year of a seven-year deal that pays him about $900,000 annually.

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The low-scoring Orange Bowl produced high TV ratings, with more than 27 million people tuning in.

It gave ABC its largest Wednesday prime-time audience since Barbara Walters’ interview with Monica Lewinsky aired on March 3, 1999.

No. 1 Oklahoma’s 13-2 victory over Florida State to claim the national championship Wednesday night drew a 17.8 national rating and 28 share for ABC Sports.

No bowl game has had as high a rating since the Jan. 2, 1997, Sugar Bowl--when Florida beat Florida State, 52-20, to win the national title--had a 17.9 on ABC.

The top-50 market with the highest viewership levels was Oklahoma City, which registered a 63.1 rating and 80 share.

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The 15-yard penalty that the Miami mascot drew during the school’s Sugar Bowl win over Florida might not be the only punishment that Sebastian the Ibis gets.

Connie Nickle, the assistant athletic director in charge of mascots at Miami, said she’s considering whether to suspend the cheerleader from the squad or mete out some other punishment.

“I’m toying with it,” she said. “He just did something dumb. I need to chat with the young man.”

The school would not identify the student.

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Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer fired tight ends coach Mark Bradley, three days after the Volunteers’ disappointing loss in the Cotton Bowl. . . . BYU Coach Gary Crowton completed his staff by hiring Mike Borich as offensive coordinator and receivers coach and Paul Tidwell as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. . . . Clemson cornerback Alex Ardley has been dismissed from the team for breaking team rules, Coach Tommy Bowden said. Bowden’s statement did not elaborate. . . . Joe Ferguson, the former Arkansas and NFL quarterback, quit as the Razorbacks’ quarterback coach “to pursue other interests.”

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Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch had arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder and probably will be held out of spring drills for a second straight year. . . . Junior center Dominic Raiola of Nebraska, junior defensive tackle Ryan Pickett of Ohio State and sophomore wide receiver Koren Robinson of North Carolina State have decided to make themselves eligible for the NFL draft.