North Carolina won’t keep its coach

John Bunting is out as North Carolina’s football coach but will stay with the Tar Heels through the rest of this season, school officials said Sunday night.

Bunting met with Athletic Director Dick Baddour earlier in the day and was told he would not return next season. The players were informed of the decision during an evening meeting, and school officials said Bunting and Baddour would discuss the decision further during a news conference today.

Bunting, a former linebacker at North Carolina, has been largely blamed for the Tar Heels’ miserable season in which they have yet to defeat a Division I-A opponent.

North Carolina (1-6, 0-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) is 0-6 against I-A teams this season and is coming off a 23-0 loss at struggling Virginia.

*

Kevin McCullough returned a fumble 39 yards for a touchdown, and Greg Moore and Butler Benton had touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to lead Cincinnati over visiting South Florida, 23-6. Neither offense reached the end zone until the fourth, when Moore’s one-yard run and Benton’s 27-yard score helped the Bearcats (4-4, 1-2 Big East) take a 23-0 lead. South Florida is 5-3 and 1-2.

*

Southern Illinois Coach Jerry Kill was hospitalized after having a seizure shortly after taping a weekly television show, according to the university. Tests performed on Kill, 45, at the hospital came back normal, the university reported in a news release, citing his wife, Rebecca.... Senior offensive lineman Roman Fry has played his last game at Clemson after tearing a knee ligament in Saturday’s victory over Georgia Tech.... Tennessee running back LaMarcus Coker will sit out at least three weeks because of a knee injury, Coach Phillip Fulmer said.