John Bunting is on the way out as football coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. The news itself wasn't surprising, but the timing of the announcement was: 8:45 p.m. Sunday. That required hustle by reporters, editors and page designers on a night that is often quiet.

It also gave a chance for print media to break a story, which doesn't happen that often these days. About two-thirds of the students in my editing class said they got the Bunting news this morning from the campus paper, not from the Web or ESPN.

Here's how notable papers in the state played the story:

1A story: The News & Observer, The Herald-Sun, the Winston-Salem Journal, The Daily Tar Heel.
1A promo: The Charlotte Observer, the News & Record

Sample headline: BUNTING BAGGED (Daily Tar Heel)

UPDATE: Here's the inside story on how the N&O dealt with the late-breaking news. Planning and teamwork were key — just like in football.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Melanie Sill, executive editor at the N&O, defends the front-page play for the story in response to comments such as these.