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View Full Version : Notre Dame Fires Willingham

Mehser
November 30th, 2004, 2:50:35 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1935138

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Coach Tyrone Willingham was fired by Notre Dame on Tuesday after three seasons in which he failed to return one of the nation's most storied football programs to prominence.<iframe src="http://adsatt.espn.go.com/ad/sponsors/utilities/espn/adslug_120_160.html" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="middle" frameborder="0" height="12" scrolling="no" width="1"></iframe>

<!-- END INLINE UNIT --> Willingham had a record of 21-15, including 6-5 this season. The Fighting Irish lost 41-10 to No. 1 Southern California on Saturday.

It was not immediately clear whether Willingham would coach the team at the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28. Notre Dame accepted the invitation to the game on Sunday.

Athletic director Kevin White scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Willingham's firing comes after a season in which the Irish pulled off upset victories over Michigan and at Tennessee, but were also blown out by USC and Purdue.

Notre Dame's loss to top-ranked USC on Saturday marked the fifth time the Irish lost by 31 points or more under Willingham -- three of the losses coming to the Trojans. By comparison, former coach Bob Davie's team had just one such loss. Lou Holtz and Dan Devine had none.

Notre Dame hired Willingham, the first black head coach in any sport for the Irish, away from Stanford to replace George O'Leary, the former Georgia Tech coach who resigned five days after taking the job because he lied about his academic and athletic achievements on his resume.

In his first season, Willingham had many fans recalling Notre Dame's glory days, taking over a losing squad and turning things around immediately. The Irish won eight straight to start the season before finishing 10-3 and going to the Gator Bowl.

But during his second year, the Irish fell to 5-7, with four of their losses coming by 26 points or more. It was Notre Dame's third losing record in five seasons, the Irish's worst stretch in 115 years of football.

More..............
BeastMode Deep
November 30th, 2004, 2:58:36 PM
I doubt any coach could get ND back to their previous glory unless they join a confrence and give up their annual brutal schedule
Snarf
November 30th, 2004, 3:09:51 PM
Thank you thank you thank you :pray: Now this time I hope Notre Dame goes out and gets a real head coach instead of one from a second rate program like Stanford. Looking at the ESPN homepage, to the right of the story about Willingham getting fired is the story about Butch Davis resigning from the Browns. Go out and get him Notre Dame. Davis turned around Miami and they were in worse shape then Notre Dame.
Mouldsie
November 30th, 2004, 4:20:07 PM
Didn't they have one of the best recruiting classes this year? I think they should have waited until next year so we can see how HIS players would do (Brady Quinn, Darius Walker, etc).
sahlensguy
November 30th, 2004, 4:20:57 PM
Noooooo. This is terrible news.

Urban Meyer will leave Utah for the ND job.

Meyer turned around the Bowling Green program in 2001-2 and led them to a 17-6 record. And led the Utes to a 21-2 record the last two years here. And was 7-1 against BCS teams last last four years. Other career highlights include him being named the 2003 The Sporting News coach of the year - the first ever non BCS coach to be named.

I wanted him to stay and build the Utes progaram. I wasn't so concerned about him taking the Florida job, but he'll take this one for sure (if offered) - and do a great job.
rob on the job
November 30th, 2004, 4:22:59 PM
Take it from a Bowling Green grad: Urban Meyer is the man Notre Dame wants.
sahlensguy
November 30th, 2004, 4:24:53 PM
Take it from a Bowling Green grad: Urban Meyer is the man Notre Dame wants.

:bigcry:
CincyBills
November 30th, 2004, 4:25:49 PM
I want Syracuse to fire Coach P. and get Butch Davis.
Wing Eater
November 30th, 2004, 6:30:09 PM
Didn't they have one of the best recruiting classes this year? I think they should have waited until next year so we can see how HIS players would do (Brady Quinn, Darius Walker, etc).

Actually coming into the season his recuiting class wasn't even rated in the top 50 in the country.
CoachC.
November 30th, 2004, 6:33:34 PM
I want Syracuse to fire Coach P. and get Butch Davis.

Syracuse would never pay the kind of money Davis would demand.

But he'd be a great choice!
GG8407
November 30th, 2004, 7:15:50 PM
Unfortunately...the black activists are rushing in and crying "racism" as always because Willingham was fired and Notre Dame is apparently looking to hire a white coach (Urban Meyer) in his stead.
I've always said this...it's a matter of who's the better coach, not what color they are. If a white coach is the better choice, so be it. If a black coach is better than a white coach, so be it. The black community needs to stand down and take things as they are, and not always making racist accusations about things like this.
Even though I'm black myself, I don't agree with these particular accusations.
RockStar36
November 30th, 2004, 8:04:29 PM
He didn't perform in my opinion.

And I'm going to get real sick of hearing the racism stuff, it wasn't about that.
Mouldsie
November 30th, 2004, 11:40:01 PM
Actually coming into the season his recuiting class wasn't even rated in the top 50 in the country.
It was 13th.... (via ESPNnews)
Mouldsie
November 30th, 2004, 11:48:32 PM
Unfortunately...the black activists are rushing in and crying "racism" as always because Willingham was fired and Notre Dame is apparently looking to hire a white coach (Urban Meyer) in his stead.
I've always said this...it's a matter of who's the better coach, not what color they are. If a white coach is the better choice, so be it. If a black coach is better than a white coach, so be it. The black community needs to stand down and take things as they are, and not always making racist accusations about things like this.
Even though I'm black myself, I don't agree with these particular accusations.
Willingham was never who ND wanted... that's the biggest reason for his firing. They only hired him in 2001 after everyone else turned them down, but I do think race was a factor. Not with the guys doing the hiring, but with the guys who have deep pocket books, booster club members, and other 'higher authorites.'

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I heard he was the first black coach period at ND. They had never before even had an african american OC or DC. Racism exists and I see it every day where I live. No doubt it had some kind of effect with people involved in that school. Just look at the comments by that former player last year...

BTW I agree they need to join a conferance (or get an easier schedule) b/c if they don't they'll probably never regain their old tradition (which started dying as TV stations began to broadcast college FB games nationally). There are few coaches that can turn that thing around in it's current state.