Ty Willingham out as ND coach

[J.R.]

The last time a Notre Dame skill player was drafted in the first round before julius jones was 1993, Mirer and Bettis. While this was prior to Ty, its indicative of the ND problem.

They have players, but not heisman top players, not 1st round pick type talent, and they don't have depth at the skill positions. Line isn't a "skill" position, although its of utmost importance, and their line played horribly this year.

Quin, walker, mcknight, and the TE are all good, quality college football players, but in the context of ND being a national title contender, do they compare to names like leinhart and bush; white and peterson; cambell, williams and brown. Its one thing to have some skill, its another to be like a texas and be a recruiting machine (yes, mack brown is a bad coach). ND has high aspirations, they didn't bring in Ty and pay him all that money to win 7 games a year.

[DontRaisePlz]

Lack of development and nutured talent can be attributed to coaching.

You CANNOT lose to Pittsburgh, BYU, and BC with such an advantage in All-Americans! No, they don't have a Reggie Bush, but neither do Virginia Tech, Iowa, or Boise State, and all of those teams could obliterate Pitt, BC, and BYU.

Notre Dame doesn't need to recruit. Like Michigan and SC, they are a storied program that people just want to attend. Don't shortchange their talent.

[ArchAngel71857]

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Because Notre Dame hates black people.


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Did you post this just to piss me off?

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No, but it's obvious you don't like black people either.

-AA

[deacsoft]

As the, self proclaimed, world's biggest Notre Dame football fan; I have several issues in this thread to address.

I must say I could see the removal of Ty Willingham coming, but not for another year. This is the first time in the school's history that they have failed to honor the first contract given to a coach. This is a huge mistake for the football program. Some quick points: Ty Willingham was able to turn around the program at Stanford in a few years (which also is not an easy school to get in to, and has a similar low enrollment). He recruited the best freshman class Notre Dame has seen in the past decade this year for next year's team. There are will-be seniors on the team that will have to learn their 3rd offense and defence while at Notre Dame. They're going to bring in a former Davies assistant from Utah that has gone something like 23-2 while coaching that program, but NEWS FLASH: Utah migh as well be playing North Eastern Rhode Island Technical College for the Blind when compared with the teams Notre Dame plays year in and Year out. Three of Notre Dame's losses were by a TOTAL of 7 points. All to bowl eligible teams (and two BCS bowl teams). They played the most difficult schedule in the country. Am I forgetting anything?

They will never lower their academic standards. They are an institute of higher learning. Not an institute of football, dispite what the alumni may think. They can have the best of both worlds. They have before. Lowering the admissions standards is not the answer. They are the second toughest university in the country to get in to for a reason. It's not an easy school to recruit to. Players these days are not intrested as much in the history of the program. It is a Catholic university (along with Boston College the only two Catholic Division 1-A football programs). Plus, the students are required to live in the dorms the 4 all years. It's in the mid-west. Crappy weather, no beaches, no big city, and not the finest selection of females (looks wise) to name a few others. Am I forgetting anything?

[deacsoft]

There's plenty more. I'm just to pissed off to think about it right now. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[J.R.]

He recruited the best freshman class Notre Dame has seen in the past decade this year for next year's team

But Notre Dame hasn't been that successful over this time period, and for a team with national championship aspirations, shouldn't the bar be set a bit higher?

An Opinion

Another

3 of Notre Dame's losses were by a TOTAL of 7 points. All to bowl eligible teams (and two BCS bowl teams). They played the most difficult schedule in the country. Am I forgetting anything?

8-0 start, 13-15 since.


2004

Brigham Young L 17-20

Purdue L 16-41

USC L 10-41



2003

Michigan L 38-0

USC L, 45-14

FSU L, 37-0

Syracuse L, 38-12



2002

USC L, 44-13

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Because Notre Dame hates black people.


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Did you post this just to piss me off?

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No, but it's obvious you don't like black people either.

-AA

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Every time you post, I imagine the words coming out of Phil Hellmuth's mouth, and it makes me laugh. Don't change that avatar.

[deacsoft]

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But Notre Dame hasn't been that successful over this time period, and for a team with national championship aspirations, shouldn't the bar be set a bit higher?

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I won't sit here and say that Notre Dame has been playing great under Willingham, but what I will say is this:
They brought him in to modernize Notre Dame's offense. The players that were there when he got there were not recruited for a west coast style. He has just brought players in to complete the package and they boot him out the door. I know the phrase "give him time" is not in the Notre Dame alumni's vocab, but that's what he needed. They would have improved next year and the year after may have been contenders. Instead of taking the time and giving him another year or two; they just set the program back another 4-5 years. Looks like some of these alumni didn't pay attention in their math courses durring their time at Notre Dame.

Knute Rockne had a year at Notre Dame that he went 5-4 (similar to Willingham's 6-5) and then went undefeated the next 2 seasons.

[esknights]

As a recent graduate of ND (2003) I have to say I agree with many of your points. The weather, academics, girls, and location all play a role in recruiting. I thought Ty would have at least one more year to make a turnaround. I am not all that exicited about Urban Meyer either, not that he is definitely going to accept the position anyway. He turned Utah around, but as you said they play a nobody schedule.

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They are the second toughest university in the country to get in to for a reason.

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This statement is not true. I loved ND, but there were many people there that got rejected at other universities and had to "settle" for ND. However, not many universities can match both the academics and sports programs the university offers.

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Plus, the students are required to live in the dorms the 4 all years.

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I am not sure if you are referring to just the football players here, but this is also not true. Football players find ways to mysteriously have an apartment off campus while still "living" on campus.

All in all, I thought Ty deserved one more year. This year was such a roller coaster of great wins and disheartening losses. It will be a tough transition now so I am hoping for the best.

[J.R.]

I agree with a lot of what you say. I just get frustrated by the WTF type comments regarding Kevin White's decision, as Willingham didn't do much with the program, lost games ND expects to win and got blown by heretofore unheard of margins in significant, high profile games. Would it have been more fair to give him more time- probably. But did White jump the gun and make an inecusable move- IMO no, especially when a highly popular and wildly successful coach who was a former assitant at ND is now available.

Much of what Willingham was hired for was reactionary to the O'Leary scandal, ala fixing the "tarnished dome". Willingham was a marginally successful coach at stanford, and after a great start at ND, has stumbled badly. Sure a lot of this results from pressure on White, whose track record is less than stellar and whose job security isn't a given, but that in an of itself doesn't overshadow ND's failure to meet its own expecations under Willingham.

Instead of taking the time and giving him another year or two; they just set the program back another 4-5 years.

I really disagree with this. Say what you will about Meyer's record and the level of the schools he has coached at, and only time will tell, but Meyer has been a very successful coach and his teams have featured a wide open passing attack. This coaching change is not a dramatic shift in philosphy like callahan comming into nebraska, so there is little reason why, if willingham has brought in some explosive recruits that meyer shouldn't be successful on the offensive side of the ball with this talent as well. Willingham unquestionably leaves the program in a better spot than it was when he came into the role, and has set up meyer to be successful. Maybe meyer doesn't get the job done, but if meyer is what he is made out to be, ND certainly hasn't been set back 4-5 years by this move.