Notre Dame fires Willingham

[BobTheCow]

http://sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/7945874

Maaaaaaaaan... :cry:

[1stdeadeye]

5 losses by over 26 points?

See ya Ty!

[CasingBill]

Geez....give the guy a little more time. At least let him finish the season. He still has a winning record overall.

[RoadDawg]

What upsets me is they are trying to take my teams coach. (Urban Meyer *Utah Utes*) :cuss:

[dre1919]

I'm a huge, longtime Irish fan whose been with them through the thick and the thin so I feel I need to sound off here. First of all, I'd like to say I liked Tyrone Willingham as a person and figurehead. He alwasy seemed like a very intelligent, polite, caring person in the community and certainly made for a good role model. He also championed the cause of academics over mindless talent worship, which doesn't happen enough at universities. These athletes are still college students...or at least they're supposed to be (hello, Maurice Clarett). Regardless of that, he was a GOOD coach...and unfortunately Notre Dame doesn't need a GOOD coach, they need a GREAT one. With the hardest schedule year in and year out, they consistantly show the gap that is widening between their talent pool and the rest of Div. 1A's talent pool. Other schools offer as much on and off the field as Notre Dame, yet don't have the academic standards that are as strict. This is something that the alumni will have to get real on. I don't think they should lower the academic requirements, but they do need to realize this is a part of the reason some kids look elsewhere. Two athletes that were denied entrance into the program that come to mind are T.J. Duckett and Randy Moss. How much would they have helped the Irish, since both players wanted to come to school there, but couldn't get in? In Randy's case, he's such an off the field problem, I'm glad we didn't get him back in the day.

Anyway, the point is, whoever comes in will have to be a GREAT coach, a motivator, and an amazing recruiter. I think Ty was a wonderful example of the values and leadership they wanted, but he just couldn't deliver consistant results on the field or top notch recruits. His teams melted from the pressure of big challenges because they were taught your best is good enough. Not at Notre Dame. You must strive past what you even believe is your best because that's what's asked of you when you put on the blue and gold. The hopes and dreams of glory past saddle up with you when that uniform goes on, so if you can't handle it, don't come to South Bend. Notre Dame is a great school and program, but she isn't what she used to be. I think it has less to do with the program itself as it does with parity. The rest of the Div. 1 league is so much better than it used to be. In the seventies, people like Utah wouldn't even be on the map. Suddenly, they're stealing recruits from people like the USC's and OU's of the world. A place like Miami looks a lot more attractive than some small school in the middle of Indiana. I love Notre Dame with all my heart as a true fan, and would love nothing than to see them return to the ranks of college football's most prominant teams. But, before that happens, they will have to get somebody in who can deliver on what he says and can woo recruits incredibly. Ty just couldn't do that with us, but maybe he'll have better luck where the pressure isn't so high. He's a good coach, he'll land on his feet (probably UDub). I wish him all the best, and am now excited about the possibilities of what a new regime can bring.

Hopefully whoever the next man is, he will come in like Bob Stoops did with a dormant OU and completely change everything, from the on field play to the attitude. It wasn't too long ago OU was slipping into the realm of mediocrity and everyone said "Where did the once mighty Sooners go?" Well, one GREAT coach came in and turned things around...and that's what we need now.

GO IRISH!!!