By Wally
Well, anyone who was either watching the ND game, or at least trying to keep up with scores on Saturday, now understands that the Irish will almost certainly be replacing Charlie Weis with a new coach between seasons. (If they don’t, AD Jack Swarbrick should also be shown the door). Anyway, I won’t spend time making the argument to let Weis go. The evidence is overwhelming … how many data points — like another uninspired home loss to a team with far less talent — do you need?
So the ND administration needs to announce this Monday that Weis will coach his last game at Stanford next week. They should announce it now instead of telling everyone for the next 7-8 days that they haven’t decided to make a change, or worse yet, waiting until they come to terms with a successor. ND should punt on any lame bowl game; their focus should be on the coaching change, quick transition and recruiting. I hope AD Swarbrick has been on the phone with coaching candidates, their agents, advisors and go-betweens for the past two weeks … or ever since the Navy debacle. I’m sure the secret “coach search committee” has held several meetings by now in a large closet near Father Jenkins office. Actually, with a little foresight, they should have been meeting ever since the Michigan game giveaway in September. Bottom line: let’s not be coy about this … move quickly!
Now, acting quickly does not mean hasty. ND must hire the right guy this time! We’re 0 for the last 3 tries and everyone is well aware how painful screwing this up is. So do your homework and hire somebody that is a good fit, somebody that’s on your shortlist going in. The Irish need someone who has both the resume and the desire for this challenge. Defining what’s required on that resume is where the administration has often failed. Weis clearly has the desire, but he doesn’t have the tool kit. Same as Faust. Willingham had a decent resume, but didn’t bother to spend the required time on recruiting — and talk about lacking passion! Davie didn’t have the resume and he weaseled his way in there.
If anyone caught the discussion between Lou Holtz and Mark May on ESPN not long after the game was over, it may have been the only time the two of them were in complete agreement on something involving ND football. The question was: “What’s missing at ND?” Both of them talked about the lack of physical and mental toughness … the Irish cannot run the ball effectively, esp in short yardage situations, and they have no prayer of stopping the run on defense … both of which are by-products of toughness. It’s nice to have a great QB and outstanding receivers, but the inability to run on offense and stop the run on D pretty much guarantees that a program cannot exist in the Top 20, even if they get Top 20+ talent coming in. ND keeps proving this hypothesis year after year.
During the discussion with Mark May, Lou went on a passionate rant about … well … passion, work ethic and paying the price. Right then and there, I wanted to put on the pads and run through a wall for Lou. I think the passion is missing in this ND team … I think they love their teammates and like Weis, but I just don’t detect the “leave it all on the field, play 110% for 60 minutes, fall on a grenade type” of reckless abandon that you need to win the physical war in the trenches. And I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team shed blocks and tackle so poorly. I think it’s the lack of passion and work ethic that’s really missing. Oh … and, yes, we have guys on D consistently out of position, but we better solve that toughness issue first. Anyway, Lou was great. Maybe we should ….. nah.
So … back to drawing board … quickly. Let’s make sure we get a successful COLLEGE head coach … someone who’s less about business (Weis) and more about excitement & commitment (Holtz). I’m not worried about losing a few recruits during the transition … heck, they may even gain some if they hire the right guy. But there will still be a lot of talent in the upper classes, even if Clausen turns pro. And if ND hires the RIGHT GUY, he will get the most out of that talent and a consistent WINNING tradition will be re-established. Somebody like Brian Kelly (48), who’s finishing his third season with the Bearcats and has them headed to their third 10+ win season, potentially a 2nd Big East title, and possibly their 2nd consecutive BCS bowl appearance. Who knows, they might play for the national title this year. Note: Cincinnati’s current junior class was ranked 80th in the country as highschool seniors back in 2007. ND’s class was ranked 11th that year.
Well, if it’s not Kelly, it better be somebody like him … somebody who’s having success as a head coach, built programs up, knows the recruiting trails, teams display passion, and has had to do it with modest talent coming in. If ND can attract a guy like Kelly … or Harbaugh, Patterson, Fitzgerald, Peterson, etc. … Who doesn’t think better days aren’t ahead at ND with the talent they get???
Stay tuned … should be a wild media ride.
Wally,
I feel your pain ! All the way across the street…Which was a tougher loss Syracuse last year or UConn today ? The only defense worse the ND’s this season has been USC’s the past 2 weeks…We still beat OSU, ND and UCLA next week and will finish 9-3 with a true freshman QB after losing 11 seniors of whom 7 are playing on Sundays…I”ll take that 🙂 As I said earlier we were due to have a bad year this decade…Maybe ND should rehire Granny Goose er Lou Holtz…He’s still probably better than Davie, Losingham and Weis as you said…
Loved the Holtz rant on gameday, it was clearly from the heart, and spoken from a man who knows what is missing. Made me long for the days when he was pacing the sidelines.
Crash —
The ’08 Syracuse loss at home on senior day was much worse than today’s vs UConn … not that it really matters much. Syracuse was a very bad football team, I think they won 2 games last year. UConn is a pretty decent team and today I was just dispassionate watching the game cuz I was resigned to the likelihood that we were gonna @!%@$#%@ up. Still, neither occurence is acceptable. By the way, you and I BOTH KNOW that USC not going to the Rose Bowl is KILLING YOU, so quit the “I’m cool with it” act.
Yes, we yearn for the days of Lou … when it was 1st and goal from the 8, you knew the Irish were gonna pound it in on the ground and run 3 times … or just twice cuz that’s all it took to get 8 yards. Under Weis, we can only do that if the other team plays with 7 players … and even then we need a 4th down.
Wally,
Honestly I’m bored with the Rose Bowl…However, it’s always nicer to be in Pasadena than Eagle River on New Years Day that’s for sure ! So really I’m cool with it, no act…Charlie Weis crying before the game today was a warm and fuzzy moment ! Gag me !
Wouldn’t the O’Leary debacle make ND 0-4 in most recent coaching hirings?
I hear that guy from Buffalo is available. Seriously though, I used to be a big ND fan many moons ago, and so with a bit of nostalgia have checked out some of the games this year, usually just the 4th quarter or so. The bulk of what I have seen has been along the lines of ND blowing the game. Last night, I figure, wow, they came back in overtime. I went upstairs for a second to get something, and when I came back they were done. Sorry for all you hard core ND fans. Stop by my Mets support group therapy sometime for coffee and donuts.
let’s pull the plug tomorrow. clausen & tate are already calculating their nfl salaries. floyd wishes he could go pro. and oh yeah, did anyone mention that was FORMER ND quarterback zac frazier who embarrassed us yesterday. strange (and it kills me) but i find myself cheering for former Michigan QB ryan mallett and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Former Eagle River (now Arkansas resident)
Right, Casey. Forgot about the O’Leary resume debacle … he was hired for like 30 minutes. Okay, ND is 0 for 3 1/2 in their most recent coaching hires.
Hey … how about Tony Dungy??????? Not a college coach, but what’s not to like???
Crash —
You should never tire of the Rose Bowl! I’m here to tell ya that the Hawaii Bowl is not all it’s cracked up to be 😉
Wally,
OK…It is the “Granddaddy” of them all as Keith “Whoa Nelly” Jackson liked to call it but it’s just another home game where the Big 10 comes west for New Years and 75 degree weather and blue skies but goes back to Wisconsin or Iowa or Ohio with a hangover and a “L”…I see Oregon spanking Ohio St. in this years version…
Swarbrick made the announcement (more or less) on his Chicago radio talk show yesterday when he stated that Charlie’s west coast recruiting trip after the Stanford game has been cancelled and the Unweis one will be returning to South Bend after the game.
Stoops is weak – “I have no reason to leave Oklahoma.”
Meyer is a bit stronger – “I’ll stay at Florida as long as they will have me.” But here are some reasons why I still think Meyer might come:
He regrets saying “No” last time!
He loves ND!
As with any coach, a challenge is often more tempting than consistent but unchallenging success.
If Unweis did one thing for ND, he proved to Meyer and the rest of the college football world that you CAN RECRUIT at ND!
GO IRISH! Go (to ND) Urban!
To play off what Pete said – any good college coach is not going to tip his hand on leaving during a season. Both Stoops and Meyer are going to say and do all the right things during the season..
If it is true – Meyer made a promise to go back to Notre Dame at some point. Not sure what that means, but you have be sure they will be a’ courtin’.
On a side-note.. Nice to see Notre Dame fans are taking this season in stride. Sucker punching Jimmy Clausen outside of a restaurant is great recruiting tool.
The sucker punch was just another example of Clausen “taking one for the team”, or more specifically I am sure, taking one for the coach. West coast rumor; Stoops has put himself in the mix.
Pete —
Please keep us updated on the rumor mill as go through the weekend. Anyway, I hope there’s some merit to this one about Stoops!
Surprised there were no odds offered for Bill Cowher on the website Rebecca Hamilton pointed us to. (Thanks, Rebecca!)
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers and contributors!
Just heard the name Brian Billick rumored as a candidate for ND job by ABC sports. Billick is former head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, a Super Bowl winner, and current NFL color analyst.