Head coach Tyrone Willingham will not be retained for 2005.

He's only been there for three years. Willingham is an amazing coach, but he needed many years at Stanford for his program to pay dividends and would have needed the same time at Notre Dame.

I don't think anything racial is involved though. This is yet another example of an old college football dynasty, that is struggling to maintain elite status in this new era of parity and new rising powers, firing a pretty good coach because their spoiled, bratty, arrogant fans believe their school is "entitled" to be a factor in the national championship race year in and year out.

Alabama did it to Gene Stallings a few years back (they may not have fired him, but there was considerable grumbling among the Tide faithful about him. Stallings saw the writing on the wall and decided to get out clean)

Texas A&M did it to R.C. Slocum
Nebraska did it to Frank Solich
Florida did it to Ron Zook (although they may have been justified)
Notre Dame has done it to Ty Willingham
Penn State is about to pull the trigger on Joe Paterno

The move doesn't surprise me all that much; Notre Dame fans are the worst of all when it comes to believing that it is their birthright to be in the national title race year in and year out. Pulling crap like this however is only gonna dig the hole deeper. What coach of any worth is gonna take that job now? Yeah, I know it's Notre Dame, but what message does this send? I'll tell you the message:

New coach of Notre Dame, we, the fans and boosters of Notre Dame, hired you to take us back to the top. Immediately. We don't want to hear any crap about "I need time to get my players or put in my system or customize and moderate the schedule" and all that." We think "the system" is pretty good and "the players" are awesome too. We are Notre Dame after all. So. Win. NOW! And if you don't, we'll be very ticked. And if we stay ticked for more than three years, you can pack your bags! Win now, or we'll get somebody who will!


Ridiculous.

Oh, and I'm fully aware that, if (God forbid!) Nick Saban has a couple of losing seasons in a row sometime in the future, many of us will scream for his head. I won't be one of them; I know how amazing he is and I'm willing to stick with the guy through a rough patch provided I see the same inner workings and mentality in the program I see right now. Unlike some people, I think 9-2 and a New Year's Day bowl is a very successful season, even coming off a national title.

 

yes, this is basically unprecedented for ND, everyone there gets at least 5 years. However, as mentioned above, its because Urban Meyer, a former ND assistant has made contact with them saying he was interested. He is throwing his name out for the bidding.

He got a contract extension last summer that included a clause allowing him to leave Utah without penalty if he is named head coach at Michigan, Ohio State or Notre Dame. So, as you can see ND is one of his top 3 and it just happens to be available.

 

The norm is winning more than six is the norm in South Bend...

 

With that pic do you expect anyone to read your posts? :grin:

 

I see with your new sig, you're putting on a big rush to recapture the green dot lead. Well I guess if you're gonna stoop to that level, then KEEP-EM COMING. :thumb: :rofl:

 

nah i like pissing people off too much to worry over that.

 

Wha? Did you say something? I feel a bit distracted when I try to read your posts.......

 

yeah, but no black coach in the history of ND football has ever completed an initial contract...

 

name those other black head coaches there who didn't finish their contracts.

 

egggggzactly. I agree with the poster who expects to hear outrage from Jesse Jackson, et al...