Posted on 11/30/2004 10:47:49 AM PST by Flightdeck
The University of Notre Dame announced Tuesday that Tyrone Willingham will not be retained as its head football coach, according to the school's Web site.
Willingham's teams were 21-15 overall in his three seasons as Irish head coach.
A 4 p.m. news conference is expected.
With Willingham out -- and after the recent firing of New Mexico State's Tony Samuel and resignation of Fitz Hill from San Jose State -- there are now only two black head coaches in Division I-A: Karl Dorrell at UCLA and Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State.
Notre Dame (6-5) has accepted an invitation to play in the Insight Bowl in Phoenix against a Pac-10 team on Dec. 28.
I agree with the idea of a playoff after the bowls are over. They could take the top 8 or 12 teams and playoff. Probably top 8. I disagree with all the whinning about missing school etc. All the other divisions playoff. And, the basketball teams that just spent over a week in Hawaii to play that Thanksgiving tournement, how much school did they miss? The bowls are big money for the schools and conferences. They will never do anything to harm those bowl games. The bowls mean a lot to the communities that sponsor them also. But, I simply do not buy your reasoning about leaving NM or somewhere else for school. Like it or not, we all have choices. You can choose to work where you want to. You will chose the best place for you based on $$$ and benefits, retirement, etc. Most kids that play college sports are good enough in most respects to play on Sundays and that is what they want to do. Small colleges send good players to the NFL also. But, to play for a top notch program is what most kids want. And playing time is what they want. They do not want to sit on the bench for one or two years waiting. They think it hurts their NFL chances. And, it probably does from the experience stand point. But, NM has to deal with keeping it's kids home its self, just like every other state and school has to do. I will be very interested to see how many real good Mississippi kids leave for Alabama, LSU, Florida, Tennessee etc., and instead stay and play for Sly Croom @ Mississippi State. MS always has very good players, but they also go to the larger schools. NM will have to build a program and play schedules that bring those teams there to play. But, I doubt they have the player pool to mount a year in and year out program unless they also bring in kids from other states.
Only Chucky knows for sure... all we need to do is ask. What's the downside if he says "yes"?
Me thinks the Athletic Director is deflecting blame for continued failures by firing a coach who became a mentor to some young talent that would've soon blossomed had their tree not been uprooted.
Does he mean Southern Cal or South Carolina. ;)
I want to start a UNLV for Ty campaign. We need a great football coach to bulid up the program. This is a chance for Ty to gain the greatness he will not achieve anywhere else. Sure he can go to Florida or another top ten school and win. But it takes a special coach to build a program.
Las Vegas is becoming a huge city. In the 80's and early 90's everyone wanted to be a rebel basketball player. Why cant the same be done for football. Plus we have some of the greatest nightlife in the world and the most beautiful women one mile from campus.
We want Ty or Urban or Butch Davis. Come on coach. Step up to a real challenge!!!
I was born in London near Lexington and I wish the wildcats could put together a top notch football team. They do it in basketball and Louisville does it in football. Maybe there is a curse on KY football.
You think you are being funny but it will not be long untill hispanics want the same rights blacks have. Then again maybe they will do it the old fashioned way.
Your chronology is correct and,maybe tried was not the correct word to use but, ND was interested in him, he just was not available.
Although I think it will be Urban who get's the job - here's a name to throw in the mix:
Charlie Weiss, Offensive Coordinator for the New England Patriots. Among other things, he's an ND Grad.
How do you plan on getting past the mighty running rebels?
Freshman QB starting his first game, injured RB (I was there FYI) Their QB getting experience has made them much better, regardless put them up against USC this year and it'll be even uglier than it was in the Rose bowl last time.
Purdue
Embarrassed them, for the first victory at ND since the 80s. They thrashed ND but only beat pitiful Penn St by 7, then lost 4 in a row when they got into the Big Ten.
Boston College
You're joking here, the team that barely beat Ball State, and just got beat by Syracuse 43-17 (A team that is a shadow of it's former self that the aforementioned Purdue destroyed)
Tennessee
Injured QB during the game, almost pulled it out in the end anyhow with a freshman, managed to make Vandy and KU competitive in the next weeks.
Pitt
Not a bad team, I was impressed with their passing game, but not a good team. While breaking a ND stadium losing streak themselves this year they haven't beaten anyone-while managing to lose to Syracuse, a Nebraska program only overshadowed by ND in how far they've fallen, and recent Div 1 entry UConn.
If you truly believe USC was the only "good" team Notre Dame played
Its not a question of Faith, I know they haven't played anyone other than USC this year, I ripped your examples to shreads. I'm shocked you would even post them. Why didn't you post how Navy has really turned it around this year and was a tough win for the Fighting Irish in your rationalizations of mediocrity.
Bring back Gerry Faust!!!
And thats why I question the hiring of Urban Meyer. I hate ND and them letting Ty go after three years is just one more reason to hate them. But they need to go after a PROVEN winner at a big time program.
Nothing against Urban and theres no logical reason for hating ND except they usually win and I usually root for the underdog plus I like USC.
Its one reason not to hate them, unless of course you are one of those Jesse Jackson loving politically correct conservatives who thinks Ty is being oppressed.
But they need to go after a PROVEN winner at a big time program.
Yeah, I agree, I'm not on the Meyer bandwagon. I'd rather see them try to break up Gruden's contract, or get Stoopes.
theres no logical reason for hating ND except they usually win and I usually root for the underdog plus I like USC.
They USED to win, LOL. If USC keeps this up you are going to have to start hating them. The only way I see this jugernaut being broken up is if Chow leaves, they are the best college football team I've seen out of the state of Florida in my lifetime. Its not the QB, its the program.
ND has one of the toughest schedules in the country every year, and this one was no exception. The fact that you have to argue about five of the teams and acknowledge a sixth just backs that up. All of those teams were ranked at some point, and FOUR of them in the top ten. Show me another team that comes close to that kind of schedule. And yes Navy was undefeated when the played them, and the game wasn't close.
No I dont think Ty is being oppressed. I think he is being fired because he didnt win or recruit like ND wants their head coach to. It is as simple as wins and loses.
I do think Ty is a decent man and I felt ND should have given him another year or two and I think their expectations are too high. They need to join a conference.
I think Gruden is a good fit because I am not sure that Gruden can coach at the NFL level. He won the stuporbowl with Dungy's team although his Raiders made it there as well so I cant be sure.
As for your last point since I grew up Vegas I have always been partial to the teams near us since we did not have any. I liked the Raiders. My first baseball game to see live was the Angels and football was the Chargers. I also got to see Padre games so I like all those teams. As for USC I always liked them and I went to a game when I was young. Then my sis went there and I visited the dorm a few times. I met salsbury (he dated my sis) she was miss Nevada and was a USC songgirl.
So I will always like USC and I love seeing them finally winning again especially when they beat ND. I also have to agree with you on Chow. He will make somone a great head coach.
I want everybody to have the same rights everybody else has, and have it be no big deal. Unfortunately, a) the SCOTUS perverted the constitution to give us "affirmative action"; and, when a talented coach like Willingham gets hired or fired, all we ever hear about is race. The guy earned the job, the guy earned the firing. Too bad we can't just leave it at that.
Just like always.
I do think Ty is a decent man and I felt ND should have given him another year or two and I think their expectations are too high.
What, to lose? It was PAINFULLY CLEAR that this guy was incapable of anything more than he fielded this year; inconsistent, poorly planned medicrity. I'll tell you another thing-Ty is not a decent man because he should have resigned given the politically correct factors that will be coming up. I used to think he was a "decent man" until today, the fact that they had to fire him speaks volumns. I heard how he was delusional about his ability to turn this sinking ship around. I don't know how the players could continue, these game plans never changed. Heck, they started out great against SC, who made adjustments to Grant running on passing downs, and they made no counter adjustments...it was over. He was going on a few days ago about how they had a "winning record this year" winning in they're 1 game over .500? That's great at Ball State, but if outsiders want us to accept that year after year, they don't know our tradition. If the alumni were half as rabid as people claim, this consistent 40 point loser would have been run out of town on a rail.
So I will always like USC and I love seeing them finally winning again especially when they beat ND.
In 2 games the prize will be there's, I see no one else upsetting them in the BCS, a quality coaching staff and team.
The fact that you have to argue about five of the teams and acknowledge a sixth just backs that up.
Only in your desperate, flailing sets of rationalization "proofs" Did you actually READ what I wrote about those sad sack teams? Pitt is the only decent one, decent /= good. They were NEVER ranked, they lost their 2nd and 4th games, and if ranking defines toughness MAC teams get ranked for crying out loud, start your BCS balloting for Bowling Green right now. That second loss of this challenging schedule was to the mighty don't-call-us-Division-2 UConn Huskies...and Pitt walks in and beats ND on its home turf. Talk about rationalizing to the point of delusion. This is just sad. Hey I love ND, but this is not helpful and this is not conservative thought, ND is not a victim, ND is a poorly coached football team.
Here are the BCS strength of schedule ratings for ND as of today:
Sagarin 19
Anderson and Hester 9
Billingsley NA
Colley Matrix 8
Massey 16
Wolfe NA
Therefore....you are wrong. It's a helluva tough schedule.
And NA doesn't mean it's not top 25, it means they don't post the SOS rankings on their site.
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