He is a good coach, maybe even elite.
Point is, Willingham signed these guys, nursed them, gave them playing time.
I'm not a fan of ND, but Quinn, Samardja(?), and Zbikowski are tremendous college players. Weis was dealt a decent hand.
Agreed, Gunflint. The other half of the battle is how you play the cards. In winning three superbowls, Weiss did not have a single first round draft pick WR or a running game (first 2; got Corey Dillon for the third). He plays the cards he is dealt very well....
Might be time for a trip back to South Bend. Haven't been there since the mid-80's when a friend went to grad school there.... Great experience...