Willingham out at ND
 

Just scrolled on ESPNEWS. The coaching carousel is about to go into overdrive.

That's dumb.

Why would a coach get fired because the team didn't win? Coach has nothing to do with whether or not a team just sucks.

Well, it's just weird that ND would hire a guy to install an offense that's not even remotely close to what they've used in the past and then give him only three years to make it work.

He was trying to run a West Coast-style offense with a bunch of option players. You've got to give a guy like that 5 years, max, to try and make it work. I don't understand this at all.

Very sad to see them fire Willingham. As much as I like Notre Dame, I'm kind of hoping that they suck for the next three years, so that it blows up right in their face. They should have given Willingham at least two more years. This year the team was fairly inconsistent, but at least you could see that the program was heading in the right direction. By next year most of Davie's players would have been gone, so there would have been a better read on Willingham's progress. The worst thing that happened to Willingham was the fact that he overachieved in his first year.

So then.....who's in?

Urban Meyer I would guess. He has an out in his Utah contract. He is a midwesterner. He is a former ND assistant.


Where to next for Willingham? I'd love to see him at U of Florida. He could recruit the hell out of Florida. First black coach at an major SEC school. They could contend for the nat'l title next year.

Willingham needs to go to a real program with a future, like Nebraska or Penn State or Florida International.

Notre Dame football is dying.

What a dumb thing to do...they gave Bob Davie 5 years, and he was much worse. Who makes these decisions, and why don't they ask sane people for advice?

I hope he does go to Florida...it would be a good fit.

On PTI Tony K came up with a heap of reasons why he should stay, wins over Michigan, Tenessee and Navy, the fact that ND always honour the contracts of their coaches.

I guess their logic is, we must be able to try and land Urban Meyer, because a lot of other schools will try to.

Sucks for him, he is a good coach. Worse things have happened to better coaches I guess.

I bet Urban goes to Florida, with Lou returning to Notre Dame! Can you see that? That would be pretty funny!

You're from Alabama, so it should make sense to you! I would think it was a combination of losing at a program that just does not accept losing as an option as well as an unhappy alumni. There is also alot of other possible problems.

The reason I made reference to the poster's location is because Terry Bowden had several strong seasons at Auburn and he got fired just a few years ago. However, his reason for getting fired had more to do with having an affair with daughter of an Auburn alumni or something to that nature. I think that was an issue with Dubose at Alabama as well. Of course, you don't go under .500 at Alabama and stick around either. Or go to strip clubs for that matter!

On top of scandal, these big programs just don't keep coaches if they do not put up wins quickly. Look at Zook for example. Also, Shula's time in Alabama may be very short lived as well.

To be honest, I was fairly surprised that Notre Dame hired a black head coach to begin with. I think this is one of the most obvious factors working against Willingham and it really is not surprising for me to see him get fired so quickly considering only that factor.

How exactly does his race play against him? I apologize if this seems racist, but the better skill position players usually are black. I don't know the reason, but there are very few quality white running backs or recievers. Notre Dame's last skill position pick in the first round was in 93. If anything, I'd say Ty's race would help him in picking quality skill players, which Notre Dame has lacked the past few years. I really don't feel this firing is racially motivated at all.

It is if the alumni did not want a black coach to begin with. Also, Lou Holtz made several comments with his frustration at recruiting in Notre Dame concerning issues that could be related to partially to race(indirectly).

Nooo...Meyer cant leave Utah yet, He's got my Utes playin great ball. :|

With the firing of Ty, Meyer now has his opening (which some speculate is the cause for the firing). Does he go? I think so.

On a side note, how bad must Florida be feeling right now? About to lose their second choice and they had the first vacancy.

Meyer is definitely gone now. He will be the next Irish head coach (sorry Ute fans). With Butch Davis gone in Cleveland, I wouldn't be surprised to see him surface with the Gators. I would also wager that Nick Saban bolts LSU for the Browns gig. Willingham could end up at Washington (the university, not the 'Skins) or possibly as an assistant with Dennis Green in Arizona. Then the question comes up, who replaces Saban at LSU? The Louisville head coach (who was almost hired at Auburn last year) would probably be the #1 candidate. Sorry, can't think of his name right now. Anyway, it should be an interesting few weeks in the coaching business.

His name is Petrino.

All those high profile vacancies makes me glad my 'Cocks have Spurrier already signed and recruiting.

I don't think it's a lock Meyer goes to Notre Dame. After the way they've treated Willingham, plus all the pressure that comes with being the University of Football, plus the other options open, I can't see anyone wanting to coach Notre Dame right now.

Besides, Florida has just as much of an inside track as Notre Dame, is in a much better location for recruiting, and is ready to embrace a new coach.

Except Meyer wants to go to Notre Dame. It is one of his exceptions.

I think Florida is too.

ND, Michigan, and Ohio State are the three schools he can go to without having to buy out his Utah contract.

That being said Florida can and will pay any penalty or buyout if they want Meyer and he wants to go there.

There is no doubt Meyer has taken Utah as far as they can go. There is really nothing more to accomplish there for him.

Meyer never commented on the Florida position but he does show interest in the ND position. After all, as people have stated, he used to be an assistant coach there. ND has a lot of other potential coaches lined up as well, it's just that Meyer is at the top of that list. Willingham has only coached ND for 3 years, shortest in franchise history not including interim coaches.

Remember, Urban Meyer was a Notre Dame assistant under Bob Davie. That's why he will be the next head coach. And the ND out is in his Utah contract, with no buyout. I've never heard about anywhere else being listed as outs, but I guess it could be true.

ND is also looking at Cal coach Jeff Tedford, Kirk Ferentz of Iowa, and Jon Gruden from the Tampa Bay Bucs. Meyer is just at the top of the list.

It's unfortunate but like Al Davis says, "Just win baby".

Well, the Notre Dame team has great potential. It could be among the top 10 teams in the country if they were to tap into that potential.

ESPN keeps mentioning Petrino for Florida, but I can't see him leaving Louisville with them about to take over the top stop in the Big East next year, it should be an easy way into the BCS without the crazy fans and donors of an SEC school (Auburn or Florida)

Personally, I think Big East shouldn't get a bowl bid. West Virginia was a big dissappointment this year. Boston College blew it in their last game. Pittsburgh going to BCS? Embarassing to say the least. They lost to Connecticut and Syracuse (both in conference) and Nebraska (having one of the worst years in their franchise).

It's only a matter of time before USC gets ucla coach karl dorrell fired as well, heh. But yeah, I don't think it was at all fair how ND treated willingham in this situation. the guys he recruited are sophmores tops. he didn't get a chance to get his own people in there, and it just wasn't right for them to let him go so early. and as much as everyone thinks meyer is a lock for ND, I'm with the minority thinking that he may end up at UF instead. the situation he has waiting for him with the gators is much better than ND. he'll have much better talent waiting for him, a much stronger recruiting base and nowhere near the expectations and scrutiny as being the head coach of the Irish. but hey, if that's what he wants to do, more power to him and good luck (except when he plays my Trojans).

it probably wasn't fair to Willingham, but ND saw the opportunity to get a hot coach in Meyer and jumped at it. If they believe Meyer is the real deal, then they would be foolish to stick with Willingham and lose out on Meyer.
If they end up losing him to Florida though, that would be more embarassing than all their other coach-hiring mishaps put together.

No, I'd say actually hiring that guy who turned out to have faked his resume was the most embarrasing mishap.

Florida already has the number 1 offense in the SEC. The number one QB (a sophomore), #1 RB (junior), and #1 receiver. Whoever goes there to coach is going to look like a genius.

None of you guys have mentioned Dan Hawkins from Boise State. A good Catholic boy, son a star at a good catholic high school, a fantastick 3 year record at Boise
has has been heard to say that ND is the only school that he would abandon Boise for.

You're right -- assuming they figure out a way to stop folks on occasion. Florida did, after all, somehow figure out a way to lose to Mississippi State this year.

It was a raw deal. Willingham, a person who had so many positives and a ton of upside potential still, should have been given 5 years.

There will always be another "this years hot new coach".

Thanks for listening.

Talk radio here in Seattle is all over getting Willingham at UW. I tend to agree. Getting a classy guy like that would be a huge asset to a program in big trouble.

It's more than talk now. Willingham the new coach at Washington.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1944652

And Walt Harris (from Pittsburgh) takes the Stanford job. Not sure I understand that one, to be honest. Harris has ties to the West Coast, but he's leaving a pretty good job in a conference he can win to return to the Pac 10 -- at a school that's not the easiest to win at.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1944640