College Football: This week

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think that having that as an out when he started with Utah 2 years ago is much different than having it now, seeing the state ND is in now .

[pchang]

ND pays a lot more and ancillary income potential is much higher too (endorsements, tv/radio shows, etc.).

[reismark]

This is one of those situations where the move is both inherently stupid and smart.

Stupid since, given one more year, Willingham would have turned the corner - he got more out of Davie's players his first year, then had these two awkward years while transitioning from Davie's guys to his guys, and now, if the pattern had held, would have gotten back to the 2002 levels at least next year - and now they'll have to start all over again.

Smart, because Urban Meyer's the type of coach they can build an identity around given his offensive system, and this (and not Florida - Butch Davis in the Swamp next year, mark my words) is the job worth leaving a great situation at Utah for. One caveat: As good as his offense is, it'll be that much better once he figures out how to use it from under center...

[Tuberski]

Since everyone is certain that Meyer is leaving Utah, I find myself wondering who Utah should hire to replace him.

ACK!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Perhaps Meyer will leave, but I don't see the success at Notre Dame as in Utah, especially initially. Notre Dame doesn't have the players to run the spread flexbone offense Meyer runs. He better be careful he doesn't walk into the same situation Willingham found himself in, getting fired right before you get your players taking control of the team.

[DanS]

Wow. I didn't expect Willingham to be gone. Part of it might have been that Notre Dame wasn't getting the best recruits. Rocket Ismail said none of the current starters would have started when he was around. Most of the time, Irish greats don't criticize their own.

Personally, I have seen a fall-off in the athleticism of the team over the last several years. Rocket was an athlete first and a football player second. Some of this wasn't Willingham's fault -- it started in the last years under Holtz. But Willingham was still using all of the defensive players that Davie had recruited in his last year. Doesn't look like he developed much of his own. The meltdown in the ND secondary was because they seemed to lack athleticism.

I don't know about Meyer. Only 2 years at Utah. He could probably use some more seasoning. I would be interested in hearing more about him, especially his offense. The fact is that because of its routinely tough schedule, Notre Dame needs a good running game. Passing game-centered offenses seem to have too much variability.

Here's a list of possibles from ESPN...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=1935210

[DanS]

I've been reading a lot of articles this evening about the Ty Willingham era and the best one appears to be the following from John Walters in Sports Illustrated...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/john_walters/11/30/willingham/

[Drake Tungsten]

Three years isn't long enough to judge a coach. You need at least 5.

edit:

September 9, 2000, was my lowest moment as a Notre Dame fan and alum. The top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers invaded South Bend and so did their fans. So many alums had scalped their tickets to Husker fans that Notre Dame Stadium became a sea of red. The rest of us were a sea of red faces.

Great article, Dan...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hell, they gave Davie 5 years!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by DanS
I've been reading a lot of articles this evening about the Ty Willingham era and the best one appears to be the following from John Walters in Sports Illustrated...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...30/willingham/

Very interesting... especially the 'black athlete' part. I wonder if firing Willingham so quickly will turn off more blacks to Notre Dame.

[Drake Tungsten]

Nebraska's got way too many white kids, too. Starting three white linebackers equals trouble and is definitely indicative of poor recruiting...

[DanS]

I don't think Willingham helped with recruiting fast and quick black kids in the first place, so I guess him leaving won't leave ND any poorer in that category.

You should be able to recruit a top class of athletes almost every year at ND. ND is on national TV every week. It has the most players in the NFL. It graduates its athletes and gives them a reasonably good education.

My dad has a theory that the players didn't want to go to ND because of the facilities -- why go to a place that has decades-old facilities when you could get waited on hand and foot in immaculate digs at some place like Ohio State? The weather in South Bend can't help either. Luckily, ND is correcting the facilities with a little investment.

[Imran Siddiqui]

True, but my observation on the black athletes is that many don't have a good view of ND in the first place. Having Willingham there for a number of years could have helped reverse the idea that ND isn't as hospitible for the black student athelete.

[DanS]

I don't know how black student-athletes view ND with regard to race relations.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Back when Willingham was hired there was some talk about it. Don't know if it was exaggerated, but it seemed a lot of the pundits (especially Michael Wilbon) was talking about the less than stellar reputation ND has with black student athletes.