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November 30, 2004

Willingham Steps Down; Is Meyer Next?

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Lou Somogyi

BlueandGold.com Associate Editor

 

ESPN announced at 1:30 p.m. EST this afternoon that Tyrone Willingham will not return as Notre Dame’s head coach in 2005. Speculation centered on current Utah head coach Urban Meyer, an Irish assistant from 1996-2000 who has a Notre Dame clause in his contract, as the top candidate to replace Willingham.

 

Willingham is only the second non-interim Notre Dame coach to hold the position only three years. The other was Hunk Anderson (1931-33). Perhaps not coincidentally, Anderson and Willingham are the only two Notre Dame coaches to lose each of their first three games against archrival USC. Willingham lost his third straight by 31 points to the Trojans this past weekend.

 

Willingham’s three-year record of 21-15 (.583) is virtually identical to the three-year marks posted by Gerry Faust (18-15-1) and Bob Davie (21-16) after their third seasons with the Irish. More distressing was the lack of appreciable progress after an 8-0 start his first year. Since then, Notre Dame is 13-15.

 

Moreover, the Irish have lost eight games by 21 points or more under Willingham. Faust and Davie combined for just seven such losses in their 10 years combined. After last year’s 5-7 debacle, Notre Dame only managed a 6-5 mark this year, including a loss at 5-6 BYU to open the season and home losses to Big East foes Boston College and Pittsburgh. Although the Irish did upset two Top 10-ranked teams in Michigan and Tennessee, the frustrating losses overshadowed the dramatic victories.

 

Sources indicated that Willingham and his family were unhappy in South Bend and were looking for opportunities elsewhere. A news conference is scheduled to be held at the University at 4:00 p.m. EST.

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Wow, Urban Meyer is a really popular guy all of the sudden.  Did anyone seriously know who this guy was before this year?  I am just asking because I am casual NCAA football fan at best, and the first I heard of him was connected to Zook's job.

I think if ND doesn't get Butch Davis or Urban Meyer (sp?) this is a horrible move... ND might have to accept they've lost their luster to the young recruits

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Wow, Urban Meyer is a really popular guy all of the sudden.  Did anyone seriously know who this guy was before this year?  I am just asking because I am casual NCAA football fan at best, and the first I heard of him was connected to Zook's job.

Meyer is one of the most talked about coaches in the NCAA. Yes, people seriously did know who he was.

 

As for the Irish: I think they dropped the ball with this one. We know you're the most competitive and storied schools in the NCAA, but never before has a coach been fired without good cause at that school. I was expecting at least one more year with Tyrone. Even if he wasn't putting w's in the books, Tyrone was great for that school. Everyone knowns recruiting is down in South Bend, but they just took 5 steps backwards. A long and losing road is up ahead for the Irish.

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willingham to U of I or would that not work out well?

He can crash in my room for a night during the interview process if need be. Tyrone Willingham would be the best thing to ever happen to Illinois football. Now, will they sign him? Absolutely not. He will not even be in the running. It has become painfully clear that Illinois is transforming itself into a basketball school, they will never, and I repeat, ever put that kind of money into the football program.I have met Tyrone on a number of different occasions and let me tell you, this is one of the kindest and most intelligent coaches to have ever stepped foot on the sideline. For as great of a coach as he is, he is an even better human. This is really a damn shame. I hope he is able to bounce back and show the Irish how big of a mistake they really did make. This is not Bob Davie we are talking about, it was Ty Willingham. If anyone has any questions about him just ask.

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