NOTRE DAME

Say goodbye to ... Tyrone Willingham  
Coaching record: 21-15 in 3 seasons
Reason for leaving: Fired

Willingham fell victim, in part, to Notre Dame’s growing impatience to see its program return to national prominence. He was the first coach hired by the school who was not allowed to fulfill his contract, let go because he was not making enough progress, so said athletic director Kevin White.

White did have some ammunition, as after Willingham got off to an 8-0 start in 2002, the Irish went 13-15 during the rest of his tenure.

While Willingham had some significant victories, including wins over Michigan and Tennessee last season, it was the bad losses that caught up with him. Five times his teams were beaten by 31 points or more. The Irish’s three previous coaches – Bob Davie, Lou Holtz and Dan Devine –combined only had one such defeat.

Joe Raymond / AP Charlie Weis

Hello ... Charlie Weis
Coaching record: First season as a head coach.
2005 prediction: 6-5

Notre Dame got what it wanted, one would suppose, finding an alum (1978) who has three Super Bowl rings as offensive coordinator with New England. How that will translate to the college game is what everyone is waiting to discover.

Weis worked wonders with Tom Brady at New England, and now hopes to do the same with quarterback Brady Quinn, who will lead an offense that returns all 11 starters.

Defensively the Irish have just three starters back, but Weis did well by hiring Rick Minter, the former defensive coordinator here under Lou Holtz in ’92-’93, and who also was head coach at Cincinnati for 10 years. He also scooped up former Mississippi coach David Cutcliffe to serve as his assistant head coach, another solid hire.

Long-term outlook: Weis’ enthusiasm, new attitude and intensity alone should be an improvement over the more business-like Willingham. But that will provide only short-term help. He certainly has proven he knows what to do with top-line players once he has them. But he has to be like a poker player and collect as many blue chips as he can. That is the only way he survives and Notre Dame prospers again.

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