Ty Willingham fired as ND head coach
 

From ESPN

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1935138

Two black head coaches left in I-A

Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Coach Tyrone Willingham was fired by Notre Dame on Tuesday after three seasons in which he failed to return one of the nation's most storied football programs to prominence.

Willingham had a record of 21-15, including 6-5 this season. The Fighting Irish lost 41-10 to No. 1 Southern California on Saturday.

It was not immediately clear whether Willingham would coach the team at the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28. Notre Dame accepted the invitation to the game on Sunday.

Athletic director Kevin White scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Willingham's firing comes after a season in which the Irish pulled off upset victories over Michigan and at Tennessee, but were also blown out by USC and Purdue.

Notre Dame's loss to top-ranked USC on Saturday marked the fifth time the Irish lost by 31 points or more under Willingham -- three of the losses coming to the Trojans. By comparison, former coach Bob Davie's team had just one such loss. Lou Holtz and Dan Devine had none.

Notre Dame hired Willingham, the first black head coach in any sport for the Irish, away from Stanford to replace George O'Leary, the former Georgia Tech coach who resigned five days after taking the job because he lied about his academic and athletic achievements on his resume.

In his first season, Willingham had many fans recalling Notre Dame's glory days, taking over a losing squad and turning things around immediately. The Irish won eight straight to start the season before finishing 10-3 and going to the Gator Bowl.

But during his second year, the Irish fell to 5-7, with four of their losses coming by 26 points or more. It was Notre Dame's third losing record in five seasons, the Irish's worst stretch in 115 years of football.

Notre Dame has won eight AP college football national championships, more than any other school. The last was in 1988 under Holtz. Players from the school have won the Heisman Trophy seven times, also the most in college football.

The Irish haven't won a bowl game since ending the 1993 season ranked No. 2 after beating No. 7 Texas 24-21 in the Cotton Bowl.

Since then the Irish have lost six straight postseason games.

With Tony Samuel fired by New Mexico State and Fitz Hill resigning from San Jose State last week, there are now only two black head coaches in Division I-A -- Karl Dorrell at UCLA and Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State.

I really liked Ty. I think Urban Meyer's going to get the job, but I'm going to miss Willingham. He was a great gameday coach for us. He just struggled with recruiting, and you've got to have talent to be as successful as most ND people want you to be.

I agree HolmeZz, but as for the recruting, I don't know. There could be multiple reasons why he couldn't bring the players he might had wanted due to academic standards, you know? I mean, I'm not saying that's not the problem, but do you recall Hourning's comments about that ND won't be good as they used to be in the past because of them tightening up the standards.

Plus, this was only Ty's 3rd year, but Ty's first year, he was with Davie's players. So realistically (or technically) his team isn't molded to the point where he wanted them to be. I would had at least given Ty one more year to turn it around.

Wow. I would've given him another year or two to see what his first recruiting class could do as seniors.

I think Stanford also fired their coach, so maybe he'll go back there.

The only reason ND pulled the trigger is because they want Meyer. Urban was a former Irish assistant and apparently really wanted to coach them at some point, and Notre Dame wanted to make a bid at him before schools like Florida and Penn State did.

You have a good point there. Should be a interesting winter season for CFB.

I'm glad we didn't fire Tommy West after our 3-9 season in 2002...

For a team like ND, with the shitty spot they were in when he got there and the tough schedules they play each year, I think it was still too early to get rid of him, considering the fact that they're actually going bowling this year.

That would work pretty well for both parties, IMHO.

Willingham was pretty bad. I am looking forward to meyer.

Willingham should go back to Stanford, or if Alden can grow some balls and fire Pinkel, he would be good for Mizzou.

ND is one of the few programs that sticks to it's academic guns....props.

Stupid move by ND, but then what else is new.

Oh wow, Washington contacted Willingham 2 weeks ago about their head coaching job, from ESPN News.

That is why they can't compete anymore.

I don't like this move, but it may work out well for both parties. I wish Tyrone much success in his future coaching gig.

He would be GREAT for Mizzou.

Are ND's academic standards higher than Stanford's?

Who is Tommy West?

That was a great nugget from the ND press conference just now when the athletic director was asked why he said he supported Willingham a couple weeks ago but now they're firing him: "I'm going to be behind our coaches until they are no longer our coaches." ROFL

The guy Memphis picked over Noel Mazzone and Jabba the Mangina for the head coach job when they fired Rip Scherer.

Willingham got shafted here. ND should have let him see how his boys could do next year.

It will be interesting to see what happens to their verbal committments.

I honestly don't know. If someone has any proof that ND's academic standards are higher than Stanford, then please do. If someone has any proof that Standford's academic standards are higher than ND, then I'll admit that I was wrong.

I'm just basically saying from what I heard from Paul Hourning, and Lou Holtz.

notre damn just turned down it's bowl bid

For real Demonpenz?

I'd actually take a passing interest in Mizzou with Willingham at the helm.

I know that jAZ is an Arizona fan, but who is that one member that is a Arizona St. fan? I can't recall his name, but I was going to ask him, was Kevin White used to be Arizona State's Athletic Director?

Boozer is an ASU fan.

Boozer, someone mentioned to me that Kevin White left the ASU Sun Devils in shambles and in big time debt. Was wondering if you are able to confirm it.

jesus, he didn't even get a chance to play with his recruits....they fooked him over, but he still gets paid and Notre Dame gets the white coach it always wanted (oops, did I say that...)

I wish Notre Lame much continued unsuccess.

fuck them....and their TV contract.

aren't you Irish types obligated to drink until you blackout and support the Fighting uhh...Irish?

:hmmm:

When I threw off the shackles of 12 years of Catholic education, I was obliged to heave ND with it.

Plus KSU finally came around....

holy shit...I totally blanked on the KSU conection ROFL

you'd think I'd know by now...not like its your avatar or anything

I'm sure the Revernnnnnn Jacksummmmmm will have something to say about this. What an outrage!!!! :cuss: :cuss: :cuss:

DT

That's a interesting point you made there.

ND better have some real good answers, and no, I'm not asking them to tell me that "We aren't just not getting it done on the field." Bullshit, it's more than that. Why did Willingham, taking over a program that struggled under Davie, not receive the same administrative patience that Davie got taking over a healthier program from Lou Holtz? OR, in fact, that Davie got 5 years to build up the team, yet Willingham got 3? Something to me, smells fishy, and the answers better be real good

The fact that an African-American coach brought in to resurrect a less-than-robust program was shown the door so quickly, will be a hot topic this week on most sporting news. Floyd Keith, executive director of the Black Coaches Association, has got to be on the verge of an aneurysm. (Sixty percent of Division I-A's five black head coaches -- a pitiful figure -- have been fired or resigned this offseason.) The Rev. Jesse Jackson is on Line One.

They haven't turned down their bowl bid.

And I don't expect them to.

Yeah, that was before Willingham was fired. Supposedly they were going to have a meeting to decide whether or not they still want to go though. I can't see them turning it down; it gives the program a little more money and national attention, especially now that there's a coaching vacancy. And the players get a nice little trip out to California. I'd be shocked, and a bit disappointed at this point, if they decided against playing.

Yeah, that's probably what the reason is. Someone mentioned to me this: "The only reason ND pulled the trigger is because they want Meyer. Urban was a former Irish assistant and apparently really wanted to coach them at some point, and Notre Dame wanted to make a bid at him before schools like Florida and Penn State did."

THat's when it hit me, ND wants Meyer. I'm still disappointed on how they handled it though. Personally, I would've given him another year or two to see what his first recruiting class could do as seniors, Meyer or no Meyer.

I believe that the players were supposed to meet at 1p.m. on Tuesday, but I think there was a time change to today or something.

Either way, it was premature.

Plus, I haven't seen an "confirmed" report of that ND might go or not.

Yeah, Rome is saying they are afraid another school will get Urban Somebodyorother before they can.

I'm saying they accepted the bid before Ty got fired, so technically ND still does have the bid, which is probably what the station was reporting.