Not really a huge shock but still surprising. It really is a shame that he wont get to finish his contract out or even get to see how most of his recruits do. In any case it looks like they are going to go after Utah's Urban Meyer.
A bit surprised, but after the USC beating, I cause its not too much of a surprise. I think Ty is a good coach, but you have to be damn near perfect to coach at Notre Dame. I wonder if Holtz might be in the running again or if the Irish will seek out someone from the NFL worked for USC's Pat Carroll. Either way, Ty's record from last year and this year did not endear himself to the alumini that actually saw there was talent on the field and wondering how a team that beats Michigan and goes into Tennesse and wins can't beat BYU, Purdue, Pitt and BC? I personally like Ty, but his play calling in the USC game was down right embarrassing, call a time out and then try two trick plays in a role was just stupid. I just hope they get find a coach that will get the players fired up and remember why they signed on to Notre Dame.
"All faith reguires is giving into the possibility of hope."
This futher proves to me how deluded the Administators and Alumni at ND are. They seem to think that this is 1964, not 2004. They cannot continue to play a murderous national schedule and expect to win. If they dont make some scheduling changes or join a conference, they will continue to lose like they have. You could put Knute Rockne as head coach with Steve Spurrier as offensive coordinator and Bob Stoops as defensive coordinator and they couldnt win.
Ty Willingham was a good coach. Always classy, I hope he lands a good job somewhere.
"I could be wrong, but I doubt it"---Charles Barkley
Actually, ND prides itself on playing tough schedules, so you know that going into ND as head coach, you have your work cut out for you. Its not like coaching one of the Florida teams were your toughest game is usually against one of the other two team Florida teams you play in the regular season, then you should sleepwalk through your confrence.
That being said, next year's schedule has USC, Tennesse, Michigan State and I think Stamford at home while the tough road game is at Michigan as the first game of the season. Plus, there is no Boston College, so if there is any year they want to get a title, next year is it. Ty knew coming into Notre Dame that expectations were high and to be honest, he didn't live up to them. He has very compentent team and one that should have not lost to Pitt, BYU or BC. Even in the USC and Purdue games which they got blown out they had real chances of turning the game around or keeping themselves in it, but blew it. Some of this falls on Ty's shoulders, espically the play calling in the second half of the USC game. He knew that after Tennesse game, all he had to do was beat Pitt and look respectable against USC to keep his job, he didn't do either.
I would also like to say that yes, ND has a very vocal base, but if they didn't they won't be Notre Dame. The fans pride themselves on being Notre Dame its just the last two coaches have been duds. Davie was there, because they wanted to keep Holtz's players happy after he left. When, he turned out medicore performances, he got canned. After the O'Leary debacle, everyone was screaming Ty, because he was a good coach and he was black, it might be racist to say, but its true that someone people wanted a good PR move. Now, after seeing Ty's three seasons, you can't say he wasn't given chances. He should have been fired after last year's embarrassing loses, but they kept him on. This was his year to get things done, the schedule at them going at least 8-3 if things didn't work well in the Michigan, Tennesse and USC games. He didn't do his job which is to win winnable games like Boston College, BYU and Pitt. He had two awesome games in Tennesse and Michigan, but Michigan has always had problems away from Michigan, so thats not a great surprise that ND won. I just think, he was given a chance to help rebuild ND instead he kept it where it was, a team with a great past, but not something to be feared in the present.
"All faith reguires is giving into the possibility of hope."
Originally posted by A FanActually, ND prides itself on playing tough schedules
I agree with that, but come on, Navy!?! They ain't tough
But man, ND had three losses with a margin of seven points. Lost by three to BYU, one to BC, and three to Pitt. If they got just those three games, it would be a nice 9-2 season, not a 6-5. They should have given him just one more year.
And now, for a limited time only, THE BAND IS OUT ON THE FIELD!!!"
Originally posted by ZeruelBut man, ND had three losses with a margin of seven points. Lost by three to BYU, one to BC, and three to Pitt. If they got just those three games, it would be a nice 9-2 season, not a 6-5. They should have given him just one more year.
That IS a bitter pill for ol' Ty, but Ivan Maisel seemed to be saying that the UW people had already been contacting him, so maybe the combination of that AND the fact that surely they want Urban Meyer (who Pat Forde called "#1-10 on the wish list") made this happen. If they really think Meyer is the next Holtz, they SHOULD have moved before he got snapped up by a harder-to-get-him-out-of type of job (read: Florida).
“To get ass, you’ve got to bring ass." -- Roy Jones Jr.
"Your input has been noted. I hope you don't take it personally if I disregard it." -- Guru Zim
Originally posted by ZeruelBut man, ND had three losses with a margin of seven points. Lost by three to BYU, one to BC, and three to Pitt. If they got just those three games, it would be a nice 9-2 season, not a 6-5. They should have given him just one more year.
That IS a bitter pill for ol' Ty, but Ivan Maisel seemed to be saying that the UW people had already been contacting him, so maybe the combination of that AND the fact that surely they want Urban Meyer (who Pat Forde called "#1-10 on the wish list") made this happen. If they really think Meyer is the next Holtz, they SHOULD have moved before he got snapped up by a harder-to-get-him-out-of type of job (read: Florida).
I didn't think Notre Dame would have the guts to do this, but it is a much better idea to get rid of a coach one year to soon rather than one year to late. Ty is a classy guy, and he'll end up at Washington or Stanford, thus helping black coaches by becoming the first black retread college coach. That actually is an important step. However, Willingham's legacy was written on the fake punt against USC, much as Faust will always be remembered for 58-7 Miami in his last game. I don't think Meyer is the next Holtz though. I think he's the next Ara.
Money is no replacement for the love of a good woman. Real estate, especially in the current marketplace, is another story.
Originally posted by Mayhem So, is George O'Leary waiting by the phone?
I think he's updating his resume by the second. Never knew that O'Leary was the 4th man to set foot on the moon.
I doubt he's putting his current job at UCF on his resume. 0-11 this year.
INTERVIEWER: "So, Coach O'Leary, it says here on your resume you are currently the head coach at UCF..." COACH O'LEARY: "That's correct. You can ask anybody." INTERVIEWER: "And that you have lead them to a perfect season this year?" COACH O'LEARY: "Yes." INTERVIEWER: "Ooooo-kay."
“To get ass, you’ve got to bring ass." -- Roy Jones Jr.
"Your input has been noted. I hope you don't take it personally if I disregard it." -- Guru Zim
Originally posted by A FanActually, ND prides itself on playing tough schedules, so you know that going into ND as head coach, you have your work cut out for you. Its not like coaching one of the Florida teams were your toughest game is usually against one of the other two team Florida teams you play in the regular season, then you should sleepwalk through your confrence.
That being said, next year's schedule has USC, Tennesse, Michigan State and I think Stamford at home while the tough road game is at Michigan as the first game of the season. Plus, there is no Boston College, so if there is any year they want to get a title, next year is it. Ty knew coming into Notre Dame that expectations were high and to be honest, he didn't live up to them. He has very compentent team and one that should have not lost to Pitt, BYU or BC. Even in the USC and Purdue games which they got blown out they had real chances of turning the game around or keeping themselves in it, but blew it. Some of this falls on Ty's shoulders, espically the play calling in the second half of the USC game. He knew that after Tennesse game, all he had to do was beat Pitt and look respectable against USC to keep his job, he didn't do either.
I would also like to say that yes, ND has a very vocal base, but if they didn't they won't be Notre Dame. The fans pride themselves on being Notre Dame its just the last two coaches have been duds. Davie was there, because they wanted to keep Holtz's players happy after he left. When, he turned out medicore performances, he got canned. After the O'Leary debacle, everyone was screaming Ty, because he was a good coach and he was black, it might be racist to say, but its true that someone people wanted a good PR move. Now, after seeing Ty's three seasons, you can't say he wasn't given chances. He should have been fired after last year's embarrassing loses, but they kept him on. This was his year to get things done, the schedule at them going at least 8-3 if things didn't work well in the Michigan, Tennesse and USC games. He didn't do his job which is to win winnable games like Boston College, BYU and Pitt. He had two awesome games in Tennesse and Michigan, but Michigan has always had problems away from Michigan, so thats not a great surprise that ND won. I just think, he was given a chance to help rebuild ND instead he kept it where it was, a team with a great past, but not something to be feared in the present.
FIrst off, you cannot sleepwalk thru the ACC or SEC. Both conferences are tough top to bottom. So the bias against the FLorida schools is unwarranted. Number two, Notre Dame's pride is what got them into this mess. In addition to their schedule problems, they cannot recruit decent players. I dont think the academic standards are the problem totally, I suspect ND football players get the same breaks football players get at all big schools. But no one is dying to go to Notre Dame anymore, just because they are Notre Dame. No one gives a shit about "Echoes." And until the ND people try t understand that, they cant win. Why would a kid choose ND over Miami?South Bend over South Beach? And from what I can understand, Notre Dame has substandard facilities compared to most of the other football powers. Add all that up and Urban Meyer has no more chances of success than Ty Willingham had.
"I could be wrong, but I doubt it"---Charles Barkley
Originally posted by Mayhem Urban Meyer is going to be making the rounds to college campuses this off season ... isn't he still on Florida's radar?
As far as Willingham goes, I'm sure he won't have a hard time finding a job. His old gig at Stanford is open.
I'm pretty sure Meyer is under contract for at least two more years but has on out for ND and the NFL. I haven't read anything about the out clause having any other schools in it.
The fact that he has an out clause with ND in it to me almost clinches it. Too bad I don't see any coach turning that program around in the amount of time that ND gives its coaches. Willingham had an amazing first year, and everyone knew it was going to take at least 3 years to get his players for his system. ND should have given him at least one more year. Now they have to start from scratch again.
The ND schedule next year will allow for at least a 10 win season since most of the tough games ie USC and Tennesse are home. Going away to Michigan, Pitt and Purdue will not be fun, but if they can beat one of those guys on the road and do something Ty couldn't do ie win at home, then they can do it.
As for people not wanting to go Notre Dame, I'm sure kids will take the easy way out of going to Miami, Florida State and other of the beach schools. I can't blame them, but I don't think the education qualities are the same as going to school at Notre Dame. At the end of the day, a handful of college kids get to go to the NFL and handful of that have successful careers. Colleges should prepare the students for life on and off the field. ND prides itself that they have a high graduating percentage and the students are succesful in jobs that don't involve sports. I don't think FSU or Miamia and number of other schools do that. They get the most talent try to keep them out of trouble and then if they go the NFL, its a feather in their cap if not, oh well the school still got a college championship out of it.
You can sleep walk through the ACC, FSU has done it for almost ten years now. The SEC has been consistantly getting better, but in years past Florida's only tough games were FSU and Tennesse. Miamia's hardest test was PSU in the Big East, but they dominated them, so they moved to the fairly ACC where only in recent years has Virginai Tech gave them fits. Samething could be said for the Osbourn era Nebraska as Colorado was their only real challenge till Oklahoma could their shit together with Bob Stoops. Notre Dame has consistantly played top teams like Michigan, USC and add in another top ten team to around it out. I wish Notre Dame could go to the Big Ten or join what confrence Utah is in. They don't, because they want to play the best teams they can find like USC, Michigan, Miami, Tennesse, FSU and others. Miami knew that the Big East wasn't giving them any love so they and VT left to join the ACC which had the marquee FSU game that Miami was playing anyway, so they might as well get a confrence win out of it.
"All faith reguires is giving into the possibility of hope."
They're not losing players to Miami and FSU, they're losing players to the other schools within range of Indiana, since I can't think off the top of my head any players Miami or FSU has recruited from the midwest, give or take a prospect they managed to snag because of their track records (ditto ND recruiting in Florida). ND has always gotten the bulk of their kids out of the Big Ten/Pennsylvania belt and Miami/FSU has gotten theirs from the southeast, give or take a player here and there.
The fact that certain schools from that area have upswung in the last few years (Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Pitt, WVU, etc) at the same time Notre Dame has gone into a down-cycle is not a coincidence. Plus the annual battles they always have for regional blue-chips with Michigan and OSU. It's not that they couldn't out-recruit the Florida schools, it's that they couldn't out-recruit the schools in their own backyard.
As a sidenote and not for nothing, I wouldn't classify FSU as a beach school any more than PSU can be considered from the Big East. There isn't a beach worth the trip within 3 hours of here.
(edited by Blanket Jackson on 1.12.04 1531) ""We may boo Santa Claus and throw frozen batteries in the end zone, but we don't throw $7 beers. We don't waste those." -Spurs forward and Philadelphia native Malik Rose, speaking on the Pacers-Pistons incident
Originally posted by A FanYou can sleep walk through the ACC, FSU has done it for almost ten years now. The SEC has been consistantly getting better, but in years past Florida's only tough games were FSU and Tennesse. Miamia's hardest test was PSU in the Big East, but they dominated them, so they moved to the fairly ACC where only in recent years has Virginai Tech gave them fits. Samething could be said for the Osbourn era Nebraska as Colorado was their only real challenge till Oklahoma could their shit together with Bob Stoops. Notre Dame has consistantly played top teams like Michigan, USC and add in another top ten team to around it out. I wish Notre Dame could go to the Big Ten or join what confrence Utah is in. They don't, because they want to play the best teams they can find like USC, Michigan, Miami, Tennesse, FSU and others. Miami knew that the Big East wasn't giving them any love so they and VT left to join the ACC which had the marquee FSU game that Miami was playing anyway, so they might as well get a confrence win out of it.
Where to start with this?
1. Florida State DID sleepwalk through the ACC for the first few years they were there, but the other ACC schools did a good job of closing the gap, or maybe you missed Maryland's 2001 ACC title, or the rise or Virginia and NC State, or *gasp* North Carolina knocking off Miami?
2. Miamia's hardest test was PSU in the Big East, but they dominated them, so they moved to the fairly ACC where only in recent years has Virginai Tech gave them fits.
Huh? Do you mean Penn State, the one that has only ever played in the Big Ten? And Miami was a charter member of the Big East, they only joined the ACC this year.
3. Notre Dame's motivation for staying as an indiependent has NOTHING to do with wanting to "play the best teams". NOTHING. ZILCH. NA-DA. It's about money and their NBC contract, and the fact that they view the college football world like this:
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HEIRARCHY Notre Dame . . . . . Everyone else
Noter Dame already plays Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue annually, so they already have almost half of a Big Ten schedule, and since FLorida and Florida State play every year I'm sure that the Irish could somehow keep USC on their schedule.
4. Miami, Virginia Tech, and BC left the Big East because the expanded ACC can have a conference championship game, which means more money. There's NO OTHER REASON. Miami was already playing FSU annually, and it was actually BETTER for Miami when that matchup WASN'T a conference game as they could lose and still win the Big East.
“To get ass, you’ve got to bring ass." -- Roy Jones Jr.
"Your input has been noted. I hope you don't take it personally if I disregard it." -- Guru Zim
I am sorry for the mix up on a few things. 1. I meant to say that VT gave Miami fits in the Big East and not the ACC which we can all agree to. Gee, one year FSU is not the ACC champ, I'm shocked. Also, the ACC is getting better, but its nowhere near being the SEC or Big Ten where almost every game is a struggle. ACC has some real losers like Duke, Maryland and I'm not totally sold on NC ST or Virginia. North Carolina played their hearts out against Miami for their embattled coach, yet they ended with the same season as ND and the coach will probably get canned at the end of it anyway like Ty. I applaud Miami and VT for going to the ACC and shaking stuff up, but to say it will harder for them is not the same, they still have the same basic schedule.
I am not going to say Notre Dame doesn't view itself high on the ladder of college football. Yet, they have the most tradition and minus the 1993 screw job they have won a championship or championships in every decade. There is some arrogance to it. Yet, growing up was no picnic being the only ND fan living an hour away from PSU. So, I guess as an Irish fan, I want them to do while, because I want to take pride in my team and shove down everyone else throats. Is that so wrong? Well, maybe it is, but I take pride being a Notre Dame fan and its fustruating when you see them just crap away about ten years of good talent with two coaches who didn't live up to the football expectations that were set up by the administration and themselves. I'm sure Ty is not pleased about going 4-7 and 6-5 and getting his head handed to him in most of those loses. I probably would have given him one more year with the easy schedule, but its I understand why they did it.
"All faith reguires is giving into the possibility of hope."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2826562 CHICAGO -- Former New England Patriots' receiver Darryl Stingley, who was paralyzed after a hard hit during an NFL exhibition game nearly 30 years ago, has died. He was 55.