Thank you, Kevin White. ...
No one bears more responsibility for the last ~15 years of mediocrity than White.
I propose that all animosity normally directed at Davie, Willingham, and Weis henceforth be directed at Kevin White.
Wrong guy on two both counts.
Mike Wadsworth hired Bob Davie. Kevin White who wasn't hired until 2000 fired Davie.
Mike Wadsworth may or may not have fired* Lou Holtz but definitely didn't help.
The man who bears responsibility for the last 15 years of football mediocrity is the man who hired Wadsworth and White, pushed Holtz out the door, and insisted on hiring Willingham, Edward Malloy, C.S.C who became ND's President in 1986.
Malloy strove to make ND into an Ivy League school. He succeeded in doing so in many areas including academics, diversity, endowment, faculty upgrades, building program, almost succeeded into turning the football program into Ivy League caliber.
Three times in ND history the ND President has been troubled by a "too" popular ND football team and a "too" popular ND football coach. Each time the ND President was relatively new at his job, each time a legendary coach was replaced with one lacking experience and the program was "de-emphasized", each time with damaging success.
In 1931 Father O'Donnell was in this third year as ND's President when Rockne was killed in an airplane crash. A tragic loss and a solution to a dilemna to the rookie prez. Rockne had flirted with leaving ND a number of times. There was a considerable friction between the school and the coach over player academic qualifications, public relations. and who was running the show. The Administration was not at all pleased with the media's mention of "Knute Rockne's Notre Dame" they would have preferred "Notre Dame's Knute Rockne". The Coach was bigger than the school.
Rockne died and ND promoted ND Assistant Coach Heartley Hunk Anderson. A former All-American under Rockne at ND. Heartley was Head Coach for St Louis University Football in 1927 and 1928 going 5-5 and 4-4-1. When Heartley became Head Coach he found the team smaller as several players were no enrolled and scholarships were cut. Anderson goes 6-2-1, 7-2-0, and then falls to 3-5-1 as his depleted team only scores 32 points in 9 games. The 1933 defense only allowed 80 points less than 9 points a game. Anderson found out he was fired when a reporter told him ND had already signed Elmer Layden to replace him.
In the late 40's "Frank Leahy's Notre Dame" went undefeated for 4 straight years. Like Rockne the stress of the job had taken a toll on Leahy's health and he asked for a medical leave of absence. The ND President, Theodore Hesburgh, in his second year as President said, "No".
ND hired another assistant who was also a former ND All-American under the guy he replaced, Terry Brennan. Similar story as Rockne/Anderson. Again come the cuts. Brennan goes 9-1, 8-2, then falls to 2-8. Bounces back to 7-3 then is fired after 6-4.
Hesburgh doesn't hire another rookie he brings in a pro coach who had won the NFL Coach of the Year Award. Kuharick was another ND football standout who played under Layden. ND's slide continues as Kuharich teams never win more than 5 games despite sending a bunch of players to the NFL.
In '63 Hesburgh interviews Northwestern's Ara Parshegian while a flock of reporters wait outside his office. When Ara walks out, the reporters congratulate him but Parshegian advises that he's NOT the coach of Notre Dame. Parshegian had informed Hesburgh of things ND had to do to once again compete with the elite. Hesburgh said no and Ara went home. A few days later ND announced Parshegian as the new head coach.
Devine was the first "replacement" coach to follow a legend at ND and do well. But those who remember him recall he was chided by ND fans for not having Ara's charisma and keeping a lower profile.
When Devine retired, Father Hesburgh didn't see the need for an experienced major college football coach and opted for the legendary high school coach Gerry Faust. Once again proving that Notre Dame is NOT the place for On the Job Training.
After the Faust years when nobody said, "Gerry Faust's Notre Dame" the Administration once again heeded the outcry of the alumni and hired a experienced, proven winner in Lou Holtz.
Within a year Father Hesburgh retired and Edward "Monk" Malloy became ND's President. Friction returned between the Administration and the football program as the football team moved up the rankings. Vinny Cerrato recruited boatloads of "5 Star" caliber players to ND not all of whom were viewed with equal enthusiasm by the Adminstration. ND's only experience with Prop 48 student athletes was during Holtz early years. Eventually Cerrato was squeezed out.
**** Rosenthal who was hired as ND AD in 1987 retired in 1995. President Malloy hired Mike Wadsworth as AD. Wadsworth was also a former ND football player who played in the CFL than later became Canada's Ambassador to Ireland. Wadsworth along with ND V.P. Father Beauchamp, Father Malloy's right hand man were now running the football program. Where Holtz used to "meet" with AD Rosenthal, he now "reported" to Wadsworth and Beauchamp. Anyone who's dealt with corporate politics or university politics knows that drill. Once again the ND Administration was asserting this isn't "The Head Coach's Notre Dame".
Holtz now retires with health issues (Rockne and Leahy) or is fired depending upon who you talk to. Here's an interesting quote off The Wadsworth Family In America copyrighted website
Mike Wadsworth ND Athletic Director
... Never a stranger to controversy, Wadsworth fired Lou Holtz and hired defensive coach Bob Davie who proved to be a bust. By the time he resigned in February 2000 Wadsworth had pretty much overstayed his welcome at the Golden Dome. ...
Enter Bob Davie, the bungling of the Moore termination and lawsuit,, and mediocrity on and off the field.
Wadsworth retired in 2000 and Kevin White became Monk Malloy henchman.
Note that while the football program went on a downward spiral and stayed there during the Malloy reign, Olympic Sports blossomed. Women's soccer, women's basketball, men's soccer, hockey, fencing, and lacrosse among others became highly competitive and won several championships. But no one referred to "Muffet MaGraw's Notre Dame" or Chris Petrucelli's Notre Dame".
Kevin White was NOT the party responsible for the football programs mediocrity, he was hired by Edward Malloy
and did his bidding until The Board of Trustees and Father Jenkins took over.
