Ty Willingham: Stay or Go?

[Irish Envy]

Ty Willingham: Should He Stay or Go? Here is your chance to cast your not-so-Presidential ballot on whether the current Notre Dame coach should be kept for another season or sent packing back to the West Coast.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

If Ty wins out against Pitt and USC and wins the bowl game, then I think he should stay. If he loses any of those games, my vote is to send him packing. Urban Meyer anyone?

So for now, he stays.

 

[Melphion]

I agree with albuquerque but i think it is very important to win a bowl game. I haven't seen them win one yet!

 

[bmf175]

Get off his back

Get off his back

Ok Ive been a monkey on Willinghams back on this site.

But I will agree if he finishes out the year including a bowl game victory I will get off his back. And say he deserves another year.

Chances of that are not so good. Due to USC.

 

[bmf175]

I should have known better

I should have known better

PLEASE end the agony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

Agreed. Give Urban a call....

 

[Guest]

Looks like another subpar recruiting year...Thats gonna be two in a row. Future of our program is in trouble. Fire this fool, hire Meyers so he can get something out of the recruits that are still available...

 

[irishtexan]

ty has to go, lets move on

ty has to go, lets move on

Ty has to go. After watching the Pitt game I am convinced he has to be let go. Yes there wer bad calls, but the secondary looked like they had never defended the pass before. That is a result of bad coaching. I am sick and tired of seeing an inconsistent offense and conservative play calling in the crucial times of the game. The Irish have loads of talent still, they just dont have desire. That is a result of Willingham's "positive" coaching techniques. I was skeptical when Ty was hired a few years back because he had a shaky record at Stanford, he lost all 3 times he faced San Jose State for christ sake, and now he is just flushing Irish tradition down the toilet. WE WIN AT NOTRE DAME. There are no exceptions. There are kids that would love to come play in South Bend but why waste their time playing for a team that loses at least 4-5 games a year. Has anyone noticed that when Notre Dame is behind the sidelines are quiet? Noone is really trying to pump each other up. Ty is just standing there with his arms crossed like always looking confused. If he doesnt get fired, then we will have to suffer like this again next year. As a fan you must ask yourself, do you want to watch a team play who struggles against average adversaries? Do you feel confident we can win 8 or 9 games a year? If the answer is no then Ty has to go.

 

[penguin]

one more year

one more year

I am not happy with coach Ty, but I say give him one more year.
He needs to win 8 out of the next 14 games, however. That would
mean the bowl game at the end of this season and 7 games next season or at least 8 games next season. The pressure is definitely on.
After the two Michigan wins, I had hoped we'd improve each week, but something just isn't right with Ty's teams. The schedule is one of the toughest around, but there seems to be no logic to which games have us victorious and which result in embarrassment. We beat teams we should have lost to and lost to ones we should have beaten!!
I think I've seen Ty look enthusiastic exactly one time this season! I care and I'd like to know that the coach cares. Show me you care, Ty!!!
I also don't like addidas and Ty wearing that brand....
Who is Urban Meyer ?

 

[penguin]

postscript

postscript

I remember seeing many predictions earlier in the season (Sept, after BYU) where the expectations were low. Many predicted a 5-6 season. I predicted 6-5 and it seems we're headed that way now. I didn't expect to beat TN, though.
After that win, I expected the Pitt game to be better played. Oh, well... 7-4 would have been nice...*sigh* it's been a rough up-and-down journey. But at least we've won 6 games! With this coaching crew, that seems to be an accomplishment. It only takes two more victories next year to make 8 wins.

Take solace in the other superior Notre Dame athletic programs.

 

[irishtexan]

let ty run a high school program

let ty run a high school program

Winning 6 games at Notre Dame is not acceptable. If we were in the MAC conference or in the Mountain West it may be o.k. , but this is freakin' Notre Dame!!!!!!! The Irish secondary made Tyler Palko look like John Elway today!!! I am sick and tired of watching the Irish not show up to play. You would think that they would realize they are playing for the greatest football program ever and do everything they can to help it win, but I only see a few show up to play. What happened to the toughness the Irish had under Holtz? Watching the Irish those years was great because they would stuff the ball down your freakin throat. Now I see crappy tackling (how do you let a tight end who runs a 4.8 40 outrun the secondary) and a lack of character on the field. I could see the pain in Justin Tucks eyes after the game. You could tell he was tired of losing like this, which scares me because now he will probably go pro and not come back next year and why should he? Willingham has a SISSY at offensive coordinator and he has no idea how to prepare for games. We only beat Tennessee because Ainge got hurt and Kyle Orton slaughtered us. We had 11 rushing yards against the Mormon whackjobs of BYU. We beat a very subpar Stanford by only 8, and we should have killed Navy. Michigan State almost came back on us. At the 22 starting offense and defensive positions on the field Notre Dame has a high school american at almost every spot. Why cant we win with players like this? Last years recruiting class was one of the worst in history and we didnt even crack the top 25. With Ty at the reins of the program we cant compete with average teams because Ty is not a real Irish fan. He is a Spartan, and he loves Stanford. I dont think he cares if he stays or goes because he gets something like 2 million a year to be there. Urban Meyer was an assistant at ND but I doubt he will leave what he has built at Utah to come to Notre Dame. He likes the fact he can bust the BCS with Utah. What Notre Dame needs is a coach who can bring the fire and heart back into the program. If we play someone like Boise State in a crappy bowl game, i bet they throw for 4oo yards on Dwight Ellick and Mike Richardson. That is when I will give up hope. If the Irish cant compete with Pitt, how can we play against a top passing offense of any team? I think we are doomed for the tenure of Willinghams career in South Bend.

 

[penguin]

I left for an appointment about 5 minutes into the second half, so I missed the ending vs. Pitt talked about here. My blood pressure cannot take it this season, so it's good I missed it. It sounds like we looked terrible in the 4th Qtr.- true ?
I hate to say this, but sometimes ND doesn't seem like a division I team! It seems like the player components are there, but they are not 'calibrated' as a team or focused on the same clear goal. They do well almost in spite of themselves. It's sloppy. I wonder about the basic drills they follow and their conditioning. I'd rather see a methodical offense which gains a consistent 5 yards per carry than a flamboyant passing attack. (with all the attendant dropped passes) Later, mix it up. Basics first. Defense, defense, defense. Tighten up! I agree that the calls by coach have been horrible at times, and this happened last year as well !! His program is not working.
I don't think he really understands Notre Dame tradition, either. That's his biggest error - he may go through the motions sometimes, but he does not feel the spirit!!!

I have a question - Can anyone tell me when we've had sustained positive momentum for a full quarter in any game this season ? I'm curious and would love to hear some discussion. Right now, I'm drawing a blank.

 

[penguin]

Ara's era

Ara's era

I'm new here today and would like to mention that I began watching ND football on WNDU in 1963. I love Ara Parseghian. There is a wonderful article about him on the ND Fighting Irish website. I loved the way he coached and the way he interacted with the community/alumni.
I looked at the "All Time ND Coaching Records" via the link at FireTy.com and Ara is represented well at an 83.6 % record over 11 seasons. The controversial 10-10 tie against Michigan State (in 1965?) was painful, but I supported Ara's decision then. He has integrity.
Too bad some of it didn't rub off on Willingham when Ara was recently honored on campus. The constant pain of the past few years under Willingahm is the kind that dulls your senses and leaves you numb.
No, we don't deserve this. But the new coach must have something special, a great work ethic, be someone the players can relate to, and have a certain spark/energy/spirit that translates well to our beloved tradition. Plus be able to recruit a great staff. We can take our time looking around while we let Willingham know his days are numbered. (expensive error hiring him!)
Lou Holtz was good, I enjoyed him and his teams. I always thought that he was ready for a change, too, though. When I looked at his record, it was the same number of years (11) as Ara, but 16 more games (and maybe tougher schedules.) It's a great record, very solid.
Also, noticed that 11 years occured between Leahy and Parseghian, and 8 between Parseghian and Holtz. Since Holtz left in 1996, we've waited another 8 years for a return to glory. It did look like we might have been heading in the right direction at the end of last season, it could have gone either way...but I always had doubts about Willingham. I didn't want to have them. I just never felt convinced by his actions on the field. I've spent way too much time the past few years yelling at the TV. There have been so many idiotic decisons during games. SO, yes, we should get a new coach - it's time.
But it needs to be the 'right' one this time.
So, I stand by my previous statement of giving Ty one more year. Meanwhile, the search should be on !!!

 

[Guest]

Penguin you have got to be friggin kidding me, give Ty another year. Have you even watched this team the past 3 years...your 5 and 6 predictions are off as well most ND fans were saying 8-3 I was thinking more in the lines of 7-4, but the way this team has played I truely don't cre if we beat Usc. This Fool has got to go. You don't even know who Urban Meyers is , well he's the hottest young coaching prospect in the country who has an out in his contract for the ND job. Doesn't matter though were keeping Ty cause of his skin color. Which is Absolute BS I could care less what color the guy is, I happen to think he's making black coaches look bad. This fool can't coach drop him!

 

[Guest]

Tex i agree with almost everything you said except the Urban Meyers part. The guys got an out in his contract for us and he'll make alot more money at ND then he is at Utah (500,000 a year).

 

[Guest]

Give Kent Baer a call ask him what he thinks of this mess (574)631 7196. or email Kbaer@nd.edu tell that fool to take the Utah State job.....

Beware: He may call you back........

 

[penguin]

Sunday

Sunday

I just read this article from a Fort Wayne, IN sportswriter and recommend it:
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/sports/colleges/10180087.htm
There is a link on the Fire Ty page.

I don't disagree with anything most of you have said. But I'm standing by my statement to keep Ty for one more year. Sure, he's proven to be a bad choice, but the next coach needs to be the right one. Let things get even worse (the way the whole country is going.) Timing is crucial. What Florida did and the way they did it was not honorable. This is a huge deal.

Now that I know who Urban Meyer is, I am not convinced he is the one. Thanks for informing me, Texas!
(so what if I don't follow all teams and know all coaches?)
What about June Jones, Hawaii's coach ?

And after the loss to BYU, there was a poll I took part in, where most people were predicting a less than .500 season. After the first two games, it was obvious that we wouldn't be 7-4 or 8-3 (one could only hope)

I don't care for Ty and I'd like him to succeed partly because he is black! All black people are not the same. Notre Dame made the commitment to him, though. It should be honored.

And I don't think ND has always treated it's coaches honorably (read Digger Phelps.)

In the above mentioned article, it's stated that ND has a .500 record at home for the past two years. That's shameful.

We are going to suffer more, it's not over, even if the coach is dumped now.

So- as I said before - enjoy the many other great sports where ND athletes are excelling !!!

And know, that as far as football goes, this too shall pass.

 

[irishtexan]

ty must go still

ty must go still

Let me put put how recruiting is going downhill in perspective for you guys. I am from Gainesville, Texas, a small town that won the class 3A state championship last year in football. Notre Dame, at the time were in the process of recruiting Darcel Mcbath, an outstanding cornerback and all-state football player. Now becoming all-state in football in Texas is not an easy task, there is so much talent in this huge state that Oklahoma has seen the benefits of Texas recruits
(around 65% of their team is from Texas). Anyways, Darcel runs a 4.3 40 and has the ability to become truly amazing. He signed with Texas Tech though when it came down to it. Why? The hometown newspaper had an article on him and when posed this question he said "I dont know what happened, Notre Dame started calling and coming by, but when the season was over, they just stopped, like they didnt care anymore" . WOW. Ty and his great staff missed another great opportunity to snag a great kid and football player. This type of lazy recruiting effort has echoed the last 2 seasons Ty has been here. The same crap happened at Stanford. There is no use keeping Ty and his staff around just to honor our contract agreement, he knew what Irish fans expected when he accepted the position. If we continue to let Ty stain the programs winning reputation for 2 more years, then the Irish are doomed. 2 more years of watching inconsistency, assignments blown, missed tackles, blown coverage, and unmotivating leadership. The program is so messed up that even the seniors this year dont know what to say. Ty was quoting as saying "Its a winning year" after the shameful loss to Pitt. How can he say something like that after what happened? Its like he didnt care about the loss, just that he wont get fired because he won 6 games.

 

[Guest]

Erik Lorig. 4 star recruit may play tight end or defensive end in college highly recruited kid. We offered him early in the summer. He was very interested has us in his top 4 along with USC, CAL, and stanford. Well he's not so interested in us anymore, says he hasn't heard from notre dame since september. What is Ty thinking or is he just plain lazy. Lorig says he hears from Pete Carroll and Tedford once a week. Willingham just isn't committed to the job, can't even pick up the phone and call one of the players he OFFERED to check in with them.

 

[irishtexan]

Erik Lorig. 4 star recruit may play tight end or defensive end in college highly recruited kid. We offered him early in the summer. He was very interested has us in his top 4 along with USC, CAL, and stanford. Well he's not so interested in us anymore, says he hasn't heard from notre dame since september. What is Ty thinking or is he just plain lazy. Lorig says he hears from Pete Carroll and Tedford once a week. Willingham just isn't committed to the job, can't even pick up the phone and call one of the players he OFFERED to check in with them.

EXACTLY. This is why Ty and his staff are going to be scrambling to get commitments from people when its time to commit. He also is screwing up the depth chart by not recruiting the right positions. We have WR'S that have verbally committed, but why arent we going after linemen, a crucial legacy at ND? At Stanford Ty had 500 receivers and in some spots offensive linemen learning 2 positions because they didnt have any backups. This is what will happen to the Irish if he stays. He and his staff are too lazy to pick up the phone and call needed talent. Its simply not knowing how to be a successful, aggressive coach.

 

[andfan1]

It's TYme for him to go!

 

[andfan1]

TYme to go

TYme to go

It is definately TYme to go

 

[hybriddad]

Urban has the ND job out in his current contract, jump on it. As far as a "Zook" situation and a similar story between Ty and ND, so what, this is a buisness and winning is ND buisness (at least it used to be). Who said "what about June Jones at Hawaii", are you kidding me? His Rainbow-Warriors just got whacked for 70 plus points Saturday night and gave up 60 plus last Saturday. Wake up folks, Notre Dame is no longer an elite team in college football, and will only get back to the top with leadership and great coaching. The time is now to stop this madness and get a guy in here who lives and breathes Notre Dame Football and can get that spirit and dedication across to the young men who will play football at this level. That guy is Urban Meyer!!!

 

[jiggafini19]

It has come to this. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed I would have joined one of these sites to post something. Obviously, I've reached the end of my rope. I drove two hours to South Bend Saturday to watch yet another pathetic display by the 2004 edition of the Tyrone Willingham era. The first half defensive performance was absolutely sickening. Clearly, changes need to be made. 3 HOME LOSSES!?!? Unacceptable. Purdue? Pitt? Boston College? There is absolutely no excuse to be losing to these teams on a regular basis. Urban Meyer, Barry Alvarez, Steve Spurrier...whatever. Get someone in here that can do the job. I'm tired of longing for an 8-3 or 9-2 season. This program has the resources to be better than what they've shown as of late.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

Ty has to go! The Pitt game was heartbreaking. My vote for him to stay was contingent upon him winning against Pitt, USC and the bowl game. We may loose all three.

And he sure hasn't represented black college coaches well. That doesn't hold well for other back coaches up for a head coaching jobs. He's just not right for the job. I want Urban Meyer.

 

[Melphion]

I still had a little bit of faith in Ty left untill i watched the PITT game. Now I know he has to go ASAP! :banghead2

 

[irishtexan]

Ty Willingham: Should He Stay or Go? Here is your chance to cast your not-so-Presidential ballot on whether the current Notre Dame coach should be kept for another season or sent packing back to the West Coast.

The thing that kills me is he is so proud of his "winning season" this year. He only cares about those 6 wins so he wont get canned. How can you not win more games with the talent on the Irish squad? Please Gods of Football hear the cries of us Notre Dame fans and grant us a new coach. We have suffered long enough. I think we all know what will happen against USC, and I am not gonna enjoy the thumping we are going to get. I bet Leinhart throws for 400 yards. I bet the staff plays consrvatively, trying to run the ball all the game and keeping USC's offense off the field. I bet our running game gets holed up like against BYU. And I am very willing to bet that on 3rd and long we run a dive to the left side of the line like we have the past 5 games. I plan to be doing alot of this to soak up my tears of frustration........

 

[irishtexan]

For perspective, the much-maligned Bob Davie finished his five-year home career 24-7 (.774). It took Lou Holtz seven seasons to lose seven home games. Willingham said this week that take away 10 or so plays from the season, and the Irish would have only one loss. Using that logic, take away the Goolsby touchdown against Tennessee last week, and Notre Dame stands at 5-5 and needs to win at No.1 USC on Nov. 27 just to become bowl eligible and avoid two losing seasons in a row. But through it all, Willingham still insists this has been a successful season.

“I think you can see in many areas you can see the improvement in the play of this football team,” Willingham said. “Which I think bodes very well for next year.”

GOD I HATE YOU TY WILLINGHAM

 

[Guest]

Look at what Greg Lee, Pitt's Wide receiver who had a very productive day against ND to say the least....

"We knew that they had flaws in their defense and we just wanted to expose them," said Lee. "Their defensive backs, they weren't that good. They weren't that aggressive and everything. In certain coverages, their safeties didn't get deep enough. When we saw that, we told them that we were just going to expose them. And that's what we did." Source is Irish Today

I guess our coaches didn't feel it was necessary to make any adjustments.

 

[Guest]

12,290 people have voted so far. 90 percent say to fire TY. Hope Kevin White reads that tomorrow morning with his tea..... SB Tribune Poll

http://www.southbendtribune.com/cgi-bin/vote-sbt.cgi?option=results&topic=ndcoach15november2004