Now It's Getting Ugly: ND President Unhappy

[Irish Envy]

NEW YORK -- Notre Dame president Rev. Edward Malloy said on Wednesday that he was upset about how his university fired Irish football coach Tyrone Willingham last week.

"In my 18 years, there has only been two days that I've been embarrassed to be president of Notre Dame," said Malloy, who was speaking a panel at the Sports Business Journal's Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. "Tuesday and Wednesday of last week."

In his three seasons of coaching Notre Dame, Willingham was 21-15. Malloy said he was not part of the decision-making process because he will retire in June.

"I thought we were going to abide by our precedent, which was a five-year window for a coach to display a capacity to be successful within our system and to fit. Both [athletic director Kevin White] and I have a very high regard for [Tyrone Willingham]. Having lost to Southern Cal, we had a meeting called by my successor [John I. Jenkins] with a strong presence of the Board of Trustees, which led to a result."

Malloy said he didn't fault anyone in particular in the process, acknowledging that there was a lot of pressure to make a decision, including the thought that the next great coach might have been available to the school.

"There was also the phenomenon of the messiah coach," Malloy said. "Everybody wants to be on the A-list. This year, I think there are 14 college football positions that have changed or are changing. There are probably three people that are on the messiah list, which means 11 programs have no messiah."

Utah coach Urban Meyer was a Notre Dame assistant, but chose to sign a contract with the University of Florida instead. Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci said he was contacted by the school, but chose to stay in the motor city. Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino was also contacted by the Irish, but announced on Tuesday that he is staying with the Cardinals.

"Notre Dame will get a coach," Malloy said. "I hope that person does well. But I think the philosophical hit that we have taken is a significant one. I am not happy about it. And I do not assume responsibility for it. I think it was the wrong move and the fact that other schools have made similar choices after three years suggests that they are feeling the same pressures that we are."

"All the good coaches who get fired will get another job, in college or pro," Malloy said. "Their future is not at risk, but what happens in the transition is that the institutions get tarnished in ways that I think in the long run we pay a huge price."

URL: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1941810

 

[jiggafini19]

"Their future is not at risk, but what happens in the transition is that the institutions get tarnished in ways that I think in the long run we pay a huge price."

As in losing verbal commitments on a weekly basis?

 

[irishtexan]

espn will have a field day with this

 

[Irish Envy]

espn will have a field day with this

They already are. It is where I pulled it from.

 

[BigIrish]

What gives with Malloy? If he cared about the institution at all, he could have with held statements like that until after such a critical time. Is he trying to preserve his legacy at ND by distancing himself from the controversy? It's comments like that - uncertainty about ND leadership - that do more to turn off potential candidates than the pressures of winning at ND.

 

[Irish Envy]

What gives with Malloy? If he cared about the institution at all, he could have with held statements like that until after such a critical time. Is he trying to preserve his legacy at ND by distancing himself from the controversy? It's comments like that - uncertainty about ND leadership - that do more to turn off potential candidates than the pressures of winning at ND.

Exactly. I don't care either way, but the negative publicity, now running over from within... lame duck or not is not helpful.

 

[5thhorsemen]

i think all of us are embarrassed, sad and wish this wasnt happening. WE need to take our time and get a true , blue Notre Dame Guy. We need not get lost in fancy offensive schemes, but bring in a coach in the mold of ara, holtz etc.... We are above all this crap being said about us every night on ESPN.....

 

[Aerosmith777]

I can't understand what it is about ND that makes ESPN hate them so much. I mean, eveyone on the network mercilessly rips into them constantly, w/o even understanding the issue. The PTI guys were saying they should RE-HIRE WILLINGHAM yesterday. I'm sorry, I know losing out on Meyer is bad, but I still support that firing b/c he was terrible. The guy couldn't recruit to save his soul. Anyway, it just seems like they want to kick the program while its down so bad, I don't get it. The only thing I can come up w/ is that they're owned by ABC, so they're pissed ND has that contract w/ their competitor NBC. Other than that, I don't get it. Florida didn't even give Zook a full 3 regular seasons before pulling his plug, and Nebraska fired a 9-3 coach last year, but they don't say a peep about them.

 

[TMossND]

I really am so irritated by ESPN I can barely stand it. I don't know if it is the "love 'em or hate 'em" quality of Notre Dame that is causing this or what. I guess these guys dislike Notre Dame so much they get their kicks every morning by discussing coaching firings that happened the exact same way in three other schools. Man, I have heard of a liberal news bias, what about an anti-Notre Dame bias? I really think it is getting out of control. It is pretty fishy when coach names emerge only to get shot down on national TV the next day.

By the way, it is rediculous to say Notre Dame lost Petrino, Hawkins, and Tedford. Contacting these coaches in no way translates into a job offer, but ESPN makes it seems like these three had two offers and chose to stay put. It is possible we expressed interest, but we obviously didn't pursue them to be the next coach- otherwise they would be making more than 550,000 a year.

Finally, don't tell me ND is just like any other school now. If that were the case, the story wouldn't be on Sportscenter every night talking about the latest candidates. If were are just like the others, how come I haven't heard daily updates of the coaching searches in Stanford, Mississippi, Washington, etc. This is infuriating

 

[TMossND]

I didn't mean to misspell ridiculous, but you all get the point.

 

[NDLyght37]

Why do y'all let ESPN get you so worked up?
That's what they do...that's what the media as a whole does.

Balco, Kobe, Artest, now Notre Dame. That's what sports news is theese days. There's 24-hour access, so there's reports & commentary from every angle. They follow a story until they run it into the ground. And the story is that ND is becoming just like every other university. There's a scandal angle to it as well. But be real, how many of you are going to stop watching ESPN? If not, than maybe there's a more productive way to handle this situation than bashing ESPN (like writing to the AD).

As for the Padre, I can't hate on him one bit. Maybe his comments are ill-timed, but you'd be emotional too if you saw a new group of people tarnishing something that you held in such high regard. As much as it's ESPN's fault for the coverage, the University is just as culpable. If we had done this right (lock in Urban before firing Ty), it wouldn't be like this.

 

[jiggafini19]

ESPN are nothing but a bunch of obnoxious assholes. Aside from the GameDay crew, they're all a bunch of haters and ego maniacs. They LOVE the Yankees to no end, too, which really makes me want to puke. Big Michigan and Miami fans, too. Corso, Fowler and Herbstreit tell it to you straight and, for the most part, want to see Notre Dame do well because it is good for college football.
The guys on ESPN make sports all about them and not the news. I'm not a big fan at all. They play their favorites and aren't very professional.

 

[GoinIrishSince85]

The way this was all handled was stupid, from the firing to the non-hiring of Meyer to this call everyone and see who bites first. They thought they had Urban Meyer in the bag and thats the only reason they fired Willingham in the first place. They knew that implementing a program takes time and they know that you need to be patient when implementing a whole new brand of football. Impatient boosters, impatient fans, and an over-reactive administration is to blame for this debacle. Notre Dame deserves what's being thrown at them right now. Notre Dame screwed up, and now they will pay for it. And I'd hate to be in Father Malloy's shoes right now, because he wanted to go out with Notre Dame moving forward, and now, because of actions beyond his control, it can't be that way. Tyrone Willingham, much to the chagrin of many fans and many people here, should still be coaching this team.

 

[Guest]

I always had respect for Malloy, even though he never cared about ND football. I lost my respect for him today. He made us look stupid.

He knows he's being pushed out. He wants to leave a legacy behing. Only legacy he's gonna leave behind is a bad one.

 

[jiggafini19]

I agree 100%. Willingham got a raw deal, black or white. If it had been anyone, the firing was not fair. I'm hoping it's Tom Clements. I think he knows the lay of the land and will go out and work hard to get the job done. He knows what ND is all about and has pro experience with an offense. Perhaps he can sway recruits with his experience of what it means to be a Notre Dame football player.

 

[Guest]

I'm liking the soon to be president, Father Jenkins. Apparently he was the one to call the meeting about firing Willingham.

This guy is making ND football his priority. Malloy never gave a shit about the football team, he actually didn't like how ND had a reputation for being a football school. For crying out loud, at first he didn't want to allow them to film the movie Rudy on ND's campus.

Jenkin's has stated and shown that football is a PRIORITY. His first step was firing that awful coach Willingham.

We need that George Stienbrenner presence from up top, Jenkins appears to be that guy.

 

[NDLyght37]

I'd rather have someone in the middle...lol.

Someone passionate about football, but also realizaes that ND needs to be on a higher plane academically.

Otherwise, we might as well be Alabama or Florida.

 

[onedomer]

I think everyone is missing the boat on the good Father. (Malloy I mean) As Beano Cook pointed out today on ESPN Radio, it was Malloy who sent a representative to sit on the CFA board and negotiate the contract with ABC and CBS. When we didn't get what we wanted he (they?) set up the deal with NBC. At that moment the luster was gone from ND and we became just like everyone else. I am an ND alum (CHEG 83) but I have just about had it with the stupidity of our administration. If Monk is not in charge just who the hell is? It is PAINFULLY apparent that Kevin White did not make the decision to fire Ty and does not agree with it. It is equally apparent that the ND ship is flailing about without a rudder. Everyone is hoping for a coaching savior but what we really need is a Presidential savior. Where is Ted the Head when we need him?

 

[dudexcore]

The reason why ND is in this situation is because the leadership sucks. The AD is a real piece, the fans who wanted TY out were pieces of poo as well. TY was getting this team around, got some good players...sure he didn't win a national championship in 3 years, but i mean honestly. The people running this school are pieces of shit. They get so worried about the alumns and boosters and are afraid that they'll lose their money and will do whatever they say. Now ND is without a coach and deserve every negative comment people have to give. I love ND and always will, but i feel that they need to feel embarassed about this issue, as well as anyone associated with ND.

 

[Aerosmith777]

I can understand everyone saying that the situation hasn't been handled in the best of ways, but how can anyone try to say Willingham was a good coach and should still be there???? There are 4 candidates out there right now BESIDES MEYER who would make better coaches than Willingham (Clements, Weiss, Chuck Long of Oklahoma, & Norm Chow of USC).

Look, Willingham makes a good coach at Stanford or Washington where he might be going, but he was arguably the worst coach Notre Dame has ever had in the post-Ara era. At least Faust could recruit. Willingham's last 2 classes have been WAY below even Bob Davie's standard, and this one wasn't looking too hot going into this offseason either. Everyone says no one can recruit at ND, but no one mentions how Davie & Holtz were able to still get guys like Vontez Duff, Shane Walton, Julius Jones, Grant Irons, etc etc to come to their programs. And that wasn't THAT long ago. Bottom line is Willingham was an OK coach and a horrible recruiter, plus I think he didn't really want to be there anyway, and its pretty hard for any coach to get prospects to want to come to a place that they themselves don't really want to be at anyway.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

ESPN beats us up because they feel ND has arrogance about them, even in down years. There's a point there, but they've really kicked us while we're down.

The reverend’s comments were terrible. He wanted it clear that he didn't support the firing of Ty, but it really hurt the school overall. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out reverend.

 

[GoinIrishSince85]

What's the difference between one sport and another when it comes to recruiting? Why is everyone saying that Notre Dame football can't recruit because the standards are too high? Why then, can recruit well in basketball (both men and women), soccer, and baseball and almost every other sport? The requirements are just as strict for those sports as football. As for Willingham being a poor recruiter, how can we judge that when most of his recruits (especially defensive) are sitting on the bench most of them game? I just think it was all poorly handled and some of the criticisms are unjust.

 

[Irish Envy]

What's the difference between one sport and another when it comes to recruiting? Why is everyone saying that Notre Dame football can't recruit because the standards are too high? Why then, can recruit well in basketball (both men and women), soccer, and baseball and almost every other sport? The requirements are just as strict for those sports as football. As for Willingham being a poor recruiter, how can we judge that when most of his recruits (especially defensive) are sitting on the bench most of them game? I just think it was all poorly handled and some of the criticisms are unjust.

It's a cop out. Mike Golic has said it is nonsense 1000 times on his show. I don't care what school you go to, if you want to pass a class, you'll pass a class. It's fool proof.

 

[ND 1987]

Malloy got it right

Malloy got it right

My thoughts:

Monk Malloy got right. ND blew it big time firing Willingham.

What makes you think Weiss will do any better?

Frankly, if they are going to hire someone without head coaching experience it should be Clements. He is universally respected. Is extremely personable and intelligent. ND All-American, Canadian football hall of famer, ND Law graduate, proven coach. He got his start late in coaching because he played a long time and then pursued a career in law.

How many who called for Ty's head were saying what a great coach he was when we went 8-0 in 2002?

 

[owillingham]

Look, Willingham makes a good coach at Stanford or Washington where he might be going, but he was arguably the worst coach Notre Dame has ever had in the post-Ara era. At least Faust could recruit. Willingham's last 2 classes have been WAY below even Bob Davie's standard, and this one wasn't looking too hot going into this offseason either. Everyone says no one can recruit at ND, but no one mentions how Davie & Holtz were able to still get guys like Vontez Duff, Shane Walton, Julius Jones, Grant Irons, etc etc to come to their programs. And that wasn't THAT long ago. Bottom line is Willingham was an OK coach and a horrible recruiter, plus I think he didn't really want to be there anyway, and its pretty hard for any coach to get prospects to want to come to a place that they themselves don't really want to be at anyway.

Give me a break! WIllingham wasn't even give three complete seasons to do his job. How can you possibly place judgement on his recruiting ability when he wasn't even allowed two complete recruiting periods? You should discount his first year because you can't reasonably expect a banner first year recruiting class. Remember, Willingham was hired late after the previous coaching debacle.

Let's be honest here (yeah, right). If Ty was a redheaded freckle faced guy named Tighe O'Willingham, do you think he would have been judged the same way?

Has anyone reserved the domain name firecharlieweiss.com? O'Please, gimme a break! The firetywillingham.com web site appeared during Willingham's second season! How rational is that???

And now, the ND faithful are questioning the backlash against the program? We wonder why people hate the Fighting Irish? Why we have to search far and deep to find a coach, after the top prospects turn and run the other way? Let's all make a reality check. We do it to ourselves.

I'm afraid the University of Washington will be sending us all Christmas presents in a few years, thanking us for sending them Ty Willingham.

Good luck Charlie. You're in for quite a ride!

O'Later...

O'Willingham

 

[NDLyght37]

"Tighe O'Willingham"...classic. A big Conan O'Brien lookin' guy coaching us up.

I like Wies (although I liked Clements more...and Willingham even better), but I hope he knows what he's in store for. He will only have 3 years to build a program and implement an offense. He's already lost valuable recruiting time, and he still has to play USC & Michigan every year. Black, White, Yellow, whatever...we need to decide if we want to be a University with a good football team...or Auburn. If we're going to be Auburn, then let's throw academic standards out the window and bring in cats like Randy Moss or Maurice Clarett. But if we are still going to front like ND is the pinnacle of athletics AND academics, then we can't praise a coach for what he does during the week and then can him just because we didn't go 11-0 during the football season.

 

[Vince Young]

Give me a break! WIllingham wasn't even give three complete seasons to do his job.

Here we go again with the "3 years isn't enough time!" nonsense.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if you go 0-11 your first season and lose every game by 20 points or more, I'm not going to give you 3 more years to "get a full recruiting class." I'm gonna fire your ass. Nobody is entitled to X number of years as head coach. You have to earn it.

And it amazes me that people are getting this adamant in defending a coach whose winning percentage was .583. Get some perspective, people. The guy DID go 11-12 these past 2 seasons, and yet people are acting like we just fired Knute Rockne after a championship season. Is this really the hill you want to die on? Fighting for a coach with a losing 2-year record?

And by the way, I am on the record as saying that Ty deserved one more year, and I still believe so. But he didn't get one more year. Whoop-de-doo. It's not that big of a deal, people. Chill out and move on. hwhateve