ESPN reporting Frank Solich has said he is interested...

[Irish Envy]

Interesting.

 

[jiggafini19]

He's used to pressure, tradition and an insane fan base.

 

[Rip Rap]

Insane? Notre Dame is far more rational than other big state schools. Solich was fired for going .753 over six years. And what about Zook?

Willingham was fired for not raising ND back above Davie's low mark of .583. I think staying above .600 will probably keep your job safe at ND after this incident. Although .750 seems the historic standard at ND.

 

[NDLyght37]

Nope...lol. We are becoming more like "the masses" with every passing year since 1988.

If the new coach doesn't deliver a BCS Bowl bid in 3 years, we will be right back in the same place.

Whatever happened to building a program? I might as well buy some snuff and become an Alabama fan.

 

[Rip Rap]

Whatever happened to building a program? I might as well buy some snuff and become an Alabama fan

Here's your answer:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=expectationscomewiththep&prov=tsn&type=lgns

 

[NDLyght37]

Yeah, it's a shame...insane expectations + unreal time constraints + million $ salaries = a lot of good men/good coaches on the unemployment line. Damn this microwave-world we live in.

Somebody pass me my spitoon...lol.

 

[onedomer]

I think history points to the fact that 3 years is as good a barometer as you can get. Evrey ND coach that has won a National Championship did it in year 3. Rockne, Leahy, Parsegian, Devine and Holtz. There are also the recent gurus who have done it in 3 or less; Stoops at OU, Tressel at THE OSU, Carroll at USC even good old Bowden a few years ago at Auburn who went 11-0 while on probation in year 1. The 5 year plan is a hold over from the USSR days and the sporting world knows it! ESPN and the rest just enjoy the sight of ND twisting in the wind.

Bring on Tom C and lets get going!

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

Bring on Tom C and lets get going!

Yeah, bring on Tom Clements. I'm ready to get a football coach again. If he or any new coach is hired before the bowl game, will they coach in the bowl game this year?

Seems inappropriate if they do. What's Meyer doing for his bowl game(s) for Utah and Florida?

 

[Aerosmith777]

The defensive coordinator's coaching the bowl game for the Irish. Meyer's coaching Utah in the Fiesta bowl.

 

[Irish Envy]

Solich is now also being mentioned for the Indiana job.

 

[Irish Envy]

Sounds like it was his agent calling ESPN with the interest feeler.

 

[BigIrish]

The Solich thing is intersting...I don't remember it being a big deal at the time, but what justification did Nebraska use for firing a guy that average about 9 wins a season in 6 years? Obviously, the media didn't make much of an issue out of it, but apparently it's ok to fire coaches at other institutions, just not ND.

 

[NDLyght37]

There was a big deal about it. There were several commentaries and articles about the unrelenting pressures of modern-day coaching. Unrelenting AD's & unreasonable fans. Nebraska got fat off of tradition and threw away agood coach & a solid individual.

But anything at ND is bigger by default. If you set yourself up as the big dog, you cant complain when people step on your tail.

*Vote Lynn Swann in '06!

 

[Guest]

Solich was a very good coach, but he couldn't recruit. Nebraska had some awful recruiting classes under him, I don't remember him having one top 25 class. Playing the option makes it hard to recruit.

Along comes Callahan, and it looks like Nebraska will finish with a top 10 recruiting class, possibly top 5. Neb hasn't had a class like this in years.

Callahan has only won 5 games this year cause theirs absolutely no talent their. That will change soon though, as he's proving to be a great recruiter.

Bottom line is I don't want Solich, he can't recruit.

 

[Vince Young]

Something else too... Nebraska is basically a football-factory of a college. If the guy "only" went 9-3 at a school where he had no strict academic standards to worry about, how would he do at Notre Dame?

Let him and his agent drool. There are better coaches than Solich who are interested. I'd be thrilled with Weis and satisfied with Clements.

 

[GoinIrishSince85]

Sounds like you're going to be thrilled, rather than satisfied, Mr. Young.

 

[Vince Young]

Indeed.

 

[timm3117]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1943710 i hope your thrilled now, i know I am

 

[bmf175]

I agree with onedomer and ara p. if you can not do it in three years you cant do it. If we give somebody more than 3 years to prove that they are average thats more recruits and higher bowl bids we lose.

 

[NDLyght37]

I agree with onedomer and ara p. if you can not do it in three years you cant do it. If we give somebody more than 3 years to prove that they are average thats more recruits and higher bowl bids we lose.

Well, now we are kind of stuck in a 3 year mode. Because if we give Weis 5-6 years and his record is the same as Tyrone Willingham's, I think there will be hell to pay. ND will get ripped even worse than they did this year.

 

[Guest]

I pretty confident Weis's record will be better then Ty's.

I think it wasn't so much the record that got TY fired it was the many blowouts. Teams with far less talent like Syracuse blowing ND out last year.

If Weis has the same record as Ty, But isn't getting blown out left and right and is competitive every game you'll have to give him a break.

 

[NDLyght37]

I would tend to agree...but if CW starts 10-2, and then goes 5-6, 6-5, it does open the University up to scrutiny. But as long as there's not an "it" coach on the market, I think he's safe.

 

[BigIrish]

Let's face it - the past two coaches at ND were poor choices for different reasons, but it's just a matter of poor timing that we got them back to back. Davie seemed logical as a product of the Holtz program, and although i still think he's a great defensive coordinator, he just wasn't ready for the head coach job. willingham was, at best, the third choice for the job, and was a gamble. he was hired for his potential, and that potential just didn't pan out.

My point is this - weis is going to fare better than davie and willingham because he's a proven winner and, despite what ESPN reports, he has the existing talent and recruiting base to ensure success. i've said all along that the common thread between davie and willingham was their inability to develop players from good to great. (i.e. julius jones, david givens) weis can develop players, and that will translate into wins.

 

[jiggafini19]

Two Super Bowl rings will look awful nice in the living rooms of recruits. That and the guy made Tom Brady a star.

 

[Irish Envy]

Two Super Bowl rings will look awful nice in the living rooms of recruits. That and the guy made Tom Brady a star.

He also helped develop Drew Bledsoe early on, no?

 

[BigIrish]

Isn't it three rings? He won his first in 1990 with the Giants. Hasn't he won two with the Patriots?

 

[Aerosmith777]

yeah, it is 3, although he didn't do a whole lot to earn that one w/ the Giants, he was a very low-level coach in those days. Still though, a ring's a ring. And he definately had a lot to do w/ the 2 he got in New England. And he may have one more before its all said & done. I'm a life-long Giants fan, but w/ them out of it, if the Pat's winning the superbowl indirectly helps ND and Weis recruit, I say go Patriots the rest of the way.

 

[onedomer]

I listened to the Press Conference that Weis held today and we should all be pumped! Not only is this guy enthusiastic but he has a VERY realistic view of the expectations and travails that come with this job. I predict we will see an extremely different football team on the field next year. No excuses, hard nosed and nasty! I can't wait until September!

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

I'm a life-long Giants fan, but w/ them out of it, if the Pat's winning the superbowl indirectly helps ND and Weis recruit, I say go Patriots the rest of the way.

I agree with Aerosmith777, I'm a life-long Broncos fan, but I'm certainly going to be rooting for the Patriots because it can translate into possible recruiting advantages for the Irish. So...go Pats!....and Broncos!

 

[Guest]

I was very impressed with Weis's press conference. For the first time since holtz left I'm actually excited about the coach. Davie, O'leary, & Ty, never impressed me when hired.

Wilboun on PTI actually said something good about Weis, I was shocked! He said he watched the whole press conference and was very impressed, said Weis sounded just like Parcell's. In the end though Wilboun said ND did the wrong thing by firing TY, he couldn't just end it on a good note could he. lol. But hey I'll take his compliment on our new coach.