dre1919
www.andrewsloan.com
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Notre Dame football has been in and out of speculation, adulation and dislike for many years now, so when tough times hit, it's only natural to hear the chants of "Fire the Head Coach!" or "We need to scrap everything and start over". Well, this is not necessarily the case, but unless you don't know anything about college football, you do need to realize that some things need to change at Notre Dame...from the top to the bottom.
First and foremost, the Administration at Notre Dame needs to realize it isn't 1950 anymore. The 11 consensus national championships we have came so long ago that the recruits we are getting now weren't even alive when the last one happened (1988). We haven't won a bowl game since 1993, and when we have gotten in the BCS bowls we look more out of place than a guy wearing a green hat with an orange bill (except at Hurricane games, I guess).
Notre Dame has a rich and illustrious heritage and history. But, that's just what it is...history. The present college football landscape is much, much different than what it was back in the glory years where Notre Dame was a national power and recruited nationally (as opposed to a lot of schools that did not). Back then, it meant something to be Independent...many other teams like Penn State and Michigan were too. It also meant something to come play for a team that the entire country watched on TV and followed on radio. These days, even the lowliest schools have their own local coverage, web pages, podcasts and newspaper beat writers. This is the world in which we live now, and to succeed, Notre Dame needs to come to an understanding about it's place in this world.
The time for Notre Dame to be Independent has passed, just as the time for it to hang on to foolish ideas about annually competing with the "pro springboard" programs like Florida, USC, Texas and even Miami for recruits. The simple fact of the matter is, kids today can go virtually anywhere and not only receive the media attention that was once a precious asset to Notre Dame, but they can make the pros from any of these schools (or even as undrafted free agents). Kids used to come to Notre Dame, and other big name schools, just for the chance to wait their turn and play one season for that squad. Now? They'll go become a star at places like Northern Illinois for four years instead of one at Notre Dame or Michigan because scouts pay attention to every school.
Notre Dame will continue to lose out on the top recruiting classes year in and year out for two very simple reasons: location and education standards. Our favorite football team has a campus that is situated in the middle of nowhere, receives cold and inclement weather, and you actually have to go to class (and pass them), with a curriculum that is incredibly difficult. You have to put yourself in the shoes of a Blue Chip, Top Five recruit at his position. Why would you want to come to Notre Dame if you have offers from USC, Oklahoma, Texas, etc? They all feature warm weather...big stages...in some cases, beaches with bikini clad women...and easier class loads. The fact is, the advantages that Notre Dame once had everyone has...and that leveling of the playing field is killing ND.
The solution? Unfortunately, it isn't an easy fix or one single thing. But, there are steps that can be done to ensure Notre Dame football returns to glory (and one of them isn't "make the classes easier"). First of all, ND needs to join a conference and stop being stubborn and greedy with their money. Sure, it's nice in theory to say that "if we win out, we get paid. If we lose, we get nothing." Great. But, never forget that revenue sharing is a good thing, as well as the ability to pitch being part of a powerhouse conference. Student-athletes are attracted to that...ask kids that go to the SEC. The likely choice for this is the Big East (a weak conference to say the least) and the Big Ten. The Big Ten has a standing offer on the table for Notre Dame inclusion, and perennially they are decent to outstanding, so the Big Ten should be our destination (although they'd have to rename it the Midwestern Twelve or something since the Big XII is taken).
Secondly, Notre Dame needs to stop trying to always beat out top ranked schools like USC, Texas and Oklahoma for talent and find ways around that competition. OK...so we do not get the #1 rated QB in the country. That's fine. We need to have an offensive and defensive system in place that takes talent that wouldn't normally be the highest recruited player and transforms them into superstars. Texas Tech comes to mind. Think Graham Harrell was heavily recruited and highly ranked coming out of high school? What about Kliff Kingsbury? The system made them great even though they all possess talent. We need a coaching staff that implements this type of system so that even in the years where we do not get the top guys, the system helps compensate for that.
Third, we need to stop trying to focus on "it's the national championship / BCS or nothing!" A successful season is simply winning all (or most) or your games and going to a bowl. Winning it is even better, but even back in the old days of college football...a bowl was a season ending perk, not a make or break situation. Sure, they are more important than that now, but stepping back and getting a better mindset to pull some of that pressure off I think would do the team a world of good. When you aren't expected to be the national powerhouse everything thinks you're supposed to be, you can play a lot looser and have fun out there. We need to crawl before we can walk, and just winning a bowl...any bowl...should be that goal.
Fourth, we need to get a coaching staff of COLLEGE coaches. Stop trying to lure NFL people in because they come from a different world. That's a profession. Your players show up already knowing all their fundamentals and how to play. They are young men, not kids, when you get them for the first time. They are reporting for a job and getting paid (handsomely) for it. At that point, it's all X's and O's and simply moving parts to different places on the field. 99% of NFL coaches are not cut out to coach collegiately (unless they came from the college ranks as a head coach) because they do not have the hands on experience it takes to evaluate high school talent, balance schedules with school, teach fundamentals and mold kids into young men. They are obviously good at their position coaching or they wouldn't have made it to the NFL...but the college world is a much different animal.
So, in short, Notre Dame needs to be a BIT more like the Ivy League schools. I'm not saying they retreat back into their own conference and division...but they are very similar in their academic standards, yet world's apart in their athletic expectations. We need to alter ND's reality to reflect the world in which is sits now. This university can still field a talented, relevant and exciting football team capable of competing with the big boys of CFB, as well as for a National Championship. But, we simply MUST change the way we expect to do it or we will be faced with nothing but the same results.
First and foremost, the Administration at Notre Dame needs to realize it isn't 1950 anymore. The 11 consensus national championships we have came so long ago that the recruits we are getting now weren't even alive when the last one happened (1988). We haven't won a bowl game since 1993, and when we have gotten in the BCS bowls we look more out of place than a guy wearing a green hat with an orange bill (except at Hurricane games, I guess).
Notre Dame has a rich and illustrious heritage and history. But, that's just what it is...history. The present college football landscape is much, much different than what it was back in the glory years where Notre Dame was a national power and recruited nationally (as opposed to a lot of schools that did not). Back then, it meant something to be Independent...many other teams like Penn State and Michigan were too. It also meant something to come play for a team that the entire country watched on TV and followed on radio. These days, even the lowliest schools have their own local coverage, web pages, podcasts and newspaper beat writers. This is the world in which we live now, and to succeed, Notre Dame needs to come to an understanding about it's place in this world.
The time for Notre Dame to be Independent has passed, just as the time for it to hang on to foolish ideas about annually competing with the "pro springboard" programs like Florida, USC, Texas and even Miami for recruits. The simple fact of the matter is, kids today can go virtually anywhere and not only receive the media attention that was once a precious asset to Notre Dame, but they can make the pros from any of these schools (or even as undrafted free agents). Kids used to come to Notre Dame, and other big name schools, just for the chance to wait their turn and play one season for that squad. Now? They'll go become a star at places like Northern Illinois for four years instead of one at Notre Dame or Michigan because scouts pay attention to every school.
Notre Dame will continue to lose out on the top recruiting classes year in and year out for two very simple reasons: location and education standards. Our favorite football team has a campus that is situated in the middle of nowhere, receives cold and inclement weather, and you actually have to go to class (and pass them), with a curriculum that is incredibly difficult. You have to put yourself in the shoes of a Blue Chip, Top Five recruit at his position. Why would you want to come to Notre Dame if you have offers from USC, Oklahoma, Texas, etc? They all feature warm weather...big stages...in some cases, beaches with bikini clad women...and easier class loads. The fact is, the advantages that Notre Dame once had everyone has...and that leveling of the playing field is killing ND.
The solution? Unfortunately, it isn't an easy fix or one single thing. But, there are steps that can be done to ensure Notre Dame football returns to glory (and one of them isn't "make the classes easier"). First of all, ND needs to join a conference and stop being stubborn and greedy with their money. Sure, it's nice in theory to say that "if we win out, we get paid. If we lose, we get nothing." Great. But, never forget that revenue sharing is a good thing, as well as the ability to pitch being part of a powerhouse conference. Student-athletes are attracted to that...ask kids that go to the SEC. The likely choice for this is the Big East (a weak conference to say the least) and the Big Ten. The Big Ten has a standing offer on the table for Notre Dame inclusion, and perennially they are decent to outstanding, so the Big Ten should be our destination (although they'd have to rename it the Midwestern Twelve or something since the Big XII is taken).
Secondly, Notre Dame needs to stop trying to always beat out top ranked schools like USC, Texas and Oklahoma for talent and find ways around that competition. OK...so we do not get the #1 rated QB in the country. That's fine. We need to have an offensive and defensive system in place that takes talent that wouldn't normally be the highest recruited player and transforms them into superstars. Texas Tech comes to mind. Think Graham Harrell was heavily recruited and highly ranked coming out of high school? What about Kliff Kingsbury? The system made them great even though they all possess talent. We need a coaching staff that implements this type of system so that even in the years where we do not get the top guys, the system helps compensate for that.
Third, we need to stop trying to focus on "it's the national championship / BCS or nothing!" A successful season is simply winning all (or most) or your games and going to a bowl. Winning it is even better, but even back in the old days of college football...a bowl was a season ending perk, not a make or break situation. Sure, they are more important than that now, but stepping back and getting a better mindset to pull some of that pressure off I think would do the team a world of good. When you aren't expected to be the national powerhouse everything thinks you're supposed to be, you can play a lot looser and have fun out there. We need to crawl before we can walk, and just winning a bowl...any bowl...should be that goal.
Fourth, we need to get a coaching staff of COLLEGE coaches. Stop trying to lure NFL people in because they come from a different world. That's a profession. Your players show up already knowing all their fundamentals and how to play. They are young men, not kids, when you get them for the first time. They are reporting for a job and getting paid (handsomely) for it. At that point, it's all X's and O's and simply moving parts to different places on the field. 99% of NFL coaches are not cut out to coach collegiately (unless they came from the college ranks as a head coach) because they do not have the hands on experience it takes to evaluate high school talent, balance schedules with school, teach fundamentals and mold kids into young men. They are obviously good at their position coaching or they wouldn't have made it to the NFL...but the college world is a much different animal.
So, in short, Notre Dame needs to be a BIT more like the Ivy League schools. I'm not saying they retreat back into their own conference and division...but they are very similar in their academic standards, yet world's apart in their athletic expectations. We need to alter ND's reality to reflect the world in which is sits now. This university can still field a talented, relevant and exciting football team capable of competing with the big boys of CFB, as well as for a National Championship. But, we simply MUST change the way we expect to do it or we will be faced with nothing but the same results.
Holtz knew what he wanted and how to implement. Rare breed when an entire program and university on same page, give or take checks and balances.
