Willingham feeling heat at Notre Dame


Deuce

Deuce

Well-Known Member
Irish alumni send letter criticizing Willingham
Posted: Monday February 16, 2004 7:32PM; Updated: Monday February 16, 2004 7:33PM



SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- More than 400 Notre Dame alumni signed a letter to the school saying the football program needs to make significant progress next season or "a coaching change will become necessary."

The letter is dated Jan. 26 and was sent to Notre Dame's board of trustees.


For more, click below.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/ncaa/02/16/bc.fbc.notredame.alumni.ap/index.html
 

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I cant the fans want this guy fired after such a short period of time. Some fans are just not patient enough :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Get Ready
I cant the fans want this guy fired after such a short period of time. Some fans are just not patient enough :rolleyes:
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Funny you would say that.
 
Originally posted by Get Ready
I cant the fans want this guy fired after such a short period of time. Some fans are just not patient enough :rolleyes:
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Davie did leave the program on a somewhat of a downward spiral and Notre Dame was not nowhere near the Notre Dame of the late 80s to the early 90s with Bettis, Pawlus and even in the era of Tim Brown. Willingham came in with the same talent plus some new faces and turned the program around. Notre Dame was a good squad even when Benny Guilbeaux(from Opelousas) was playing strong safety.
 
It doesn't matter who they bring in, Notre Dame will never be able to compete because of their HIGH Academic Admission Policy.

That's why Willingham was hired because he was able to compete while at Stanford. But Notre Dame wants to do more than compete, they want to win. In order to win, they need top players.

Notre Dame needs some THUGS to win a championship, just like every other program.
 
Originally posted by Da_Sperm
It doesn't matter who they bring in, Notre Dame will never be able to compete because of their HIGH Academic Admission Policy.

That's why Willingham was hired because he was able to compete while at Stanford. But Notre Dame wants to do more than compete, they want to win. In order to win, they need top players.

Notre Dame needs some THUGS to win a championship, just like every other program.
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I agree and disagree.

I somewhat agree with the high academic standards part. What they need to do is get damm near every good player with good grades to go there.

As for the thugs, I disagree. As much as I hate my state university, as far as I know there were no discipline problems on their team.....
 
Not thugs in the sense of having a team of problems. I'm talking about football thugs. You know, like da boys who play on the D-Line or linebacker at University of Miami.

Choir boys who can play good football just might not cut it anymore.
 
Willingham has NO talent. He performed a miracle 2 seasons ago with that team that went 10-2 or whatever. They barely got by against nearly everybody with some fluke play, except FSU. Last year, still with scrubs, he couldn't pull it off. Davie drove that program into the ground real fast.

So the fans really need to pull up. You can't hire a coach knowing your program is in trouble, and then turn against him for getting results you knew were going to be. His first year was predicted to be like last season. Winning games without scoring offensive TDs at least 3 times in a season just don't happen that often. They should be happy for the success they did have. The man had the team playing on New Years Day 2 seasons ago. Give the man time.
 
It appears that Ty is a victim of his own success. The fact that ND had such a surprisaing season during Willingham's 1st season gave many some very unreal expectations. They actually started to believe that they had some serious talent, when in reality that had a team that overachieved and pulled out some very close games. This season they just couldn't pull out as many miracles as the prior season, and now that success is what is biting him in the arse.

College football fans, and fans in general, have developed what I call the sports radio mentality. The we want to win now and if we don't, then change is always good and that change should instantly eqaul success. And that isn't always the case. I say give the man 4-6 years and if he is still a failure, fire him. But 2 seasons, one of which he never even had a chance to really recruit, is not enough time to truly evaluate a coach.
 

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Notre Dame not competing has nothing to do with academic admissions. The problem they have right now as far as recruiting is THEY ARE ICE AGE DINO'S IN A MORDERN WORLD OF SUPER-CONFERENCES.

Even Mighty Notre Dame can't compete with this on their name alone. The kid's comming out of highschool, for the most part, have the grades to go to Notre Dame. The problem is, the top kids want to compete with top teams every week. The super-conferences provides this. Notre Dame's independent status is a drawback because they will never make a sched like they would have if they joined the SEC, BIG TEN, or BIG 12.

Being Notre Dame used to be enough .............. Not now though with all the choices these kids have today---- as far as dominate schools are concerned.
 
Not true, Notre Dame does have a good schedule, which is why they have the TV contract they got. Look at last years schedule.

September 6 No. 14 Washington State W 29-26 1-0
September 13 at No. 4 Michigan L 38-0 1-1
September 20 Michigan State L 22-16 1-2
September 27 at No. 13 Purdue L 23-10 1-3
October 11 at Pittsburgh W 20-14 2-3
October 18 No. 1 USC L 45-14 2-4
October 25 at Boston College L 27-25 2-5
November 1 No. 8 Florida State L 37-0 2-6
November 8 Navy W 27-24 3-6
November 15 BYU W 33-14 4-6
November 29 at Stanford W 57-7 5-6
December 6 at Syracuse L 38-12 5-7

They played 5 top 15 schools and not to mention a RICH rivalry with Navy, which is their only push-over game.
 
Originally posted by jstate83
Notre Dame not competing has nothing to do with academic admissions. The problem they have right now as far as recruiting is THEY ARE ICE AGE DINO'S IN A MORDERN WORLD OF SUPER-CONFERENCES.

Even Mighty Notre Dame can't compete with this on their name alone. The kid's comming out of highschool, for the most part, have the grades to go to Notre Dame. The problem is, the top kids want to compete with top teams every week. The super-conferences provides this. Notre Dame's independent status is a drawback because they will never make a sched like they would have if they joined the SEC, BIG TEN, or BIG 12.

Being Notre Dame used to be enough .............. Not now though with all the choices these kids have today---- as far as dominate schools are concerned.
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Good points. ND longer gets the pick of the litter anymore.
 
Originally posted by Da_Sperm
Not true, Notre Dame does have a good schedule, which is why they have the TV contract they got. Look at last years schedule.

September 6 No. 14 Washington State W 29-26 1-0
September 13 at No. 4 Michigan L 38-0 1-1
September 20 Michigan State L 22-16 1-2
September 27 at No. 13 Purdue L 23-10 1-3
October 11 at Pittsburgh W 20-14 2-3
October 18 No. 1 USC L 45-14 2-4
October 25 at Boston College L 27-25 2-5
November 1 No. 8 Florida State L 37-0 2-6
November 8 Navy W 27-24 3-6
November 15 BYU W 33-14 4-6
November 29 at Stanford W 57-7 5-6
December 6 at Syracuse L 38-12 5-7


They played 5 top 15 schools and not to mention a RICH rivalry with Navy, which is their only push-over game.
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True----- But it's kinda like "preception is everything" nowday's. And what these "big-tyme" kids want now is to have a chance to line up the best of the best and beat them.

Take the SEC for example.

Sure ND has a nice sched, but even in an off year, a team in the SEC can play as many as 4 or five top 15 teams within their own conference. Then sched a Michigan, USC, Texas or whoever. These coaches show this to a recruit and their eye's will light up.

Playing Navy and Boston College, Rutgur's? don't cut it anymore................... ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOTRE DAME........ THE SO-CALLED BADDEST OF THE BADDEST.
 
Originally posted by jstate83
Notre Dame not competing has nothing to do with academic admissions. The problem they have right now as far as recruiting is THEY ARE ICE AGE DINO'S IN A MORDERN WORLD OF SUPER-CONFERENCES.

Even Mighty Notre Dame can't compete with this on their name alone. The kid's comming out of highschool, for the most part, have the grades to go to Notre Dame. The problem is, the top kids want to compete with top teams every week. The super-conferences provides this. Notre Dame's independent status is a drawback because they will never make a sched like they would have if they joined the SEC, BIG TEN, or BIG 12.

Being Notre Dame used to be enough .............. Not now though with all the choices these kids have today---- as far as dominate schools are concerned.
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I have to disagree. ND is the ONLY football program that can exist without a conference. They play a tougher schedule than any conference could offer. The only "easy" game they play is Navy, and if you knew how serious the Navy kids take this game, you will know that it isn't pushover either. You say top kids want to comepete against top teams, show me a conferece schedule that features as many top teams as ND. In collge football there is ND, then everyone else. No one else comapres to them in popularity or tradition. You may not like them, but you have to respect them. they are ND. They may not be the dominate program as they once were, but they are still the most storied and most popular of any team.
 
Originally posted by jstate83
Sure ND has a nice sched, but even in an off year, a team in the SEC can play as many as 4 or five top 15 teams within their own conference. Then sched a Michigan, USC, Texas or whoever. These coaches show this to a recruit and their eye's will light up.

Playing Navy and Boston College, Rutgur's? don't cut it anymore................... ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOTRE DAME........ THE SO-CALLED BADDEST OF THE BADDEST.
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ND doesn't play 4-5 top 15 teams every season. They will always play Michigan and USC. What are they? And this year they played FSU, MSU, Purdue, Pittsburgh, and Washington State. Show me an SEC schedule that was tougher than that?

And as for Navy, BC, and Rutgers. these are traditional games for ND. They will always play these games. BC is the 2nd largest catholic school, and they are always tough. Navy and ND have a historic tie(I forget at the moment)...but even Navy went to a bowl game this season. 9 of ND's 12 opponents went to bowl games. Not even the mighty SEC teams can say that. No one plays a tougher schedule than ND. You might want to try another argument.
 
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Originally posted by jstate83
----- But it's kinda like "preception is everything" nowday's. [/B]
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Missing the point up there.

And nowdays ------ Being in a conference with 2 or 3 potential National title contenders is what excite these kids. To most kid's comming out of highschool today, the name Notre Dame carries no more weight than Michigan, Alabama, Miami or any other school out there competing for the title. The thing they have over ND IS CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT.

Like now, kids that come out of Florida either liking Fl. St or Miami because of the games they have seen them play are really taking sides now that they are in the same conference together. Talk about braggin' right's in your own state. Or USC/UCLA ---- Texas/Texas Tech or Nebraska/ Oklahoma. The kid's comming out now live for these in-conference rivalries.
 
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