So let me get this straight.Notre Dame is 0-4. As in zero wins—nada, nothing, naught, zilch, zip, goose egg.
This is the same program that earned BCS bowl berths in 2005 and 2006, and won 19 regular-season games against just four losses in the last two years.
So what, pray tell, is Notre Dame’s giant malfunction?
I refuse to believe that the departures of QB Brady Quinn and WR Jeff Samardzija are the only factors in the Irish’s run of bad luck.
Instead, my diagnosis is that coach Charlie Weis is the giant malfunction—literally and figuratively.
Notre Dame did have two successful seasons with Weis at the helm, but let’s not forget that the key players on those teams were recruited by former coach Tyrone Willingham.
2007 is our real first glimpse of Weis’ own recruiting ability.
And it hasn't been pretty.
This is Notre Dame Football. Practically every pee-wee-leaguer in America dreams of one day playing in South Bend. What type of recruiting difficulties could one possibly encounter while coaching the Irish?
Weis has his pick of the most elite athletes in the nation...and this is all he can muster?
"I'm not a pat-you-on-the-back-and-tell-you-things-are-gonna-be-all-right kind of guy," Weis has said.
Well, that’s good...because I have a feeling that Notre Dame fans, especially the check-writing alumni, aren't a pat-you-on-the-back-and-tell-you-things-are-gonna-be-all-right kind of crowd.
Maybe Weis has an old friend from New England who can do some videotaping for him during the Purdue game. It just might take an illegal act for Notre Dame to even sniff a win against the Boilermakers, who are 4-0 and averaging more than 48 points a game.
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about 1 year ago
Thanks for the article, Mallery but God I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. OK, here we go again...
2007 is not "our first real glimpse of Weis' own recruiting ability," as you say. It is, in fact, our final glimpse of Willingham's recruiting inability. Willingham was responsible for this year's 5th year class, senior class, and shares 75% of the responsibility with Weis for the junior class. The latter two classes were probably the two worst in ND history. This lack of leadership and talent in the upperclasses is why we're here today.
Ever hear of David Wolke? How about Chris Vaughn? Chauncey Incarnato, John Kadous, Brandon Nicolas, Abdel Banda or Tregg Duerson? Don't ring a bell? Didn't think so. Meet the phantom recruiting class of 2004 this year's would-be seniors:
http://www.uhnd.com/recruiting/archives/notre-dame-recruiting-class-of-2004/
Where are they now?:
http://www.sbtinfo.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070921/SPORTS13/70921063/1129/News
Weis has two top-10 classes, and has the currently top-ranked class on the way. Comparing the recruiting between Weis and Willingham is decisively in Weis's favor, and it's not even close.
Now Weis is far from blameless, and his ability to develop this young talent is squarely on the line this season and next, and rightfully so. But we won't know the answer to that question for at least a year and a half.
from about 1 year ago
Mike, I bet you're tired with all of our "Notre Dame is sucking right now, who's to blame?" articles. I can count like three or 4 including mine within the past couple of days. I think the recruiting stats are a telling sign that Weis brings in better classes, but I wonder how well he develops players - since he didn't have to do that in the pros. It's one thing to be an offensive mastermind and teach these qualities to professionals who are generally more capable of digesting the material. But, has he necessarily done well in developing his younger guys here? Not so sure about that. It's one thing to have the best recruiting class, but another to see how your 5-star recruits adjust to the collegiate level. The coach isn't responsible for everything, but that he certainly needs to have his players prepared. No wonder why these young guys are in Charlie Weis boot camp four weeks into the season.
from about 1 year ago
David, I agree 100%. Weis hasn't proven this yet, as he definitely reaped the benefits of a savvy, experienced upperclass the last two seasons perhaps even to the detriment of developing his freshmen. But he needs to be given time to prove he can, and given the quality college assistants he has surrounded himself with, I think he will.
The Weis/Willingham debate is just so tired and useless, and it's really not fair to either coach.
about 1 year ago
The facts Tyrone Willingham was fired for 4 reasons:
1. His 2nd and 3rd recruiting classes were disasters.
2. His teams were blown out consistently.
3. He was unable to establish an efficient offensive system.
4. The fan-base and the board felt that ND short-changed itself when they hired Willingham *.
* This is the part of the story that most Notre Dame fans will leave out. Willingham was hired in the wake of the George O'Leary fallout. He was the best available solution...the quick fix. Essentially, the University got some good press by hiring a black coach, and thus put a positive spin on what was shaping up to be a PR meltdown with recruits, NBC, the media and its fan-base.
Allow me to be more blunt: Tyrone Willingham is an average Division 1 college football coach...Notre Dame fans watched the games. They saw Urban Meyer and Nick Saban and Jim Tressel working wonders...and they asked themselves, "we are we stuck with an average coach?" So the guy got canned. Deal with it.
from about 1 year ago
meant to write: "why are we stuck..."
about 1 year ago
Mike that is crazy thinking.
Ty was fired on Dec 1 2005 and had only five verbal commits out a very small class of 15 or 16 maximum allowed. The responsibility of that class is not Ty Willingham's. In fact no one has any idea how GOOD that class could have been had he had the time to close on LOI day. In my experience recruits bail out big time when the coach is fired. You CW lovers are living a lie.
70 teams around the nation that could kick NDs tail right now and they have recruited nothing but 1 and 2 star recruits forever. They have coaching. ND does not.
CW is a failure and blaming Ty is just stupid.
Dave
about 1 year ago
correction.. ty was fired dec 1 "2004 "
Weis has THREE recruiting classes now since he take ownership of the 2005, 2006, and 2007 classes
from about 1 year ago
Dave-
Only 5 verbal commitments as late as December 1.
Weis currently has 19 verbals in September.
Thanks for making my point for me.
about 1 year ago
The discussion of whether Ty Willingham could put together a solid recruiting class in 2005 is really beside the point with respect to ND's current situation. Like anonymous points out, recruits may have bailed out when Willingham was canned. The circumstances/timing of the firing effectively ensured a subpar class. Also remember, a condition of Charlie Weis' hiring was that he could finish the season/playoffs as Offensive Coordinator with the New England Patriots. While I'm sure he did his best to scramble for (and show off his rings to) viable candidates, I think it's unrealistic to expect him to work any recruiting wonders in such a short period.
With that said...these horrible recruiting classes of which we speak ('04 & '05) were ranked no worse than maybe...like top 40? I know that one cannot exactly equate recruiting rankings with talent level, and I'm sure there may be some variance at positions (lack of O-linemen) within these classes that could lead to woefully deficient outcomes. However, every ND fan must come to terms with the fact that their players are performing nowhere near their talent level. There are undoubtedly several collegiate teams with analogous personnel issues, but I would bet they are faring much better than ND. Charlie will get his prized recruits, but here's hoping 3 consecutive top 10 classes will eventually land ND in the top five...not the cusp of the top 25.
about 1 year ago
the recruiting classes of 2004 and 2005 had a combined total of 1 player in the top 100 and were ranked 27 (05) and 30th (04) and neither had a five start recruit. Of the 32 players recruited in those two classes 9 of them had a four start rating.
http://notredame.scout.com/a.z?s=109&p=9&c=14&yr=2005
about 1 year ago
Even if you want to drink the "It's Ty Willingham's fault" Kool-Aid. Here's what I don't understand.
1. How can ND be at the bottom of the NCAA in O using "Ty's" Top 30 talent? Especially with CW's pedigree/ Remember he was going to out scheme others with Pro-Style O?
2. Why do other schools like Florida and Ohio State that have a number of 1st and 2nd year player do well without excuses?
3. At what point can people come to grips with the fact that the hiring of CW might have been a mistake?
about 1 year ago
Notre Dame will soon be victorious again. Notre Dame will soon send forth a Righteous Priest (celibate, honest and doesn't drink) to perform the Right of Exorcism on the 50 yard line in the stadium at midnight against the satanic forces of darkness that has engulf the Sacred and Heavenly Fighting Irish. Thus forever evicting the demons and evil spiritual entities that has attacked our Gawd Ordained Football Program. All will be well again, you'll see!....en nombre de Patre, Hijo e Spiritus Santus....
(unfortunately, the Holy Right of Exorcism tends to leave a large burnt crater - hopefully the grounds keepers can fix things up before morning)
about 1 year ago
It is writers like you that make me embarrassed of being a female dreaming of becoming a sports journalist.
about 1 year ago
Sometimes I sit by the tracks and listen to the trains go by. Toooot-tooooooot! I like yellow flowers and fgreshly cut grass between my toes. Pizza can be crunchy when its in the oven too long. USC got beat by Stanford. Notre dame just beat UCLA, who turned the ball over a total of 87 times. Notre Dame racked up a whopping 148 yards of offence. Truly offensive. Choclate is my favorite vice.
11 months ago
And people wonder why minorities in this country still believe there is racism? The ultimate statement on equality is do the same results achieve the same outcome. Not treated better, not treated worse,; treated the same. In the case of Weis vs Willingham, the outcome would have to be that Weis is fired for producing 99% of the same result as Willingham. Why does weis record call for "give it one more year it will work itself out" and Willingham's didn't. Why is Willinghams situation a "he sucked, just deal with it" discussion and Weis isn't. Weis is on his way to the worst Season in school history. I for one want desperately to beleive that the decision to remove Willingham was based upon Meyer s availability or recruiting, or 3rd season woes, but hot coaches are available all the time, recruiting is relative to who your opponents recruit, and 3rd season woes imply that the other teams will stand still while you get better - NOT. ND is in a tight spot. If it is ever to recover its going to need to recruit the cream of the crop from whites, blacks, hispanics, etc. Minority parents of HS Allstars are paying attention and not enthused about sending their kids to ND if their is a perceived climate of bias. If similar results for Weis don t result in similar action - the message that sends them is that ND, however prestigious, may not be the place for their son/daughter.
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