ND Football: The Meteoric Descent to Mediocrity

"It's the Coaching, Stupid!"
A letter to the Editors of Blue & Gold Illustrated:
I agree with many of the points in Tim Prister's Time Out column (Nov. 15, 2004) regarding the firing of Florida coach Ron Zook. It is classless for fans to attack a coach personally, and disappointing that the administration was not sensitive to those most directly involved, the players. While the timing was motivated by a desire to signal a new direction and help recruiting, it still was done in poor taste.

Mr. Prister alludes to the fact that Notre Dame will face a similar decision one day. Judging by the letters in Fan Forum and across many ND message boards, many fans hope this decision comes very soon, perhaps as soon as the end of this season. While the administration owes it to all involved to handle such decisions fairly, it is as well a disservice to the players and fans alike to not do anything by allowing an obvious problem to persist. Numerous examples from the past three years bear this out: poor coaching has led to inconsistent results.

Television executives love to cite the attraction of hosting Notre Dame in their post-season bowl games because the fans are so dedicated. What will it take for the administration to finally listen to these eternally loyal fans?