Accountability Starts At The Top

Well, Not Quite the Top...That Would be Kevin White
After getting completely demolished by Virginia Tech on national TV last night, Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen took full responsibility for the team's performance:

"You won't see me around here for a whole long time if we do this a lot," Friedgen said. "They won't have to fire me. I'll quit."

Maryland's loss, its worst since 2000, eliminated the Terps (4-6, 2-5 ACC) from bowl contention and ensured their first losing season under Friedgen. However, since assuming the reigns in 2001, Friedgen has posted a composite 35-14 record, including three straight 10+ win seasons from 2001-2003.

ND Shutout Losses In The Modern Era

Since 1950...
Year, score, oppponent (coach in parentheses):
1951 35-0 Michigan State (Leahy)
1952 40-0 Oklahoma (Brennan)
1959 19-0 Michigan State (Kuharich)
1960 21-0 Michigan State (Kuharich)
1962 25-0 USC (Kuharich)
1978 3-0 Missouri (Devine)
1983 20-0 Miami (Faust)
1987 24-0 Miami (Holtz)
1998 10-0 USC (Davie)
2003 38-0 Michigan (Willingham)
2003 37-0 FSU (Willingham)

Since 1950, only two coaches have managed to direct the ND gridders to multiple shutout losses under their watch: Kuharich--arguably the worst coach in ND football history--and Willingham. While Kuharich managed to stretch out his three shutout losses over the course of three years (1959-1962), Willingham accomplished the feat in a single year (2003). Additionally, the 2003 losses by the Irish to FSU (38-0) and Michigan (37-0) are the second and third largest margins of loss, respectively, when the Irish have been shutout over the course of the modern era, behind only the 1952 40-0 loss to Oklahoma.

The 25-0 defeat by USC was Kuharich's last game as coach at Notre Dame. What will be Willingham's parting shot?

Harvard, Yale, Princeton...Notre Dame?

Gooooo Irish! Beeeeeeat Crimson!

The following is a short list of schools that have won multiple National
Championships since 1900, with one common factor:

Princeton
Yale
Harvard
Cornell
Chicago
Army

The commonality is that each school has opted to re-invent itself and focus on other priorities (academics, national defense). The last time a "non-power" school, in my estimation, won an NC was Princeton '50.

Since then, pretty much every program listed has surged at some point or another with regularity. The only other school you could look to as failing to address an obvious coaching deficiency leading to mediocrity is Penn State, but that is a unique situation.

Almost as unnerving is that ND doesn't seem committed to focusing on priorities. If (gasp!) they truly want to be an academic institution, then so be it--focus on that. But they are miles away from the likes of the Ivy League, or even great research or science schools like Carnegie Mellon or Cal. The bitter irony is that ND is who they are today--and probably always will be--because the football machine makes money hand over fist. Yet they are reluctant to invest in this moneymaker, instead satisfied with status quo and steady returns.

For now, as the NDnation.com article states, the ND administration is sitting on their laurels and milking money from alumni who still smile over the glory years they enjoyed at ND from 1940-80. But pretty soon those alumni will fade away along with ND's tradition, and the administration will be faced with the daunting task of begging to the alumni of 1980-present whom they've done nothing but distance with their ignorance.

I wish them good luck with that...

Stop the Insanity!

Two More Years?
Here's a good article on arguing against the "5 Year Plan" from NDnation.com.

History vs. Tradition

This Isn't Your Father's Notre Dame...

Notre Dame football no longer has "tradition", they have "history", much like the juggernaut Army squads of the 40s & 50s.

Why you ask? Consider:

tra·di·tion: The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation.
his·to·ry: The branch of knowledge that records and analyzes past events; something that belongs to the past.

Irish To Crush Trojans' National Championship Hopes

C'mon...it could happen?

09/04 - Underachieving Irish lose 20-17 to a mediocre BYU squad.
09/11 - Overachieving Irish dominate #5 Michigan, 28-20.

10/23 - Underachieving Irish lose 24-23 to a mediocre BC squad.
11/06 - Overachieving Irish dominate #8 Tennessee, 17-10.

11/13 - Underachieving Irish lose 41-38 to a mediocre Pitt squad.
11/27 - ???

Tyler Palko, Heisman Trophy Candidate?

A good article by Ben Smith of the Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette:
There is a new breed of Irish in South Bend

OK, Maybe It's The Players to An Extent, Too

Who Was David, and Who Was Goliath?

I haven't seen burnt toast like that since...well...since ND's last loss.

I found myself reaching for the ND roster to try to figure out who to yell at for many of the collapses in the secondary. Criminy, even a soccer player knows it's easier to defend someone against the pass by turning around occasionally to look for the damned ball.

But what these scenarios boiled down to are simple math: the "players" in ND's secondary are 5'10", 5'11", 6'0" and 5'9". None of the guys in ND's secondary are even taller than ME! Meanwhile, Pitt's primary targets were the TE Gill (6'5") and WR Greg Lee (6'2").

ND has midgets in the secondary. Pitt had monsters in the receiving corps.

Expect a Coliseum bloodbath on 11/27.

Shaq Sez It's Time To Go

Big Daddy Calls For Willingham's Ouster

It's almost useless to go through the littany of ways ND threw away today's game vs. Pitt. Dropped passes, sure-fire interceptions (also dropped), pitifully poor coverage, 100+ yds in penalties, missed tackles, etc, etc. In my mind, this all boils down to poor coaching. My first reaction was to comb through the record books to cite the ridiculous precedents being set during the Tyrone Willingham Era: first opposing QB throwing 5tds, most home losses in first three years, most plays surrendered over 20+ yards, most losses by more than 3tds, shutouts by Michigan/FSU/USC/other, etc., but I'm sure many hardcore data-freaks are already all over this.

Earlier in the day during happier times I was cleaning the garage and listening to the John Thompson Show on WTEM 980AM, which featured an interview with Shaq. It was fairly humorous, and many times I found myself saying, "What did Shaq just say?" When asked what his role was with his new team (Miami), Shaq responded, "My job is to do my job." Uh....can you expand on that concept, daddy? (note: he also stated that he thinks his current role as an NBA center suits him well post-NBA for a job as a Chief of Police).

But later tonight I thought about that seemingly innocuous statement by Shaq, and he's right. It is as simple as that. Unfortunately for us, Tyrone Willingham is not "doing his job". He needs to be fired. Maybe a pasting by USC and another bowl loss will expedite matters...

It's the Coaching, Stupid (Redux)

Tyme to Go.

It's really getting ridiculous. It's barely worth complaining about anymore because ND's admin is just stupid. I honestly don't mind losing games where the team is overmatched, faces superior players, or outplayed. But I hate losing half the schedule each year to teams loaded with players ND didn't recruit. If they weren't good enough to play at ND, how are they suddenly beating up ND on the field?

Coaching.

How does a team lose twice by 3pts while rushing for 26yds or getting penalized 120yds?

Coaching.

And why will ND suck for two more years after losing to USC and a bowl opponent?

Coaching.

Yeah, that's right. Popular opinion on the inside is that several things presently would keep ND from firing Willingham before his contract expires at the end of the 2007 season:
1) Precendent. Bob Davie and Gerry Faust were shit coaches and they got 5 years to prove it.
2) Concern for backlash from those accusing ND of being unfair to a minority coach (with regard to #1).

I will probably still send in an annual contribution because each year I have my donation directed to the fencing endowment, and I don't think it's fair to punish that program simply because the rest of the administration is a bunch of idiots. But I completely support Steve and others who choose not to...and encourage others to do as much.

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?