Three Is The Loneliest Number

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It's the loneliest number since the number one
-- Three Dog Night (1969)

With apologies to Messrs. Wells and Hutton, for Notre Dame fans these past six months, "Three" is in fact the loneliest number. Let's see why...

Number of seasons Tyron Willingham coached ND: 3.
Number of times ND teams lost to USC by 31 points: 3.
Number of times ND teams lost to other opponents by 25+ points: 3.
Number of times ND teams lost in Notre Dame Stadium in 2003: 3.
Number of times ND teams lost in Notre Dame Stadium in 2004: 3.
Number of consecutive games in 2004 opposing QBs threw for 4+ TDs: 3.
Number of official recruiting visits under Tyrone Willingham in 2004: 3.

Is it any wonder that Willingham went three-and-out, like many of the offensive (and I mean that in more ways than one) series he captained during his tenure? Methinks not.

Of all the above triadic statistics, none is more telling for Willingham's lack of success--and lack of prospects for future success--than the last one. During the three months (there's that number again!) of September, October and November, in which the NCAA allows six evaluation days (six is, by the way, 3 X 2), Willingham scheduled three (3) visits for high school football recruits. Three. Not surprisingly, all three of those recruits eventually declined to sign a letter-of-intent on February 2nd.

The NCAA permits schools to host 56 official visits per recruiting season. By contrast, after assuming the reigns at Notre Dame on Decmber 13, 2004, new head coach Charlie Weis scheduled 19 official visits. Still, the 22 official visits across both regimes marked a record low in Notre Dame history. As noted in BGI, 64 of the 117 Division 1-A schools signed more players than Notre Dame hosted for official visits.


So let's take a look at the Willingham recruiting approach. First off...is there one and, if so, what the hell might it be??? Even my 1-year old son has no idea what Ty Willingham was thinking. One colleague has noted that Willingham preferred to backload visits towards the end of the recruiting period, perhaps hoping to capitalize on the shorter timeframe until signing day. In long-distance running, that's known as the "kick", and is meant to save your best efforts for last. Is this a wise tack?

No.

Just look at the results, this year and last. "Subpar" is a phrase that's been tossed around. "Shit sandwich" is more appropros. Additionally, consider the on-campus experience from a recruit's perspective. Which scenario is more attractive?

You visit Notre Dame's campus on a crisp, warm, early Fall weekend, with the whole landscape abuzz over the excitement of a football weekend. On Friday night you tour the bowels of Notre Dame Stadium, view the helmets being newly ladened with a rich, golden hue, and you carefully walk in wonder down the steps to the tunnel as a sign overhead encourages you to Play Like A Champion Today; OR

It's close to 10 degrees, minus-10 with the wind chill, and mostly dark on a date in mid-January. A few nomads bundled like polar bears scurry across the desolate white campus. On Saturday you stare in horror as Chris Thomas goes 4-24 in a loss to Bethel College. Dinner is a taco buffet during a tour of the Snite Museum's exhibit on the works of Edvard Munch.

Yeah. No kidding.