Dear Santa : Notre Dame's Christmas Wish List
Ian Scott
November 30, 1999

1. A New Coach - A 21-16 record at Notre Dame does not cut it.  Bob Davie is
obviously not the man to return Notre Dame to the national power that they
should be.  He'll probably be back next year, but what if?  Here are a few guys
that could get the job done :

-Tom Coughlin--As of late, Coughlin's tone at his press conferences has
people wondering if he wants to come back next year.  An offer to coach Notre
Dame could make his decision a little easier.  Even respected analysts like
Beano Cook, seem to think that he would leave Jacksonville for South Bend. 
Coughlin is a proven winner and obviously can bring in the talent.  He turned
an expansion team into a Super Bowl contender in 3 years.  He could certainly
do the same for the Fighting Irish.

-Barry Alvarez--With the lucrative deal that he just signed with Wisconsin,
Alvarez seems to be becoming less and less likely to head back to the Dome. 
However, it is still worth looking into for Notre Dame. He has obviously had
success with the Badgers and Alvarez and Rogers would be a great coaching
tandem.  If these two could not get it done at Notre Dame, no one can.

-Bill Cower--O.K., so this one might be a stretch.  Yet, Chris Berman
recently hinted at the fact that with the Steelers downward spiral over the
past two years, he may want out of Pittsburgh at the end of the season. 
Cower would certainly put a stop to the Irish being flat on Saturdays.  If
this guy was screaming at you, wouldn't you be motivated?

2.  A New Athletic Director-- Mike Wadsworth has made it sound like he will
not fire Davie.  Well, then let's not leave it up to Wadsworth.  A UHND
article about two months ago, pointed out how bad this guy has screwed up
with both the football and basketball teams.  Things have certainly not
improved during his time at Notre Dame, and it is definitely time for a
change.

3.  A Kicker--Why the Irish cannot bring in a good kicker is beyond many of
us.  Sanson's replacement, David Miller, did not fair too well in his FG
tries this season.  Setta is supposedly a good kicker, and has yet to be
given a serious chance.  Maybe Setta can get the job done.  Regardless, Notre
Dame should be bringing in one of the best kickers in the country at least
every two years.

4.  A Secondary--Cooper, Harper, and Sanders are now all done but no big
loss.  They certainly did not get the job done.  Had Notre Dame had better
pass coverage, they might not have been 5-7.  Cliff Jefferson could be a good
defensive back if he did not give the receiver so much of a cushion.  There
does not seem to be great back-ups ready to take over for the departed
seniors, so Notre Dame needs to make it a priority to bring in four or five
solid DB's.

5. A Lenient NCAA Ruling--Maybe not even Santa could deliver on this one, but
we can dream can't we?  Notre Dame is going to need to do some serious
reloading talent wise, and a loss of scholarships certainly would not help
their cause.  Hopefully, the NCAA just give Notre Dame a slap on the wrist
because they are Notre Dame.  Realistically, this is probably not the way
things will unfold.

6. A Center--No I do not think the Irish should replace Merandi, I am talking
about    basketball.   They are getting more votes than the football team,
have a great coach, stay fired up, and can control the clock.  The one thing
they do not have is a big man in the middle.  7'1" Ivan Kartelo could be the
answer, but their is an even bigger center out their.  That center is 7'6"
Neil Fingleton from Holy Name High School in Worcester, MA.  No, that is not
a typo, 7'6"!  A guy that tall, can certainly get the job done at the
collegiate level.  What is even more exciting is the fact that he has
narrowed it down to Wake Forest, Ohio State, and Notre Dame.  Hopefully, the
fact that he is at a Catholic school will help him find his way to South Bend.