If Davie goes, Who Will Coach the Irish?
UHND.com - John Romanelli, MD, '91
9/30/2001
In 1985, when Gerry Faust was finally fired, after five long years of mediocrity, the Irish were at a crossroads. Fresh from a 58-7 whipping at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes, former coach Ara Parseghian quipped on CBS, "From these ashes, the phoenix will rise again." Fortunately, seasoned veteran Lou Holtz was ready to take the helm, and lead the Irish to the Promised Land of national championships.
Sixteen years later, the Irish stand at a similar crossroads. Bob Davie may well be fired after five long years of mediocrity; the first 0-3 start in school history should hasten his demise. While one might wonder if the Irish could rise again in today’s college football world, a more important question looms: who is out there that might want to lead the Irish?
On the one hand, Notre Dame has strict admission standards which, at times, can scare off potential recruits. It is a small, Midwest, Catholic school run by priests with lofty standards and stricter rules. On the other hand, it is the most storied program in sports history, with a national fan base and an exclusive television contract. With these thoughts in mind, who will be next to awaken the dormant echoes?
I will handicap the field, as I see it. I welcome comments as to the feasibility of these potential Irish coaches:
Tom Coughlin (5-2): Coach Coughlin was successful at Boston College, another Catholic Division I-A school. He has nearly built a Super Bowl contender at Jacksonville in the NFL. There is no question, he is an excellent coach. The question is this: does he wish to return to college? Looking at the recent trend (Al Groh, Pete Carroll), one can not dispute the possibility. Considered the favorite two years ago, when Bob Davie was last in jeopardy.
Gerry DiNardo (3-1): The Irish All-American and former Vanderbilt and LSU coach is now out of work. He is Catholic, and as an alumnus, understands all there is to know about Notre Dame. But did his stint as coach of the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL hurt his chances?
Jon Gruden (5-1): The Oakland Raider coach is one of the hottest coaching names out there. He was a serious candidate for the Ohio State job. He hails from South Bend. Could he be the perfect fit?
Mike Bellotti (6-1): The current Oregon coach has built the best program in the Pac-10, and has a legitimate Heisman candidate this year. Was three points away from national title contention last year, and all in a state not know for its high school players. As an Italian-American, he is presumably Catholic. He coaches in the Pac-10, so athletic director Kevin White should be familiar with him. Could emerge as the favorite.
Barry Alvarez (7-1): The former Irish defensive coordinator has lifetime job security at Wisconsin after a Heisman trophy winner and 3 Rose Bowls. So why would he leave the Badgers? Well, short of a national title (unlikely), there is not much else to accomplish. He doesn’t seem to want to coach in the NFL. Perhaps the lure of rebuilding a struggling program would get him to leave Madison. Could some kind words from his former boss in South Carolina help?
George O’Leary (8-1): The current Georgia Tech coach has an excellent chance of ending Florida State’s stranglehold of dominance in the ACC this year. He has built a clean, solid program, and also has a legitimate Heisman candidate. He is Irish-American and Catholic. The question is this: has he won enough to merit consideration?
Tom O’Brien (10-1): The current Boston College coach fits in along the same lines as George O’Leary. The last time we hired a Boston College coach, Frank Leahy became an Irish legend. Could we strike gold again?
Terry Donahue (12-1): The former UCLA coach was reportedly a candidate in 1996. Now working for the San Francisco 49ers as GM, could a job like Notre Dame bring the veteran back to college football?
Terry Bowden (15-1): The former Auburn coach and son of legend Bobby Bowden is comfortable at his job at ABC Sports. The question is this: would the right college football job lure him away from television. That remains to be seen. Alabama couldn't lure him; it’s doubtful ND could.
Bob Stoops (20-1): The coach of the defending national champions wouldn’t abandon the Sooners for South Bend, would he?
Greg Mattison (22-1): The last defensive coordinator to be hired as head coach did not work out so favorably. Will still likely get a look out of courtesy.
Field (25-1): Perhaps there is a diamond in the rough yet to be considered; perhaps not.
John Cooper (30-1): The former Arizona State and Ohio State coach may be considered too old to start over. Whether or not he wishes to start over again remains to be seen. He did have trouble beating Michigan; perhaps in blue and gold he would be more successful.
Nick Saban (35-1): The former Michigan State coach and current LSU coach has built clean, successful programs, but does his tendency to wander hurt his chances? The program needs a coach for the next ten years, not someone who might leave in three years.
Frank Beamer (40-1): The Virginia Tech coach has spent years turning a perennial doormat into a college football power. He flirted with the Alabama job last year before deciding to stay put. Could the allure of the Golden Dome lure him from Blacksburg?
Rick Neuheisel (45-1): The Washington and former Colorado coach is a rising star in coaching circles, but his tendency to leave programs high and dry must not sit well. May be known by Kevin White from the Pac-10 experience. Suffers from the same perception as Nick Saban.
Dave Wannstedt (50-1): Reportedly the second choice in 1996. Has done little to merit further consideration.
Gary Barnett (60-1): Has done even less than Wannstedt (2-9 last year at Colorado).
Dennis Green (75-1): Could the former Stanford coach return to college if he tires of Randy Moss’ attitude? Doubtful choice given his clashes with management
Bruce Snyder (80-1): Former Arizona State coach merits consideration only because of his association with Kevin White. Although he came close to a national title in 1996, often perceived as having teams that underachieved in Tempe.
Lou Holtz (90-1): Would Holtz return to rebuild the program? I didn’t think so, either. Eleven years were enough.
Jimmy Johnson (100-1): The former Miami Hurricane coach won everywhere he coached. There is no doubt that he could win in South Bend. But there are two questions: would he want to end his retirement? And would Notre Dame stoop that low?