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I graduated from Notre Dame in 1953. Frank Leahy was the coach the entire four years I was there, and we enjoyed great success on the football field. I had followed the team somewhat before that, but not closely enough to comment on it, although I was well familiar with the achievements of Knute Rockne. I am writing this article to raise some questions and make some comments on the past, current, and future status on Notre Dame football.

After Coach Leahy resigned, we had a hiatus without much success during the Terry Brennan years. This changed when Father Hesburgh replaced Coach Brennan with Ara Parseghian (a little more about that later). Following Ara we had middling success with Dan Devine, and following Devine we had another bad stretch with Gerry Faust, until Lou Holtz was hired. Lou, although eminently successful, was, as everyone knows, more or less driven out by the athletic administration (with or without the approval of their superiors), and since then we have had little success. This is the longest period of mediocrity I can remember. With the growing number of public humiliations under Coach Willingham, one has to wonder whether the boom-bust cycle for Notre Dame is forever locked in bust.

History is compatible with the notion that the erratic but increasing decline of success on the football field has roughly paralleled the increasing academic success and stature of The University. This is, in my opinion, because there has been a relative increase in the academic requirements for student-athletes at Notre Dame, but not at the other principal/traditional football powers. For example, when Coach Leahy was here, there was a degree program in Physical Education taken by many members of the football team. These higher academic standards, are, I think, reflected by the comparatively exceptional graduation rate of the Notre Dame football players as compared the players who matriculate at the aforesaid football powers.

It would seem, therefore, that despite the (unfounded) protestations by some at the University that it is possible to have an outstanding football program while maintaining high academic standards for the players, this is, regrettably, not true. (It could, of course be argued that Notre Dame has simply not hired the right Head Football Coach during this period. In this regard, I can only say that although Gerry Faust was a foolish choice on the face of it, the same was not true of Bob Davie or Tyrone Willingham. In regard to the Coach Willingham, I think it can reasonably be said that his debut has been at best middling, and at worst, inauspicious.)

This would lead to the conclusion that Notre Dame has to either 1) adopt the same policies as the current football powers in regard to the admission and, possibly, the graduation rate of its football players, or 2) face a future characterized by the dishonoring of a tradition of football excellence which began with Dorais-to-Rockne on the Plains of West Point, or 3) drastically revise its future schedules to reflect the differing academic standards among universities for student-athletes, particularly in football. Such a schedule could include schools such as Stanford, Tulane, Vanderbilt, the Service Academies, Rice, and a few others. I would say parenthetically that in my opinion, choosing option 2) in the hope of squeezing a last few dollars out of Notre Dame football, would be an odious decision.

I am in no position to pick among these options, and recognize that arguments could be made for each of them. Frankly, I am unsure as to which course I would take if I did have the authority. I do feel strongly, however, that it is now time to make pick among them, and I hope the Board of Trustees and the Holy Cross Order will recognize that such a decision must be made, and the sooner the better, because in my view it is unfair to the fans, alumni, football players, and coaches to be forced to endure such humiliations as was exemplified by the USC game of October 18, 2003. (In regard to making a decision, it is fairly well-known that when the University brought Ara Parseghian to a press conference to announce his hiring, he abruptly refused to appear at the conference because the University told that he would have a smaller number of football scholarships than he had been led to believe. Only after The University gave him what he wanted in these terms, did he agree to be announced as the Head Football Coach. The University at that time made a clear-cut decision.

The situation, in my opinion, is now at a comparable juncture. It is time for another clear-cut decision, and the options are either: 1) hire yet another new coach, 2) change requirements for student-athletes, (at least in football ), or 3) substantially revise of the future schedules.

C. L. Witzleben, M.D. ‘53