Ty Wilingham to Notre Dame?


Suge

Suge

The Phat Mack
I don't know if you are following the Notre dame coaches search, but ND has been granted permission to interview Ty Willingham, Stanford's head coach. Each year he has been on the short list of college coaches considered for the NFL ranks, and the only college coach, aside from Oregon's, on the Notre Dame short list. Do you think he is only being looked at because of the issues concerning black head coaches, or do you think he has a legitimate shot at this job. I mean if ND hires a black head coach, imagine the doors it will open for others. Not to mention if he turns the program around like he has Stanford.

Now..I believe that he has a legitimate shot. As I said earlier, he is one of the few college coaches that is up for NFL jobs on a yearly bases....usually he has to remove his name from consoderation for these jobs, so he is a hot coaching commodity. Plus it is prime time for recruiting, which means that ND needs to hire a coach quick!! With the NFL coahes they want still with 5 more games to play, and Gruden especially with a legitimate Super Bowl shot, has to help Ty Will's chances. Also, coming from Satnford would seem like an advantage to me. He has insight into the type of players he can recruit. With Stanford having the same academic issues as ND, when it comes to recruiting football players.
 
I'd love to see Ty get that shot. He's proven he's one of the best coaches in the country but I doubt he'll get a serious look.

I was listening to Sports Talk Radio today and they were talking about the head coach from the Jacksonville Jaguars being a front runner. They were going on and on about him being Catholic, having had success at Boston College, and so on and so on.

I think Ty would do a better job, but they'll probably go with another white head coach.
 

I agree with Suge. I think Ty W may get a serious look because he has won at an academic school like ND.

Now remember ND isn't going worry about Ty being black. One thing I have learned about ND is they want to win. I am sure some would like a white Catholic coach, but right now they need some wins. I see it like this, ND wants Gruden, but he has the playoffs and still has one year left on his contract with the Raiders. Like Suge said ND needs to get moving on the recruiting trail, which may also not Coughlin out. Even though he is not going to the playoffs he still has the rest of the NFL season to go, which goes deeper this year because of 9-11. Plus he has been out of touch with the college kids for too long. Gruden is a players coach and the kids would like playing for him. So to me Coughlin is not their first choice. J'Ville owner wants him back too. Ty W would be my next choice if ND can't wait on Gruden. Which they probably can't but I think they would sacrifice this years recruiting class if Gruden promise them he's coming after his Raider season is over. They really want Gruden. I am about 80 miles from South Bend here in SW Michigan thats all the NDers are saying.
So look for Gruden, Ty W and Coughlin in that order. If none of them get it their has been rumbling about Gerry DiNardo being considered, he's ND alum. He had a chance when he was doing okay at LSU to come to ND before Davie, but took his name out the hat. He would fit in with his people up here and probably do okay. He's a last resort pick if everybody else turns them down. That's no easy job and expectations are way high. So I expect some of these coaches to pull their name out the hat. Ty W has a good Qb (Lewis kid) coming back and a team that could win the Pac 10 next year plus he may covet an NFL job instead. He is a member of that Bill Walsh, Denny Green and others in that West Coast Family circle. So he may just stay put. If I was him I would. All he has do is keep winning 8,9,10 games a year over at Stanford and compete and those folks are happy. Beat UCLA and USC which he is doing and all is good.
 
This is a smart move. Ty Wil is a great coach. To do what he has done at Stanford is no small feat. His teams are well prepared adn give maximum effort. Notre Dame won't get outcoached with him on the sidelines. I hope he gets the job.
 
Talk around the ATL...

Talk around the ATL is that George O'leary Head Coach of GA Tech is the front runner for the ND job and if he goes to ND then they will look to bring in Ty W to coach GA Tech. They already have a brother coaching the Mens Basketball, and now they are giving serious consideration to Ty if O'leary leaves.

I think this would be a good move for him as well. Brother man has put it down and I would love to see him continue to grow in exposure and opportunity.
 
Do Any Of You, Watch PTI (Pardon The Interuption)?

Michael Wilbon, who's a very good writer for the Washington Post, co-host's the show with Tony Kornheiser, who's another good writer on the post, yesterday said that after talking with Ty, he was seriously thinking about not interviewing for the job, because it was just that, an interview, and not a serious look.

He said that Willingham's name is always on sombody's list, but usually it's just for show, because he's black, and that Notre Dame will not hire a Black coach, because he still doesn't think American Catholic's, and some of the most prestigious ND Alums, are not ready as well.

I for one believe's he's more than capable of doing the job, the academic limitations are pretty much the same at Stanford, as they are at ND, and with the exposure ND gets, I'm more than sure he wouldn't have any problems recruiting.

If he decides to go through the interview process, and gets the job, like Suge said, this would do wonders for the Black coach, not to mention if he's successful, which I know he will be.

I just hope he doesn't wilt under the enormous pressure he will face being there, and the attention he will get, the moment he's hired.

He will instantly become a celebrity, and we'll no doubt hear his whole life story, I'm praying that he wasn't born the son of a sharecropper, because I think we've all heard that one before. ha ha ha

NICE
 
Ty Will to GaTech? I just don't see it...I mean even if he doesn't getthe ND job, why would he leave Stanford for GaTech. I don't see Tech as being a one of the premier jobs in football, that would warrant Ty Will leaving Stanford. Plus I haven't heard the O'leary to ND rumors at all. What makes him a candidate, the fact that he is an O'leary?

And D.....we are on the same, i was hoping that TW wasn't just an interview and that he was being seriously considered for the job

Well the road is looking alot clearer for Ty, Steve Mariuchi has taken his name out of the running for the job!
 
I don't know where they get their info from, but the local sportscaster in Jackson is reporting that Bill Parcells will be the next coach at ND. He said look for the press conference in the next day or two. It's something I can't believe, but he sure as hell reported it.

As for Ty, I hate that the brotha is being used that way. I'll gladly have him at JSU.:D
 
Now I am in no way a ND fan, but if they actually hired Ty for the job, I'd become a fan. I actually think that if ND wants to get back to the top, he is the man to make it happen. Just as stated by several others, he has proven that he can recruit the type of kid you need at a school like ND with regard to academics. (How many schools have tougher admission standards than Stanford??)

I have not heard anything about O'leary going to ND. I too wonder, why would Ty leave Stanford to go to Ga. Tech? If anything, if I were in his shoes I'd stay put right there in Stanford until one of the heavyweights in College Football came calling or make the move to the NFL.

it sure would be nice if jerry jones would get his head out of his behind and give the brotha a call
 
The O'leary story is just a rumor right now. ND has not asked to speak with him officially.
As for TW going to GT, why wouldn't he? They were very close to being a contender with FSU for the ACC title before Freidgen left. If TW can replace the OC he can turn the program around again.
 
BigCat3000,
Georgia Tech is not that attractive as a Notre Dame or Stanford. No knock on GT, but why would Ty come to GT if O'leary left. That Stanford job is a much better one. He is out in Cali where he is winning and not subjected to that black coach stuff as much as he would in the heart of SEC/ACC country. All he has to do is beat USC, UCLA, and Cal, which he is doing. You know he would have to beat Georgia and FSU every year just to keep the good ole boys out of his azz(ask Tubby Smith how it feels ). Not that he couldn't win at GT, but the Stanford job is just a sweeter deal. Plus like I posted earlier he has that Bill Walsh connection and if he doesn't get a ND offer he's headed to the pros if he leaves Stanford. There are only a few programs in college football that Ty Will is probably interested in. He's that good and is a hot commodity and only traditional national powers will be able to get him to leave Stanford and I don't blame him. Not to mention that Stanford has a better team than GT and has a great number of starters back next year. GT will not have to worry, ND will not offer O'Leary the job. Now that Gruden has pulled out Coughlin and Ty Will are the top choices. After what Friedgen did at Maryland after leaving GT and GT took a step back from what I saw. I am not sure if O'Leary is really that good. Even UGA finally beat GT. ND probably is thinking the same thing as well. they want a high profile coach that will get recruits and win.
 
http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/2001/1208/1292344.html


Saturday, December 8

Final contract details could be worked out by Monday

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


Although there remain some contractual matters to be finalized, ESPN.com confirmed Saturday night that George O'Leary of Georgia Tech has -- in principle -- accepted the head coaching position at Notre Dame, and the deal should be made official within two days.


George O'Leary could be eyeing a jump from Georgia Tech to Notre Dame.

Two sources within the Georgia Tech football program confirmed that O'Leary has taken the job and that he will inform his players and assistant coaches at Georgia Tech of his decision Sunday at a 9 a.m. team meeting.

Neither O'Leary nor Georgia Tech athletics director Dave Braine could be immediately reached for comment and the coach's agent, Jack Reale, did not return several messages Saturday night.

Over the past week, all three men denied that Irish athletics director Kevin White had contacted O'Leary about the position or sought permission from Braine to speak to him about it. But it is believed that White was in Atlanta on Saturday to gauge O'Leary's interest.

"We've stuck to this all week. Regardless of what comments people have made, Kevin (White) said we won't confirm, deny or discuss any of them. The next time there is something official from him is when we are ready to announce a coach," John Heisler, Notre Dame's associate AD, told The Associated Press.

The agent for Stanford head coach Tyrone Willingham, the man believed to be the frontrunner after several other potential candidates withdrew from consideration this week, told ESPN.com late Saturday that neither he nor his client had heard from White about a formal interview.

"If it's true that (O'Leary) is getting the job, then so be it, because we've got nothing to report from our end," said Ray Anderson, Willingham's agent. "They haven't called us to set up a meeting or anything. It's been a little quiet the last few days."

Anderson said earlier in the week that there had been informal discussions with the Notre Dame officials to make certain they considered Willingham a serious candidate. It was believed that a formal interview would transpire this weekend, but it never occurred.

In recent days, college head coaches Bob Stoops of Oklahoma and Oregon's Mike Belotti told White they were not interested in the job, and it is believed both men either met with the AD or had extensive discussions by phone. NFL coaches Jon Gruden of Oakland and Steve Mariucci of San Francisco also said they would remain with their current teams and not seek the Notre Dame job.

The one NFL head coach who was avidly interested, Tom Coughlin of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was not contacted by the school.

O'Leary, 55, has posted a 52-33 record with the Yellow Jackets since succeeding Bill Lewis with three games remaining in the 1994 season. He was twice named coach of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference and three times led the Yellow Jackets to top 25 finishes.

The 2001 season, however, was a disappointment for a team that began the campaign with BCS aspirations but posted just a 7-5 record. Georgia Tech will play Stanford in the Seattle Bowl on Dec. 27.

The gregarious O'Leary, whose name was linked to the Notre Dame job when the Irish instead hired Bob Davie, has a five-year rollover contract worth about $1.2 million annually. It is not known if there is a buyout included in the contract, but there has been plenty of speculation that the deal would specifically allow O'Leary to leave for the Notre Dame job.


Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
 
JR
Did you know that GT was picked to win the ACC by most writers and picked by a lot of them to play for the national championship this year? It didn't happen but they were picked. When was the last time Satnford was picked to even win the Pac 10? STANFORD IS NOT A DREAM JOB BY ANY STRETCH. Their academic requirements make it nearly impossible to be a national power. They cn't win consistently because they lack the talent. They win solely on TW's coaching. When was the last time you heard of a premier player from Stanford (don't say Troy Walters either)?
 
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