Notre Dame Fires Coach Willingham
As if any of us needed any more proof of how colleges with Division I athletics programs have their priorities bass ackwards, Notre Dame has fired it’s football coach. Yes, his players excelled in the classroom and as representatives of the University. Nonetheless, there is only one thing that matters: winning on autumn Saturday afternoons- and it was there that Tyrone Willingham was found wanting.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Coach Tyrone Willingham was fired by Notre Dame on Tuesday after three seasons in which he failed to return one of the nation’s most storied football programs to prominence.
Willingham went 21-15, including 6-5 this season. The Fighting Irish lost 41-10 to No. 1 Southern California on Saturday.
“We simply have not made the progress on the field that we need to make,” athletic director Kevin White said….
White praised Willingham’s handling of the team, especially the Irish’s strong academic record.
“From Sunday through Friday our football program has exceeded all expectations, in every way,” he said. “But on Saturday, we’ve struggled. We’ve been up and down and sideways a little bit.”
Translation: “We didn’t bring these freaks of nature here to be good people. We brought them here to win football games. After all, we are Notre Dame, God’s Chosen College, and we deserve better. Besides, if we keep getting our asses handed to us the way we have been, our rich alumni will stop donating to the athletic program.”
Of course, Notre Dame is just the latest example of college sports as the 800 lb. gorilla. These is an EDUCATIONAL institution we’re talking about here, no? Of course, like any other high profile football factory, the term “student-athlete” is a bit of a misnomer at Notre Dame. As a Catholic university, school officials like to portray Notre Dame as somehow above the fray. The reality is that Notre Dame is simply more hypocritical than other schools who make no pretense of the importance of football- like Miami, Florida State, Oklahoma, etc.
Money corrupts, but BCS bowl money corrupts absolutely….
