8
Nov
2007
The Curse of Willingham
Everyone knows about Notre Dame’s struggles by now. In all honesty, it’s past the point of even being funny. When they were 0-4, I was laughing but we are beyond that position. It’s ridiculous how bad they really are. If anyone has seen a single game of theirs, you know what I’m talking about. The team doesn’t look like a team. They have no emotion, no confidence, nothing. Charlie Weis went from the toast of the town to being questioned louder and louder on a week to week basis.
The much publicized firing of Ty Willingham a few years back was starting to look like a thing of the past; something that Notre Dame would no longer have to answer for. After two straight BCS bowl appearances, it looked like the replacement for Willingham was the right choice. It earned Weis a 10 year contract. But this is college football and things can change from better to worse as fast as anything we know. The Willingham saga is now rearing its head again as critics are asking the question, “Will Charlie get fired? Ty Willingham did.”
It’s a valid question. Everyone who has an ounce of sanity knows that what happened to Willingham was not right. Now as much as I hate Notre Dame and dislike Charlie Weis, and as much as I like and respect Ty Willingham for handling his departure with class, I can’t sit here and say that firing Weis is the right decision. Yes, he is having the worst season in Notre Dame’s history. Yes, he doesn’t seem to have much, if any, control over his team. Yes, he looks lost. Yes, if this was a scenario where you replaced Weis with Willingham, Willingham would have been fired for sure by now. But two wrongs don’t make a right. I firmly believe that. Firing Willingham was a hasty, improper decision. But you can’t correct that mistake by treating Weis the same way.
Suppose you fire Weis and the next coach comes along and has similar struggles. Do you give him the same time span you gave Willingham and Weis? If you fire Weis now, you have set a precedent for the future and nobody will want to coach there.
As much as Notre Dame has struggled, let’s not forget that Charlie Weis is no dummy. The guy knows how to run offenses and he will get things rolling again. Give him a couple of seasons and if the results are not what Notre Dame fans and alum are expecting, you can make the change. But making a change now just for the sake of it will cause much more harm than it will good.
Ty Willingham may be on the other side of the country, but his presence is very much felt these days in
