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Notre Dame Football Update
 Posted
11/30/2009 11:20:00 PM
First of all, I must get this out of the way.
And I don’t say this as someone who worked at Notre Dame. Or, as someone who studied at Notre Dame. Or even as someone who just loves the place because of all it’s done for my family.
No, I say this as a sports PR professional for over 30 years.
Anyone who thinks Notre Dame Football is NO LONGER relevant in the world – NOT the world of sports - but more like….uh, thee WORLD……I have a message for you.
You are a moron! M O R O N !
Have you been under a rock the last two-three weeks? Monday was like ESPN-Notre Dame 24 Hours. It reminded me of the time when Ted Koppel first came on the scene with the hostages. You know…can you see it….. “DAY 3. Notre Dame GRID WATCH. No coach yet. Irish Athletic Director expects to resume talks with another coach soon. Now we go to Brian Williams live in front of the Grotto on campus…..”
When they name the Pope we look for white or black smoke. What’s the deal at the Dome? Blue or Gold smoke?
Now, back to the serious business of solving what’s wrong with the world. It rests in the hands of a quiet, reserved, talented, brilliant former Indianapolis attorney who happens to be our buddy. He also happens to be Notre Dame’s athletic director – Jack Swarbrick.
For Jack, an ND grad, the future of football at his alma mater, rests squarely on his shoulders. And that’s the way HE wanted it! See, he would NOT have taken this job if he didn’t get full control of football – meaning if he wanted to fire a coach; that coach was gone. And, if he wanted to hire a coach, that person would be recommended to the University president! Jack gets to make that move. No search committees here. None. No blue ribbon committees. No panels.
Now, Jack has and will continue to consult key folks. People he knows – like Athletic directors & conference heads. People who know better than anyone about this job – like Lou Holtz & Ara Parseghian. And, veteran football people who know coaches – like Bill Polian of the Colts. He’s getting all his info…and then he will make his move.
He is respectful of the schools still playing and competing. He has interest in some of those coaches and will wait for those seasons to play out.
We’ve seen all the names. I think it’s safe to say that all the old NFL names (Dungy, Billick, Cowher) do NOT make sense and can be scratched off! We’ve heard everyone from veteran “big timers" like Stoops and Ferentz (I’d take either one) to some young bucks (Patterson and Kelly)…and then the occasional new name gets added (yesterday, it was Butch Davis; today, it’s Mike Riley).
Jack Swarbrick’s legacy at his alma mater will be defined by this decision. Just like former Irish AD Kevin White’s will forever be linked to the contract extensions of Bob Davie and Charlie Weis.
All I can do as a guy who cares deeply about the place is remind Jack of what my AD at Notre Dame said when I was there. Gene Corrigan, a man I have admired as much as anyone in my career, said when the Irish replaced Gerry Faust within 24 hours with Lou Holtz, that he had a list of candidates but thought that where the program was at that time, it was time to “wake up some echoes.” And he went with a "big timer" in Holtz!!!
Jack, your alma mater is calling. It is waiting. It is indeed time to once again “wake up some freakin’ echoes!”
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Eddie White
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mitch -
by reading your email and looking at all the comments i cannot help but notice that you must listen to the full three hours EVERY day of our show. we really appreciate it. thanks.
and by the way, our heisman winners have never killed anyone!!! FIGHT ON....
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Posted By
EDDIEWHITE
On
12/1/2009 8:20:46 PM
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Wake me up when your done crying, my oh my relevent for what? All the wrong stuff 500. record, players getting DUI's, QB getting *ss kicked outside a bar, winning the coco nut bowl in Hawaii. You guys are so talented you can turn a bunch of crap into gold its incredible. How you can talk on radio about Domers being relevant shows how god awful you really are at hosting a radio show. Nation wide listening to "REAL" ESPN radio and TV people they said what Carroll did was the right thing to do. UCLA calls a time out and SC throws a touchdown. You have been riding on Troy Aikmens "NUTS" and John Shula's "NUTS" for so long you just don't know any better. All these stories of who you play golf with and who you have REEBOCKED this guy or that guy are so BORING, but it keeps your DOMER fan base amused. You are a glorified "JOCK SNIFFER", now run over to the Colts facility you and your CO WORKERS stand around and sniff out some JOCKS. Eddie White AKA. Mr. Irrelevant!!
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Posted By
MITCH
On
12/1/2009 12:47:52 PM
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Eddie, I have no idea how your feeling, but I have no intentions of trying to empathize with you. I think Jack may know what he is doing, but 5 years is not going to get you a National Championship. I dont like Charlie, but I believe consistency within the "family" only strengthens the "family". Just a bit premature I believe. God bless ya, and Merry friggin Christmas! Cant believe its Christmas.
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Posted By
Pat Murray
On
12/1/2009 12:19:27 PM
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Found this artilce Eddie; thought you might have interest in it;
November 20, 2008
Urban Meyer is the next Notre Dame head coach
Attention Florida Gator fans: you're days of 'Urban renewal' are numbered. Meyer is headed to Notre Dame the next chance he gets, so says Florida Times-Union columnist Pete Kerasotis.
And the weird thing is... Kerasotis makes a damn fine case for Meyer leaving Florida for Notre Dame.
A common contention in my e-mail in-box is that in 2004, Meyer turned down Notre Dame in favor of becoming Florida's coach. Why, then, would he leave a school he once chose over Notre Dame to go to Notre Dame?
Why?
Because things change.
After winning the 1996 National Championship, Spurrier went to bed prepared to wake up the next morning and take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' job. He didn't. But five years later, he did jump to the NFL. Things change.
In his authorized biography "Urban's Way," written with former FLORIDA TODAY sports editor Buddy Martin, Meyer refers to his Big Three coaching jobs, the only three his wife Shelley has no veto power to block him from taking a job at. They are Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan.
Of those three, Meyer's self-proclaimed "dream job" -- his quote, not mine -- is Notre Dame, where he was once an assistant under Lou Holtz, spending five years with the Golden Domers.
OK. Things change, people change. For everything there is a season. Turn, turn, turn... and all that.
But what things?
Kerasotis explains that Shelley Meyer talked Urban into the Florida job because he go out recruiting and be home within a couple hours. Notre Dame, as Irish fans will remind you, recruits nationally. The Meyers' young family won out. Urban consented and the rest is Gator football history.
"I wanted to go to Notre Dame," Meyer admitted, "but my family wanted to talk about going to Florida."
Shelley knew how tough the decision was for her husband because "he left his heart at Notre Dame when we left there last time -- he really, really, really loved Notre Dame."
That's "really" loved three times, if you're scoring at home.
...
Oldest daughter Nicole is 18, getting ready to leave the nest and head to Georgia Tech on a volleyball scholarship. Next oldest is Gigi, 15, a high school sophomore. Then there's Nathan, who turns 10 Monday. Soon, he'll only have one child at home, which makes it much easier for him to balance his professional and personal life -- i.e. the rigors of coaching the Fighting Irish.
All of this is relevant, of course, because Charlie Weis continues to struggle at Notre Dame. You just know that if Notre Dame could trade Weis for Meyer, they'd do it in a heartbeat.
If you're the Fighting Irish, you must have a short list of candidates in mind if you do make a coaching change. And if you're the Fighting Irish, Urban Meyer absolutely has to top that list.
Without question... you take Urban Meyer over Charlie Weis seven days a week and twice on Sunday. There's no comparison in what the two have accomplished. Meyer's cabinet was arguably more full than Weis's; however, you can never question the talent level at Notre Dame. It's Notre freakin' Dame.
And make no mistake... it still is Notre freakin' Dame -- the #1 coaching job in college football, period. Meyer could win 5 national championships in Gainesville... and UF will never be Notre Dame, ever.
Kerasotis explains that Notre Dame's dream coach -- Meyer -- longs for his dream job -- Notre Dame. Can a move be far off?
For what it's worth, I discussed the topic yesterday with Buddy Martin, author of "Urban's Way." Buddy's gotten closer to Meyer than any journalist I know, and he reiterated to me that "Notre Dame is Urban's first love."
Will it be his last love?
Martin said he doesn't see Meyer coaching the Gators beyond the length of his current contract, which has five years remaining.
Me?
I don't see him lasting that long.
One word of advise to Notre Dame: Take that big truck full of money and back it up at Meyer's doorstep. Give him the keys to the castle. Let him thrown down green uniforms any time he wants.
Whatever it takes... he's worth it.
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Posted By
Troy Scudder in the Tree City
On
12/1/2009 12:45:46 AM
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