ESPN.com - Willingham out to restore ND's image

ESPN.com: NCF Preview 02

Thursday, August 15, 2002
Updated: August 18, 2:46 PM ET
Willingham out to restore ND's image

By Alan Grant
ESPN The Magazine

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Right this minute, tradition-rich Notre Dame is fighting to establish itself in the hip hop generation of college football. And their struggle is set to an old school beat. To borrow a line from eighties rap anthem "You Got Soul," -- "It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at."

Preseason polls tell you exactly where Notre Dame is -- unranked and unknown. There was a time when being from Notre Dame meant grand association -- 11 national titles, seven Heisman Trophy winners and one legendary mystique. But in recent years, the Fighting Irish have found themselves battling mediocrity. In addition to a 5-6 finish last year, Notre Dame hasn't finished a season ranked in the Top 10 since '93. In fact, on four separate occasions ('94, '97, '99 and '01) they finished the season completely unranked.


	Willingham was 21-15 in three seasons at Notre Dame.

As if being invisible on the field isn't painful enough, last September four players became all too visible off of it. Donald Dykes, Abram Elam, Justin Smith, and Lorenzo Crawford were accused of taking part in the gang rape of a 20-year-old female student. All four have been expelled from school. It was yet another sign that the school, whose team plays in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus, craved a new spiritual leader.

Enter Tyrone Willingham. Deeply spiritual and fiercely disciplined, his penchant for profound anecdotes has already garnered him the name "Prophet Ty" among his players. Willingham sums up his first 100 days in office with an excerpt from the sixth chapter of Mark. "When those disciples were sitting in the boat and the sea was calm, they didn't need Jesus, did they?" he said. "But when the storm hit, that's when they needed leadership."

Willingham needed to exert that leadership after junior tailback Julius Jones was expelled from the team. Notre Dame's leading rusher (718 yards in 2001) and most consistent offensive performer, Jones was less consistent in the classroom. As a result, he's academically ineligible to play this season, but may apply for reinstatement next season.

Sure, there are five top twenty teams on the schedule, but image is everything in South Bend. Willingham's view is more optimistic than ex-coach Bob Davie's was. When the Notre Dame faithful questioned Davie's commitment to tradition, he accused fans and alumni of "living in the past."

Willingham sums up his first 100 days in office with an excerpt from the sixth chapter of Mark. 'When those disciples were sitting in the boat and the sea was calm, they didn't need Jesus, did they? But when the storm hit, that's when they needed leadership.'

But Willingham is quick to grasp the Notre Dame tradition because of what he accomplished at his last job. After leading Stanford to four bowl games, including its first Rose Bowl in 28 years, Willingham is a firm believer that winning and academic achievement are not mutually exclusive properties. After the freshmen finished their second practice, Willingham had the players attend an academic workshop. "Of course I want to win, but I also care about the quality and character of these young men," he says.

Willingham has applied his own interpretation to some other long standing Irish traditions, though. He declined to appoint team captains prior to the season. Seeking leadership from as many players as possible, Willingham has elected to use different captains for each game. And any divisions within the squad were quickly eliminated when the players got their rooming assignments this summer. For preseason camp, defensive players will room with offensive players. Says senior safety Gerome Sapp, "It's just his way of making us into more of a team."

Willingham's way of making the Irish a modern team is to make the West Coast Offense, not the option, the focal point of their attack. The last four years, Willingham's Stanford teams averaged over 30 points and more than 400 yards per game. Junior wideout Omar Jenkins, who had only seven catches last year, says the quick decision passing game is just as demanding on the legs as it is the brain. "The receivers have never had to run this much before," he says.

But Willingham has stated that the Irish will still incorporate some form of the option into their attack. One reason is to marshal the talents of quarterback Carlyle Holiday, easily the best athlete Willingham has ever had at the position. His other reason is to keep opposing defenses honest. "You want just enough of it to keep the offense balanced and to keep the defense from cheating," says Willingham.

There was one other way in which Willingham denied Notre Dame's opponents an edge. Last April, he decided the annual Blue and Gold spring football game would not be televised. The yearly game has been a sacred ritual in that Notre Dame fans get to see their team before anyone else does. No Irish coach in recent memory had ever dared to do such a thing. But in keeping with his ardently private nature, Willingham didn't want opposing coaches to do what he once had -- use that game as a scouting tool. While at Stanford, Willingham studied the video and his less talented Cardinal took three of five games from the Irish.

But Irish fans didn't need to watch the team in April to know where this team was headed in August. At the Hammes bookstore, located just 250 yards from the practice field, they've already made their expectations known. The most popular item on sale is a bright green t-shirt with the words Return to Glory emblazoned in gold. The Irish haven't forgotten where they're from. And they sure as hell don't plan to stay where they're at.

Alan Grant is a senior reporter for ESPN The Magazine.