So if you're Notre Dame who do you try to get as head coach

[Eja117]

In no order whatsoever I call...



Pete Carroll ...if you can't beat em, hire me

Urban Meyer....you're losing Tebow, we're losing our coach, we have a WAD of cash. Perfect fit!

Bill Belichek...the Saints just called. They have your pride and your manhood. Do you want it back? Become a legend at Notre Dame

Mike Shanahan...we'll let you recruit Jack Elway

Bill Cowher....cmooonnnnn

Bobby Bowden...NOT!

Mack Brown....Texas is too hot and Colt McCoy is leaving. Come to ND

Coach K from Duke....desperate times call for desperate measures

Mike Holmgren...but not for lots of money. Incentive based contract.

Brian Billick...see Holmgren

the coach of Boise St....incentive based contract

Frank Spatziani of BC.....has some general idea of how to succeed at a Catholic school with high academic standards without phenomenal players

Mike Tomlin...we treated our last black head coach just soooo well that I'm sure he has good things to say about us

Joe Montana....he could probably get his son Nick to switch his commitment.

[Roy Hobbs]

The problem is that I don't think a lot of coaches are going to leave good situations to go to a mess at Notre Dame. 

I think the Brian Kelly (coach of Cincy) speculation makes a lot of sense.

[Eja117]

It just strikes me odd that they have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a coach. Not to say that's what the Cincy guy is, but still.  It's a major major coaching job. It has to be considered top 10 in a bad year.

I agree Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, etc they have virtually no shot, but a handful of those guys I mentioned are out of work right now and could be interested in NFL pay without doing NFL work.

[Chris]

It just strikes me odd that they have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a coach. Not to say that's what the Cincy guy is, but still.  It's a major major coaching job. It has to be considered top 10 in a bad year.

I agree Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, etc they have virtually no shot, but a handful of those guys I mentioned are out of work right now and could be interested in NFL pay without doing NFL work.

It is one of the most prestigious, and least attractive coaching jobs in the country.  On the one hand, anyone who turns around this Notre Dame program is going to be considered a god...but on the other hand, I am not sure it is really possible to turn around this program.  With their academic standards, ridiculous schedule, and less kids caring about the history of Notre Dame football as much as sun and hot co-eds, anyone who takes on the job is almost destined to fail.  And for these coaches who are already near the top of their profession, it would be a long fall down.

Ultimately, their best hope is to hire an up and coming coach with a big ego, who thinks he can be the one to prove everyone wrong and turn the program around. 

edit: in rereading your post, I am intrigued by the whole "NFL pay without doing NFL work" thing.  It makes me wonder which jobs is harder work.  Is it the NFL, or College?

While college has limits to practices, and off-season stuff, there also is the whole recruiting thing, which is a full-time job in itself. 

I think a great coach who would be up all night looking at film in the NFL would do the same in college (and vice versa). 

Ultimately, I think the biggest difference between college and the pros is whether you prefer to deal with convincing kids to play for you, spending a lot of time talking to their parents, and trying to sell them on yourself and your program...or would you rather have to deal with a bunch of millionaire prima donnas who think they don't need to listen to you? 

[Eja117]

It just strikes me odd that they have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a coach. Not to say that's what the Cincy guy is, but still.  It's a major major coaching job. It has to be considered top 10 in a bad year.

I agree Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, etc they have virtually no shot, but a handful of those guys I mentioned are out of work right now and could be interested in NFL pay without doing NFL work.

It is one of the most prestigious, and least attractive coaching jobs in the country.  On the one hand, anyone who turns around this Notre Dame program is going to be considered a god...but on the other hand, I am not sure it is really possible to turn around this program.  With their academic standards, ridiculous schedule, and less kids caring about the history of Notre Dame football as much as sun and hot co-eds, anyone who takes on the job is almost destined to fail.  And for these coaches who are already near the top of their profession, it would be a long fall down.

Ultimately, their best hope is to hire an up and coming coach with a big ego, who thinks he can be the one to prove everyone wrong and turn the program around. 

I totally see what you're saying but ND has at least a few things going for them. Deeeeep pockets.  They can usually recruit well. They got Jimmy Clausen for example.

And to me the downside isn't there for some guys. You show up. If you fail you pocket like $20million and just become the latest big guy that failed. If you succeed you get the money anyway and become a legend.

It may not be great for a relatively young guy like Urban Meyer or Josh McDaniel or Pete Carroll or Mike Tomlin or Bill Cowher, who still have a lot of football left in them.

But maybe for a guy who wants to have one last shot and ride into the sunset. A guy who already has a ton of money.  A Mike Shanahan. Even a Belichek. Not that I expect Belichek to do it at all but if Brady were retiring or something I could see a guy like that.  Or just a guy that needs a break or something. Like Mike Holmgren. The guy has been an NFL head coach forever. The college guys have it just a weee bit easier but Notre Dame still pays NFL money

And for some guys what else are they going to do? If you're Frank Spaziani I don't think he wants to be a lifer at BC. He's not going to be hired by Texas, Florida, USC, etc. Tom O'Brien had the most wins by a BC coach ever and he had to go to NC State.

I think Roy has a point with the Cincy guy, but I don't know about that.

[Chris]

The only NFL guy I could see going to Notre Dame (and its a match made in heaven) would be Tom Coughlin.

ND would absolutely love him, and he has had success in College before going to the NFL. 

[Eja117]

The only NFL guy I could see going to Notre Dame (and its a match made in heaven) would be Tom Coughlin.

ND would absolutely love him, and he has had success in College before going to the NFL. 

Excellent suggestion

[soap07]

No love for Gruden?

[Eja117]

No love for Gruden?

He's a good idea.  I wish I had thought of that


but NO love for Denny Green or Jim Fassell. I am just not into those guys

[Chris]

No love for Gruden?

Why would he do it?  He has a sweet gig right now.  He is a pro coach, and not a college coach.  And I really don't think a college job is no easier than pro...particularly one with the pressure of ND.

[Eja117]

In some ways I'm shocked we're having this conversation. It's like if we were arguing that being the Yankees manager, or coaching at Kentucky or Duke or UNC or the Lakers or the Celtics isn't really that great a job.


To me when you become a coach you do it specifically in the hopes of one day maybe getting that job.

I can't believe that these guys aren't competitive enough with big enough egos to be lured with a huge contract to coach a legend team. If I'm Notre Dame and I call a Jon Gruden and I'm like "$4mill to come to South Bend" and he's like "Wellll I dooonnn't knooww. I've got a good gig as a TV guy right now".  I'm like "We get it. Not man enough. We didn't realize you need daily testosterone shots." and I hang up and call someone else.

Seriously Pat Summit impresses me more than these guys by a lot. Call her. She'd do it. She popped out a baby on the recruiting trail.

Where do these guys think they're going to go? Stay in TV? The Buffalo Bills? USFL? 

The Notre Dame job is the single top job available right now or that will be. 

Maybe these guys can pull Spuriers and go to South Carolina or something. That was a great move, right?  Or they can try to pull a coach Jaggs.  I mean seriously. Do you want to coach football again Cowher, or do you want to go to your wife's Thurday nite crafts group next week?  What is it Holmgren? Notre Dame or Jenny Craig spokesman?

give me a break

[Chris]

In some ways I'm shocked we're having this conversation. It's like if we were arguing that being the Yankees manager, or coaching at Kentucky or Duke or UNC or the Lakers or the Celtics isn't really that great a job.


To me when you become a coach you do it specifically in the hopes of one day maybe getting that job.

I can't believe that these guys aren't competitive enough with big enough egos to be lured with a huge contract to coach a legend team. If I'm Notre Dame and I call a Jon Gruden and I'm like "$4mill to come to South Bend" and he's like "Wellll I dooonnn't knooww. I've got a good gig as a TV guy right now".  I'm like "We get it. Not man enough. We didn't realize you need daily testosterone shots." and I hang up and call someone else.

Seriously Pat Summit impresses me more than these guys by a lot. Call her. She'd do it. She popped out a baby on the recruiting trail.

Where do these guys think they're going to go? Stay in TV? The Buffalo Bills? USFL? 

The Notre Dame job is the single top job available right now or that will be. 

Maybe these guys can pull Spuriers and go to South Carolina or something. That was a great move, right?  Or they can try to pull a coach Jaggs.  I mean seriously. Do you want to coach football again Cowher, or do you want to go to your wife's Thurday nite crafts group next week?  What is it Holmgren? Notre Dame or Jenny Craig spokesman?

give me a break

This was true 20 years ago, but now it is nearly impossible to get the top talent to a school like ND, because of their academic standards.

While there are always going to be the blue-chip guys who have the grades, and really appreciate the history of ND enough to play there, there is not enough to compete with schools like Florida, Texas, LSU, Alabama, USC, and other schools that can draw kids because of the location, the number of guys they send to the NFL, and most importantly, they can get them in with bad grades and test scores.

So while ND is now getting 2-3 blue chippers, you have teams like USC getting 10 or 12. 

And the coaches know this (this is also a big reason why BC can't keep a coach BTW).

And we are not talking about guys who don't have other options.  John Gruden will be at the top of the list of several NFL teams if he decides he wants to coach again (I think he is very comfortable right now).

[Eja117]

In some ways I'm shocked we're having this conversation. It's like if we were arguing that being the Yankees manager, or coaching at Kentucky or Duke or UNC or the Lakers or the Celtics isn't really that great a job.


To me when you become a coach you do it specifically in the hopes of one day maybe getting that job.

I can't believe that these guys aren't competitive enough with big enough egos to be lured with a huge contract to coach a legend team. If I'm Notre Dame and I call a Jon Gruden and I'm like "$4mill to come to South Bend" and he's like "Wellll I dooonnn't knooww. I've got a good gig as a TV guy right now".  I'm like "We get it. Not man enough. We didn't realize you need daily testosterone shots." and I hang up and call someone else.

Seriously Pat Summit impresses me more than these guys by a lot. Call her. She'd do it. She popped out a baby on the recruiting trail.

Where do these guys think they're going to go? Stay in TV? The Buffalo Bills? USFL? 

The Notre Dame job is the single top job available right now or that will be. 

Maybe these guys can pull Spuriers and go to South Carolina or something. That was a great move, right?  Or they can try to pull a coach Jaggs.  I mean seriously. Do you want to coach football again Cowher, or do you want to go to your wife's Thurday nite crafts group next week?  What is it Holmgren? Notre Dame or Jenny Craig spokesman?

give me a break

This was true 20 years ago, but now it is nearly impossible to get the top talent to a school like ND, because of their academic standards.

While there are always going to be the blue-chip guys who have the grades, and really appreciate the history of ND enough to play there, there is not enough to compete with schools like Florida, Texas, LSU, Alabama, USC, and other schools that can draw kids because of the location, the number of guys they send to the NFL, and most importantly, they can get them in with bad grades and test scores.

So while ND is now getting 2-3 blue chippers, you have teams like USC getting 10 or 12. 

And the coaches know this (this is also a big reason why BC can't keep a coach BTW).

And we are not talking about guys who don't have other options.  John Gruden will be at the top of the list of several NFL teams if he decides he wants to coach again (I think he is very comfortable right now).

USC is a good school. UC Berkley is a very good school. Mich is a good school. PSU is good. BC is very good. Stanford is very very good. Northwestern is very very good. UCLA is very good. In basketball Duke and Georgetown are very good schools as is Cal and UCLA again.

Navy....now THAT is a school with serious academic standards and no recruits whatsoever.

If you don't take the coaching job at Notre Dame you are BANNED from ever watching Rudy again. BANNED!

[Finkelskyhook]

Can you imagine an 18 year old wanting to play for Gruden or Coughlin?.....Two guys with the disposition of a crocodile?

[Chris]

In some ways I'm shocked we're having this conversation. It's like if we were arguing that being the Yankees manager, or coaching at Kentucky or Duke or UNC or the Lakers or the Celtics isn't really that great a job.


To me when you become a coach you do it specifically in the hopes of one day maybe getting that job.

I can't believe that these guys aren't competitive enough with big enough egos to be lured with a huge contract to coach a legend team. If I'm Notre Dame and I call a Jon Gruden and I'm like "$4mill to come to South Bend" and he's like "Wellll I dooonnn't knooww. I've got a good gig as a TV guy right now".  I'm like "We get it. Not man enough. We didn't realize you need daily testosterone shots." and I hang up and call someone else.

Seriously Pat Summit impresses me more than these guys by a lot. Call her. She'd do it. She popped out a baby on the recruiting trail.

Where do these guys think they're going to go? Stay in TV? The Buffalo Bills? USFL? 

The Notre Dame job is the single top job available right now or that will be. 

Maybe these guys can pull Spuriers and go to South Carolina or something. That was a great move, right?  Or they can try to pull a coach Jaggs.  I mean seriously. Do you want to coach football again Cowher, or do you want to go to your wife's Thurday nite crafts group next week?  What is it Holmgren? Notre Dame or Jenny Craig spokesman?

give me a break

This was true 20 years ago, but now it is nearly impossible to get the top talent to a school like ND, because of their academic standards.

While there are always going to be the blue-chip guys who have the grades, and really appreciate the history of ND enough to play there, there is not enough to compete with schools like Florida, Texas, LSU, Alabama, USC, and other schools that can draw kids because of the location, the number of guys they send to the NFL, and most importantly, they can get them in with bad grades and test scores.

So while ND is now getting 2-3 blue chippers, you have teams like USC getting 10 or 12. 

And the coaches know this (this is also a big reason why BC can't keep a coach BTW).

And we are not talking about guys who don't have other options.  John Gruden will be at the top of the list of several NFL teams if he decides he wants to coach again (I think he is very comfortable right now).

USC is a good school. UC Berkley is a very good school. Mich is a good school. PSU is good. BC is very good. Stanford is very very good. Northwestern is very very good. UCLA is very good. In basketball Duke and Georgetown are very good schools as is Cal and UCLA again.

Navy....now THAT is a school with serious academic standards and no recruits whatsoever.

If you don't take the coaching job at Notre Dame you are BANNED from ever watching Rudy again. BANNED!

I think you are missing the point.  Being a "good school", and having lax standards for athletes are different. 

Players who get into USC, Michigan, or Penn State, would never stand a chance of getting into ND (or Stanford).  For most D-1 schools, football players have significantly lower standards to get in (and to stay eligible) than regular students.  However, at ND, football players are required to meet the exact same standards as every other student in the school.

This makes a HUGE difference.  Instead of recruiting from a group of a couple hundred blue chip recruits, they are recruiting from a group of maybe 20-30.  It makes it a lot tougher.