“Anybody playing Notre Dame,” is an answer that always works for me.
Although, between 2002 until midway through the 2004 seasons, my dislike for the Fighting Irish was put on hold.
After gaining acclaim at Stanford University, Ty Willingham was named Notre Dame’s first Black coach Dec. 31, 2001.
Willingham won his first eight games and would finish the 2002 season with 10 wins. He became the only Notre Dame coach to win 10 games in his first season, which Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian or Dan Devine accomplished. USC fielded one of college football’s greatest teams that year and blasted the Irish 44–13 in the regular season finale. North Carolina State beat Notre Dame 28–6 in the Gator Bowl.
Willingham lasted until the middle of 2004, posting an overall 21-15 record before he was fired. It was easy to turn on the Notre Dame hate faucet again.
The Irish were eager to hire New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. He went 35-27 and received a huge contract extension Notre Dame was paying off for years after being fired in 2009.
Fast forward to 2021.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly accepted the same position at LSU Dec. 3, and just as he did when he bolted from Cincinnati to South Bend, Indiana in 2010, he wasn’t man enough to tell his team until they found out through media reports.
I never could get with Kelly after he fled his undefeated Cincinnati team before its bowl game in early 2011. His Notre Dame destination intensified my dislike for its football program.
But Kelly did something I have to acknowledge favorably. Earlier this season, he said during an interview that Irish defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman “was going to be the next head coach.” Kelly didn’t say Freeman would be Notre Dame’s next head coach.
Maybe it was a hint that Kelly was going elsewhere, but it was obvious he has a profound respect for Freeman. Kelly wanted Freeman to join him as defensive coordinator at LSU. From all reports, Freeman turned Kelly down with no guarantee he would be promoted to Irish head coach.
Freeman was named Notre Dame head coach last weekend. The Notre Dame negativity is now on hold.
At a press conference Monday, Freeman said it was a tremendous honor to become Notre Dame’s 30 and thanked its president, Father John Jenkins, and Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick for the opportunity.
When asked about recruiting, Freeman said he would be different than the departed Kelly.
“I better be the lead recruiter in every kid that we recruit, and I plan on doing it,” he said. Kelly rankled some Irish fans because he was no longer as active on the recruiting trail.
Kelly will make his head coaching debut on Jan. 1, 2022, when Notre Dame takes on Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
Go Irish!
Hamilton and history
The finish line for Formula 1 superstar driver Lewis Hamilton is all on the line.
Mercedes seven-time champion Hamilton won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Dec. 5, leaving him tied with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen in championship points for the season. It set up a historic, fastest driver take-all situation at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday.
Hamilton would surpass Michael Schumacher, the retired German legend, with eight titles if he wins. This would be Verstappen’s first.
A month ago, it looked as though Hamilton’s dream of a record eighth title would have to wait until 2022.
A three-race win streak has him tied with Verstappen and momentum in his garage.
Hamilton is applying the brakes on his concern with Verstappen’s driving tactics. He called his rival “(bleeping) crazy,” after their cars swiped in Sunday’s race.
“From my understanding, I know that I can’t overtake someone and go off track and then keep the position, but I think that’s well known between all us drivers – but it doesn’t apply to one of us, I guess,” Hamilton said.
I’ll be up early Sunday to see every second of this showdown.
