Priority check

Sporting News, The, Feb 3, 1997 by Teddy Greenstein

On November 24, the day he was awarded the hottest seat in college coaching,Bob Davie laid out his priorities at Not;,e Dame. First, he would meet with all the current players individually. Second, he would concentrate on rounding out his coaching staff. Third, he would recruit.

Third? At Notre Dame, recruiting is treated as a varsity sport. Every Tom, Dick and Knute will tell you that. The Internet is flooded with sites that spew rumors the way Detroit produces cars.

Nevertheless, Davie explained his list by saying, "Recruiting is critical, but I'd rather have a greet coach than a great player. You can develop players."

Davie hasn't backed off. In mid-January, he told more than 1,100 fans at a Notre Dame Club of Chicago gathering: "We don't have to have all the blue-chippers. We're looking for guys who, when they walk across campus from the Basilica to the football stadium, will have tears in their eyes."

That statement may have brought tears to Irish fans. Some posted notes on the `net questioning Davie's sanity. They, like most other college football observers, can't help but wonder what effect Davie's hiring will have on recruiting.

"It's the most intriguing question right now," says Allen Wallace, publisher of SuperPrep, a national recruiting publication. "It's not even close."

To match the success of his predecessor, Lou Holtz, Davie will have to tap his bountiful charm Holtz was criticized for his conservative offense and doublespeak, but even the most fervent Notre Dame critics acknowledged his recruiting prowess.

"Kids were impressed because Lou was such a powerful figure," Wallace says. "But a lot of kids like Davie because he's not such a dictator. He comes across as an easygoing guy."

The early returns on Davie's first recruiting class have been mixed. After a sluggish start, Notre Dame is on the verge of landing what could be a top 10 class as National Signing Day approaches Wednesday Still, of Notre Dame's first 14 oral commitments, only five could be considered blue-chippers: running back Cooper Rego of Montvale, N.J.; offensive lineman Kurt Vollers of Anaheim, Calif.; cornerback Ron Israel of Haddon Heights, N.J.; tight end/defensive end Jabari Holloway of Tyrone, Gal; and linebacker Grant Irons of The Woodlands, Texas.

More surprising than who the Irish hadn't gotten was who they had. Joey Getherall, a wide receiver from Bishop Amat High in La Puente, Calif., is said to have legitimate 4.3 speed. But he's also 5-8, weighs 160 pounds and was not offered a scholarship by USC or UCLA.

Two other recruits seemed to get the nod at least in part because of family connections. Andy Wisne, brother of current Irish offensive lineman Jerry Wisne, is a defensive lineman from Tulsa, Okla., who runs no better than a 4.99 40 and was considered a "B" list prospect by Notre Dame until December. Then there's John Jordan, a 6-1, 270-pounder who played at Andover Academy in Massachusetts. Notre Dame was one of very few Division I schools to show interest. Perhaps this will help explain: Jordan's father, also named John, is an Irish alumnus who has given generously to his alma mater.

Davie--who, like all coaches, isn't allowed to comment on recruits until after the ink dries on signing day--expressed no concern over his perceived sluggish start. "We slowed the recruiting process down so that we had a clear evaluation of each kid," he says. "We've pushed it back to the last two (recruiting) weekends. Really, it's gone great."

Then he smiles.

"I wish I had more than 20 scholarships to give."

Davie expects to benefit from his school's decision to turn down bids to the Copper and Independence bowls. The decision gave Davie and his staff more time to visit living rooms, and it also allowed current Irish players to brag to visiting recruits that Notre Dame doesn't settle for anything less than the best. Davie also used the extra time to hire two coordinators. Former Purdue coach Jim Colletto will run the offense and former Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will draw up the defense. Though Colletto is viewed as an "X's and O's" coach, Mattison was considered Michigan's top recruiter for his ability to lure Texans north.

"(Mattison has) a real good personality, and he's very aggressive," says Phil Grosz of Recruiting. "Davie made a great move by hiring him."

Midwest recruiting analyst Tom Lemming criticized Davie for not trying to retain former Irish offensive coordinator Dave Roberts, who became coach at Baylor. Roberts is viewed as one of the nation's top recruiters; without him, Lemming says, Notre Dame's past two recruiting classes would have been comparable to those of Purdue or Minnesota. Lemming also says many top recruits canceled visits to South Bend after Roberts departed.

But Wallace isn't as harsh: "It's absurd to think that one coach will make or break the Irish. Notre Dame recruits itself better than any place in the country."

Before joining Notre Dame in 1994, Davie spent nine years as defensive coordinator et Texas A&M. His defenses--run by players he recruited and schemes he designed--consistently were among the nation's best. Since taking over at Notre Dame, Davie says he has been received warmly on the road. And he dismisses speculation that top players have lost interest in Notre Dame.