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Tyrone Willingham makes football history as Notre Dame's first black head coach
Jet, Jan 21, 2002
Tyrone Willingham was not the University of Notre Dame's first choice to lead its legendary "Fighting" Irish.
But now that he has earned the coveted title of head coach at one of the nation's most celebrated football programs--and the added distinction of being the first Black head coach of any sport at Notre Dame--Willingham aims to prove he's the best choice for the formidable job at hand: returning the Irish to dominance in college football, a place the team hasn't been since it was ranked No. 2 at the end of the 1993 season.
"That's why I'm here. To reach that level of excellence that this university has always had. I believe it can be accomplished," said Willingham, 48, during a recent press conference at Notre Dame's campus in South Bend, IN.
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Willingham's confidence is what impressed Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White. In fact, Willingham, head football coach at Stanford University for the past seven seasons, was the first coach White had contacted after Notre Dame football coach Bob Davie was fired Dec. 2. But what probably impressed White most was Willingham's response to the news that Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary had been hired as the new Notre Dame football coach.
"Kevin, you're hiring the wrong guy," White recalled Willingham's words. "You need to hire me. You know you have to hire me."
Five days after O'Leary was hired, he resigned because of false statements on his resume about his academic and athletic background. White finally took Willingham's advice and signed the Stanford coach to a six-year deal, making him just one of four Black football coaches in Division I-A. The university declined to disclose financial terms. Willingham's agent, Ray Anderson, also would not reveal financial terms but said a $1.5 million-a-year salary cited by the South Bend Tribune was much more credible than an earlier report of $2 million to $3 million.
When asked how he felt about being Notre Dame's second choice, Willingham gave a simple reply.
"The way that I will address it, is to win," he said.
And based on his experience and solid record, it seems like Willingham will make good on his promise. A 1977 graduate of Michigan State University, Willingham served 18 years as an assistant coach on the collegiate and professional level, including three seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, before he was named head coach at Stanford University.
During his stint at Stanford, Willingham went 44-36-1 and took the Cardinals to four Bowl games, including the team's first Rose Bowl appearance in 28 years, and his 2001 Stanford team produced the best record of his seven seasons with a 9-3 overall mark and a berth in the Seattle Bowl. Willingham also won two Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year Awards, becoming the only Stanford coach to earn that honor twice.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
