It’s unfortunate, but every college football program makes a bad coaching hire from time to time. In a recent article released by CBS Sports national college reporter John Talty, he compiled a list of the worst head coaching hires this century on the college level.
Included on that list were two former Notre Dame head coaches, Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis. Both coaches had their struggles while in South Bend, the former more than the latter. The positive news for Fighting Irish fans, however, is that neither coach was on the list for their time with Notre Dame.
For Willingham, he was included during his time with the Washington Huskies from 2005-08. Here is what Talty had to say about Willingham.
6. Ty Willingham, Washington
Record: 11-37
By all accounts Ty Willingham is a good man who cares about his players. But Washington giving him another prominent job so soon after his failed Notre Dame stint felt foolish in the moment and only aged worse from there. Willingham flamed out spectacularly in Seattle, never posted a winning season and ended his time with the lowlight of an 0-12 final season in 2008.
Following Weis’ time in South Bend, he spent some time with the Kansas Jayhawks from 2012-14 after being off the sideline for several years. That tenure could be defined as an utter disaster. Here’s why Weis was included on the list.
5. Charlie Weis, Kansas
Record: 6-22
Another failed Notre Dame coach who got a bounce-back opportunity that ended horribly. It’s not simply the ghastly 6-22 (1-18 in Big 12) record in two-and-a-half seasons that lands Weis on this list. He also deserves extra blame for a JUCO-heavy recruiting approach that left Kansas hamstrung for years afterward. Weis went with the quick-fix approach, it blew up in his face and it took one of the game’s best coaches (Lance Leipold) to finally deliver Kansas’ first winning season more than a decade after Weis’ arrival.
With head coach Marcus Freeman entrenched as one of the very best coaches in college football, Notre Dame fans will not have to worry about a coaching change any time soon, hopefully. Reading about some past coaching hires does make you appreciate Coach Freeman even more. Fighting Irish fans are blessed to have such a great coach, and person leading the program.
