December 3, 2004

Race has nothing to do with Notre Dame football

By Matthew May
Tyrone Willingham, who happens to be black, was fired this week from his position as head coach of football at the University of Notre Dame after serving three years of a five—year contract worth $15 million. Willingham, who happens to be black, was fired because the Irish have lagged on the field and in the recruiting battles over the past couple of years. He was fired because the Irish have failed to win enough games to land in a big money post—season bowl game. He was fired because the expectations at Notre Dame are absurdly high given the current climate of college football. He was fired because he failed to meet the expectations of his lucrative contract. He was fired despite his players excelling in the classroom, and despite bailing out Notre Dame when the coach hired before Willingham was dismissed for falsifying his resume. At Notre Dame, all of that is simply not enough. Willingham, who happens to be black, was not fired because he is black, though that is not...(Read Full Article)