OT: Ty Willingham deserves some props

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

With the exception of a few redshirt and true freshmen, every key player on the Notre Dame roster was recruited by Willingham himself.

This reminds me a lot of the Bucs with Gruden leading Dungy's team to the Super Bowl.

Ty has been mentioned a few times during games but not nearly enough.

Congrats, Ty, you built a great football team, Charlie just taught them how to win. Notre Dame is back and you're a big reason why.

 

[BelichickFan]

Willingham and Dungy have one thing in common - they didn't win. They're mediocre coaches.

 

[QuiGon]

With the exception of a few redshirt and true freshmen, every key player on the Notre Dame roster was recruited by Willingham himself.

This reminds me a lot of the Bucs with Gruden leading Dungy's team to the Super Bowl.

Ty has been mentioned a few times during games but not nearly enough.

Congrats, Ty, you built a great football team, Charlie just taught them how to win. Notre Dame is back and you're a big reason why.

I agree Ty deserves some credit for Notre Dame's Return to Glory, but I don't see why Dungy deserves any credit for Tampa Bay's Super Bowl. He didn't build that team and they got better the year he left. If anything, it kind of was like a slap in the face.

 

[patchick]

I'm not so sure. I heard an interview with Pete Carroll recently where he said that this year he found himself going head-to-head with Notre Dame for the most coveted recruits, whereas the Irish had been a non-factor in recent years. This year's freshman class at ND is supposed to be head and shoulders above any of Willingham's.

So maybe Willingham had a terrific talent for spotting unheralded diamonds in the rough. Or maybe Weis can just take your'n and beat his'n.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

I'm not so sure. I heard an interview with Pete Carroll recently where he said that this year he found himself going head-to-head with Notre Dame for the most coveted recruits, whereas the Irish had been a non-factor in recent years. This year's freshman class at ND is supposed to be head and shoulders above any of Willingham's.

So maybe Willingham had a terrific talent for spotting unheralded diamonds in the rough. Or maybe Weis can just take your'n and beat his'n.

Oh absolutely, Weis and the success Notre Dame is having is definately bringing the top recruits back to Notre Dame, I'm not disputing that.

You look though at the Irish right now and they have a lot of great players that Ty brought in. He didn't have a ton of 5-star blue chips but a lot of 3-star and 4-star guys that have developed into studs.

My point was that Ty brought a lot of good players to Notre Dame. Weis made them great.

 

[mcsully]

Wait a second here.. Ty deserves little or no credit. ND was a top 10 recruiter every year for the best recruites.. have to find the link but actually his tenure at ND had lower recruitment rankings from the previous years..
Players didn't come to ND to play For TY.. They came because of the NAME.. Now Charlie Weiss gets the players to come for him, his contacts to the pro's and the ND name (not in that order)

ND will always get the solid prospects but now Weiss is bringing in the big boys (the top highschool QB) and getting them to play like winners..
Ty was a bad decision for ND and thankfully they made the right decision to move on..

I know we are trying to change the threads from branch to something else but come on!

 

[PonyExpress]

I don't believe the talent at Notre Dame is top notch- yet. It will become so in the next year or two. To my eyes (which are nearsighted and have no expertise in these matters) Simardja does not appear to be a first day NFL talent, nor does Darius Walker. The more I see of Quinn, the more I question his pocket poise and accuracy. Last year's team produced only two first day draft picks, Fasano in the 2nd and Stovall at the end of the third, not indicative of a talent laden program. Basically, I think Charlie's pulling a rabbit out of a hat and the wool over everyone's eyes, and only come '07-'09 will ND become USC caliber in talent. It's a testament to Charlie's coaching and not Willingham's recruiting skills, which were notoriously lackluster.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

With the exception of a few redshirt and true freshmen, every key player on the Notre Dame roster was recruited by Willingham himself.

This reminds me a lot of the Bucs with Gruden leading Dungy's team to the Super Bowl.

Ty has been mentioned a few times during games but not nearly enough.

Congrats, Ty, you built a great football team, Charlie just taught them how to win. Notre Dame is back and you're a big reason why.

Coach Tummy Tuck is getting all the credit. He's basically moving the pieces that Willingham got. Its a shame they chickened out of playing Boston College when they realized they couldn't beat them. Used to be one of the best games of the year.