Irish criticized by board member
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame mishandled the firing of Tyrone Willingham as football coach and is not doing a good job in its search for his replacement, board of trustees member Dave Duerson said Friday.
Duerson, a former defensive back for the Irish and the Chicago Bears, told Chicago radio station WSCR-AM there are bigger problems at Notre Dame than the football team’s struggles.
“With all the other things going on at the university, the least of the problems was wins and losses,” he said. “There’s greater dissension in some other things at the university that need to be corrected and dealt with.”
Duerson said he could not be more specific because of his obligations as a trustee. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment Friday at Duerson’s home in Lincolnshire, Ill.
Duerson said trustees were not consulted — but should have been — before Willingham was fired Nov. 30 after the Irish went 21-15 in his three years as coach.
“As we all see, it’s left quite a black eye on the university,” Duerson said. “It should have involved the entire board. We should have at least been involved in the discussion instead of the blind-sided nature in which it was handled.”
Duerson’s son, Tregg, is a freshman attending Notre Dame on a football scholarship.
Duerson is the second high-profile university official to speak out against the firing. The Rev. Edward Malloy, retiring as university president on June 30, said he not only was opposed to the firing but was embarrassed by the school’s decision to depart from its normal practice of giving a coach five years.
University spokesman Matt Storin said Friday there was disagreement over the decision to fire Willingham.
“But I can tell you that the university administration is strongly united in the search for a new coach and we’re nearing the conclusion of that process,” he said.
Duerson also questioned those in charge of the search for a new coach, saying they are the same group responsible for hiring George O’Leary three years ago. O’Leary was fired after five days, when the school learned he lied on his biographical background, and Willingham was hired.