UW’s Willingham fell rapidly
Earlier success seen as misleading
SEATTLE – The honeymoon started perfectly – the integrity of Tyrone Willingham’s new regime meshing with the tradition expected at Notre Dame.
Willingham’s first season with the Fighting Irish in 2002 could not have played out much better: a 10-3 record; a bowl trip; a restoration of Notre Dame in the national conversation. The man who managed to win at Stanford was able to do the same with the Fighting Irish factory.
His coaching reputation in the six seasons since at Notre Dame and Washington – a collection of failures dictated in part by inexperience, disagreeable attitudes from players and substandard recruiting – has left Willingham on the cusp of a second firing in four years.
Willingham’s history revisits Saturday as the winless Huskies host Notre Dame, with the countdown clock accelerating toward the likely conclusion of Willingham’s Washington tenure. In a season destined to be make or break since last December’s announcement that he’d get a fourth season, Willingham is 0-6 and needs a huge turnaround in the final six weeks.
Even the coach asked to clean up what Willingham left behind at Notre Dame is contrite talking about his opponent this week.
“It’s important when you get involved in coaching to never wish bad on other coaches,” said Charlie Weis, Willingham’s replacement at Notre Dame.
Willingham’s fall is dramatic in its speed. He was honored by multiple organizations as national coach of the year in 2002 for becoming the only first-year coach in Notre Dame history to win 10 games.
Six years later, he’s become vilified by Washington fans and still resented by some in South Bend. Seattle fans are unwilling to accept his 11-31 record, despite bringing stability back to a program that was full of volatility after the messy divorce with former coach Rick Neuheisel.
In many ways, Willingham’s 10-3 first season at Notre Dame was misleading. Willingham inherited a talented defense that thrived for much of his first year.
“We just played great defense. Our offense was not the most productive that year, but we had an unbelievable defensive team that literally scored points,” Willingham said this week. “When you get your defense playing in that manner, it really helps everything.”
Then began Willingham’s slide. He was 11-12 in his final two years with Notre Dame and was fired after the 2004 campaign.
Willingham was given salvation at Washington, charged with restoring the integrity of a program in shambles after a 1-10 season in 2004. While few will argue with Willingham bringing stability and class back to Washington, there’s been no translation to the playing field. Too many recruiting misses, too many key injuries, and too much reliance this season on young and inexperienced players have handcuffed his chances.
The Huskies have lost six straight in each of Willingham’s four seasons in Seattle.