The Transit of Gruden

In the history of college football there has been no other university that has captured the hearts and minds of young and old alike as the University of Notre Dame. Since the inception of the University’s football program in 1887, the Irish have won twelve national championships along with numerous individual awards won by its players, which includes seven Heisman Award winners. The names Rockne, Hornung, Leahy, Theisman, Parseghian, Montana, Holtz, and Brown all exemplify the heights one can attain when like-minded individuals gather together beneath the banner of hard work and dedication. This hard work and dedication has not only produced a world-renowned program, but a program that has molded its players into individuals that are successful in football and life the same. Fast forwarding from that first national championship in 1924 to present day, one would conclude that the Irish have fallen upon times of mediocrity and bear little resemblance to the Irish teams of old.

Throughout Notre Dame’s prestigious history, the Irish have had their eyes set on one thing at the beginning of each season, winning the national championship. It would now appear that the Irish have been reduced to focusing on their annual rivalry against the USC Trojans. While Notre Dame makes its way through yet another disappointing season, there are reports in the sports world that should have Irish ears perking up. Let me reiterate, should. These reports are of the University of Louisville and the Washington Redskins seeking out Jon Gruden to fill their head coaching position. Should not Notre Dame be among the list of potential candidates to obtain such a high quality coach? Gruden could be a tremendous asset to a team that can honestly say that it has seen better days. With his energetic coaching and relentless work ethic, Jon Gruden has proven himself as one of the premier young coaches of the NFL.

The obvious question to be asked is: How long will the golden domers fail to realize the opportunity that is before them? During the rush to fill the coaching position at Notre Dame in December 2001, fact and fiction ran amuck with the list of candidates and potential candidates that could have filled the position. Jon Gruden, then coaching the Oakland Raiders, was reportedly looking for greener pasture in coaching football. As it so happened, it seemed the Irish had speedily filled the position with former University of Georgia Tech head coach, George O’Leary. Shortly thereafter it was reported that discrepancies were found on Coach O’Leary’s resume to which the University asked for his resignation. Once again in their mad rush to fill the position, the university hired Tyrone Willingham instead of investigating all other potential candidates. Rushing to fill such a position would lead one to believe that priorities had become skewed. Although the head coaching vacancy was short lived, the lack of a national championship now spans twenty-one years. The first season with Willingham at the helm spawned hope in Irish fans as the Irish were undefeated in their first eight games and ended the season with a record of 10-3. Two years later, after a dismal 2004 season, the Irish had decided to fire Willingham.

The Irish replaced Coach Willingham with a coach that had NFL experience, Charlie Weis. Weis, who was formally an offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, upon his arrival, was quoted as saying the Irish would now have a “decided schematic advantage” over their opponents. It now seemed that whatever was ailing Notre Dame would be remedied by one who not only had assisted the Patriots in three Super Bowl victories but would now bring NFL philosophies and tactics to the college ranks. With two victories under his belt into his first season, Coach Weis was handed his first loss from the Michigan State Spartans. It wasn’t until the close loss to the USC Trojans that Notre Dame faithful had concluded that their conquering king had returned home. Once again, the university in their great haste, rushed to extend the contract of Coach Weis just seven games into his first season. Could it be, were the Irish now settling for a candidate who could give them a close defeat instead of the glorious victory they were accustomed to? For a better tale of the tape, let’s look at the first three season records of Coach Weis and his predecessors, Coach Willingham, and Coach Davie.

With similar first three season records, neither Coach Davie, nor Coach Willingham had a season as Coach Weis did in 2007, which found the Irish with a record of 3-9. With another mediocre season underway in 2009, should not the haste which prodded the Irish to obtain Coach Weis now be used to pursue Jon Gruden? If now is not the opportune time for a coach with promise, when is? Of course you will have the pundits offering why Jon Gruden would be a bad pick for the University of Notre Dame. The arguments will range anywhere from “Gruden obtains success from riding the coat tails of other successful coaches” to “Gruden desires a stable of quarterbacks, which he would not have in the realm of college football.” I’ve even heard one Irish fan describe what a debacle it would be, having Gruden in a potential recruit’s home, due to his fiery temper. The Irish fan then asked the question, “What would be the reason for bringing Jon Gruden to Notre Dame?” The answer is quite simple, the confidence of youth.

At thirty-four years of age Jon Gruden stepped into a position that would make most veteran coaches cringe, the thankless head coaching position for the Oakland Raiders. Well known to any pro football fan is the fact that the words micro-management and Al Davis are synonymous with one another. With this being Gruden’s first head coaching job in the NFL, there was little hope to surpass the previous three losing seasons. Determined to let his relentless work ethic silence the naysayers; Gruden quickly went to work, turning a team around that had a record from the three previous seasons of 19-29 to an AFC Championship game in only his third season.

The eyes of the NFL world were now closely following the young phenom coach. A coach that now ranks third in highest winning percentages in a class of twelve within the Raiders organization. Only John Madden and Tom Flores have higher winning percentages. Just as quickly as Gruden arrived, he had now departed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gruden in his first season as head coach for the Buccaneers accomplished a feat that most coaches only dream of, a Super Bowl victory. The argument that Gruden rode into the Super Bowl on the coat tails of the previous coach holds no validity, as the previous coach could not accomplish the task in six seasons with the franchise. Winning the Super Bowl in your first year as head coach is an accomplishment unto itself, but beating the opposing team that you built from the ground up in the Super Bowl is an accomplishment that few, if any, have ever achieved. If Super Bowl XXXVII was a crime scene, then Jon Gruden’s DNA was everywhere.

Now that we have come full circle, only one question remains within the minds of the Irish faithful, when will the return to glory begin? Only time will tell if Notre Dame has grown wiser or if they are doomed to let history repeat itself. I think the general consensus with the given facts issues only one statement. With Jon Gruden as head coach, the sky is the limit. Instead of joining the ranks of “what might have been” pursue the one candidate that will have a lasting positive impact upon your program. The “what ifs” of sports history are plentiful. What if Babe Ruth would have stayed in Boston? What if Michael Jordan hadn’t retired in 1993? What if Barry Sanders had not retired in 1999? Will the Irish fans of the future be asking, "What if?"

In closing, a rare event of great significance occurs within the world of astronomy in what many consider a celestial event of note. Approximately every 105 to 120 years, the event known as the transit of Venus takes place. Astronomers both novice and expert alike are well aware of this rare opportunity of observance that may happen at most, twice within a person’s lifespan. To the majority of the world this would not rank as news of importance, but to the keen observer of the heavens it presents itself as a rare gem. This celestial body is easily seen most evenings or early mornings with the unaided eye and then a strange event happens. The rare transit occurs for those who cannot see the forest for the trees, as if to say, “You couldn’t see the obvious in the night sky, so l will give you a rare glimpse in broad daylight.” What is the lesson learned from the transit of Venus? You ask. Whenever you have an opportunity to possibly obtain a coach of the caliber of Jon Gruden, you show fervency in attempting to secure his services. This could very well be the University of Notre Dame’s proverbial transit of Venus, or as I like to think of it, the transit of Gruden. Will Notre Dame capitalize on the opportunity before them or continue in its downtrodden ways? Only time will tell.