Notre Dame competes as an Independent
at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl
Championship Series coalition. It is an independent team, not affiliated with
any conference. The team plays its home games on Notre Dame's campus at Notre
Dame Stadium, with a capacity of 80,795. All home games are televised on NBC.
The Fighting Irish have 13
recognized national championships, tied for first out of all FBS schools in the
post-1900 era and tied for third all-time behind Princeton and Yale. A record
seven Notre Dame players have won the Heisman trophy (Ohio State won 7 trophies
with 6 players). Additionally, Notre Dame has produced an NCAA record 96
consensus All-Americans, and 32 unanimous All-Americans (more than any other
university).
History
The beginning (1887–1917)
American football did not have an
auspicious beginning at the University of Notre Dame. In their inaugural game
on November 23, 1887 the Irish lost to Michigan by a score of 8–0. Their first
win came in the final game of the 1888 season when the Irish defeated Harvard
Prep by a score of 20–0. At the end of the 1888 season they had a record of 1–3
with all three losses being at the hands of Michigan by a combined score of
43–9. Between 1887 and 1899 Notre Dame compiled a record of 31 wins, 15 losses,
and four ties against a diverse variety of opponents ranging from local high
school teams to other universities.
Notre Dame continued its success
near the turn of the century and achieved their first victory over Michigan in
1909 by the score of 11–3 after which Michigan refused to play Notre Dame again
for 33 years. By the end of the 1912 season they had amassed a record of 108
wins, 31 losses, and 13 ties.
Jesse Harper became head coach in
1913 and remained so until he retired in 1917. During his tenure the Irish
began playing only intercollegiate games and posted a record of 34 wins, five
losses, and one tie. This period would also mark the beginning of the rivalry
with Army and the continuation of rivalries with Michigan State.
In 1913, Notre Dame burst into
the national consciousness and helped to transform the collegiate game in a
single contest. In an effort to gain respect for a regionally successful but small-time
Midwestern football program, Harper scheduled games in his first season with
national powerhouses Texas, Penn State, and Army. On November 1, 1913, the
Notre Dame squad stunned the Black Knights of the Hudson 35–13 in a game played
at West Point. Led by quarterback Charles "Gus" Dorais and end (soon
to be legendary coach) Knute Rockne, the Notre Dame team attacked the Cadets
with an offense that featured both the expected powerful running game but also
long and accurate downfield forward passes from Dorais to Rockne. This game has
been miscredited as the "invention" of the forward pass but is
considered the first major contest in which a team used the forward pass
regularly throughout the game.
Rockne era (1918–1930)
Knute Rockne became head coach in
1918. Under Rockne the Irish would post a record of 105 wins, 12 losses, and
five ties. During his 13 years the Irish won three national championships, had
five undefeated seasons, won the Rose Bowl in 1925, and produced players such
as the "Four Horsemen". Knute Rockne has the highest win percentage
(.881) in football history, college or professional.
Among the events that occurred
during Rockne’s tenure none may be more famous than the Rockne’s Win one for
the Gipper speech. George "the Gipper" Gipp was a player on
Rockne’s earlier teams who died of strep throat in 1920. Army came into the
1928 matchup undefeated and was the clear favorite. Notre Dame, on the other
hand, was having their worst season under Rockne’s leadership and entered the
game with a 4–2 record. At the end of the half Army was leading and looked to
be in command of the game. Rockne entered the locker room and gave his account
of Gipp’s final words: "I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not
afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are going
wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go in there with all
they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then,
Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy." The speech inspired
the team and they went on to upset Army and win the game 12–6.
The last game Rockne coached was on
December 14, 1930 when he led a group of Notre Dame all-stars against the New
York Giants in New York City. The game raised funds for the Mayor's Relief
Committee for the Unemployed and Needy of the city. 50,000 fans turned out to
see the reunited "Four Horsemen" along with players from Rockne's
other championship teams take the field against the pros.
Rockne, aged 43, died in the
plane crash of TWA Flight 599 in Kansas on March 31, 1931, while on his way to
help in the production of the film The Spirit of Notre Dame. The crash
site, located in a remote expanse of Kansas known as the Flint Hills, now
features a Rockne Memorial. As Notre Dame's head coach from 1918 to 1930,
Rockne posted the all-time highest winning percentage (.881) for a football
coach, either college or professional. During his 13-year tenure as head coach
of the Fighting Irish, Rockne collected 105 victories, 12 losses, 5 ties and 3
national championships. Rockne also coached Notre Dame to 5 undefeated seasons
without a tie.
After Rockne (1931–1940)
Upon Rockne’s death Heartley
"Hunk" Anderson took the helm of the Irish leading them to a record
of 16 wins, nine losses, and two ties. Anderson was a former Irish player under
Rockne and was serving as an assistant coach at the time of Rockne's death.
Anderson resigned as Irish head coach in 1934 and was replaced by Elmer Layden,
who was one of Rockne’s "Four Horsemen" in the 1920s. After
graduating, Layden played professional football for one year and then began a
coaching career. The Irish posted a record of 47 wins, 13 losses, and three
ties in seven years under Layden, the most successful record of a Notre Dame
coach not to win a national championship. He left Notre Dame after the 1940
season to become Commissioner of the National Football League.
Leahy era (1941–1953)
Frank Leahy was hired by Notre
Dame to take over for Layden in 1941, and was another former Irish player who
played during the Rockne era. After graduating from Notre Dame, Leahy held
several coaching positions, including line coach of the "Seven Blocks of
Granite" of Fordham University that helped that team win all but two of
their games between 1935 and 1937. He then coached the Boston College Eagles to
a win in the 1941 Sugar Bowl and a share of the national championship. His move
to Notre Dame began a new period of gridiron success for the Irish, and ensured
Leahy's place among the winningest coaches in the history of college football.
Leahy coached the team for 11
seasons, from 1941 to 1943 and 1946 to 1953. He has the second highest winning
percentage (.864) of any college coach in history. He led the Irish to a record
of 87 wins, 11 losses, and nine ties including 39 games without a loss
(37–0–2), four national championships, and six undefeated seasons. A fifth national
championship was lost because of a tie in 1953 against Iowa, in a game that
caused a minor scandal at the time, when it appeared that some Irish players
had faked injuries to stop the clock. Leahy retired in 1954 reportedly due to
health reasons. Perhaps the best example of this occurred during the Georgia
Tech game in 1953. Leahy fell ill during the game, which led to him collapsing
during halftime. The situation was so dire that a priest was called in to give
Leahy the last rites. However, Leahy recovered, and the consequent diagnosis
was that he was suffering from nervous tension and pancreatits.
From 1944 to 1945, Leahy served
in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant. Edward McKeever,
Leahy's assistant coach, became interim head coach when Leahy left for the
Navy. During his one year at the helm the Irish managed 8 wins and 2 losses.
McKeever left Notre Dame in 1945 to take over as head coach of Cornell
University. He was replaced by Hugh Devore for the 1945 season who led the
Irish to a 7–2–1 record.
After Leahy (1954–1963)
The departure of Leahy ushered in
a downward slope in Notre Dame’s performance, referred to in various circles as
a period of deemphasis. Terry Brennan was hired as the Notre Dame head coach in
1954 and would stay until 1958. He departed with a total of 32 wins and 18
losses. But note: the 32 wins included 17 in 1954 and 1955. From 1956 to 1958
his record was 15–15. Brennan was a former player under Leahy and before
joining the Irish had coached the Mount Carmel High School team in Chicago and
later the freshman squad at Notre Dame. His first two seasons the Irish were
ranked fourth and ninth respectively. It was the 1956 season that began to
darken his reputation, for it became one of the most dismal in the team’s
history and saw them finish the season with a mere two wins, including losses
to Michigan State, Oklahoma, and Iowa. One bright spot in the 1956 season was
the awarding of the Heisman Trophy to Paul Hornung, who would go on to a
legendary NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. To date, Hornung is the only
Heisman winner to win the award while playing for a team that had a losing
record. The Irish would recover the following season, posting a record of 7–3
and including in their wins a stunning upset of Oklahoma, in Norman, that ended
the Sooners' still-standing record of 47 consecutive wins. In Brennan’s final
season, though, the Irish finished 6–4. Brennan was fired in mid-December.
Brennan's tenure can only be properly framed with the understanding that in a
time of zero scholarship limitations in college football, Notre Dame's
administration inexplicably began a process of deemphasizing football, severely
cutting scholarships and hindering Brennan from building a roster of any
meaningful depth.
Joe Kuharich took over for
Brennan in 1959, and during his 4 year tenure as coach the Irish finished
17–23, never finishing better than .500 in a season. Hugh Devore once again
filled in the gap between coaches and led the Irish to a 2–7 record in 1963.
Parseghian era (1964–1974)
Ara Parseghian was a former
college football player for the Miami University Redskins until 1947 and became
their assistant coach in 1950 and head coach in 1951, after a two year stint
playing for the Cleveland Browns. In 1956 he moved to Northwestern University,
where he stayed for eight years.
In 1964, Parseghian was hired to
replace Devore as head football coach and immediately brought the team back to
a level of success comparable only to Rockne and Leahy in Irish football
history. These three coaches have an 80% or greater winning percentage while at
Notre Dame – Rockne at .881, Leahy at .864, and Parseghian at .836.
Parseghian's teams never won fewer than seven nor lost more than two games
during the ten game regular seasons of the era.
In his first year the Irish
improved their record to 9–1, earning Parseghian coach of the year honors and a
cover story in Time magazine. It was under Parseghian as well that Notre
Dame lifted its 40-plus year-old "no bowl games" policy, beginning
with the season of 1969, after which the Irish played the #1 Texas Longhorns in
the Cotton Bowl Classic, losing in the final minutes in a closely contested
game. The following year, Parseghian's 9–1 squad ended Texas' Southwest
Conference record 30 game winning streak in the 1971 Cotton Bowl Classic.
During his eleven year career,
the Irish amassed a record of 95–17–4 and captured two national championships
as well as the MacArthur Bowl in 1964. The Irish also had two undefeated
seasons in 1966 and 1973, had three major bowl wins in five appearances, and
produced one Heisman Trophy winner. In 1971, Cliff Brown became the first
African-American quarterback to start a game for the program. Parseghian was
forced to retire after the 1974 season for medical reasons.
Devine era (1975–1980)
Dan Devine was hired to take over
as head coach upon Parseghian's resignation in 1975. Devine was already a
highly successful coach and had led Arizona State, Missouri, and the Green Bay
Packers. Devine had been a leading candidate for the head coaching job at Notre
Dame in 1964, when Ara Parseghian was hired. When approached for the job
following Parseghian's resignation, Devine accepted immediately, joking that it
was probably the shortest job interview in history. When he arrived at Notre
Dame he already had a college coaching record of 120 wins, 40 losses, and eight
ties and had led his teams to victory in four bowl games. At Notre Dame he
would lead the Irish to 53 wins, 16 losses, and a tie as well as three bowl
victories.
His lasting achievement came
midway through this run, when Notre Dame won the 1977 national championship,
led by junior quarterback Joe Montana. The championship season climaxed with a
38-10 win in the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic over previously top-ranked Texas, led
by Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell. The win vaulted the Irish from fifth to
first in the polls. Earlier in the season, before the annual game against USC,
played at home on October 22, Devine changed the team's jerseys from navy blue
& white to kelly green & gold, later known as the "green jersey
game" resulting in a 49-19 victory over the Trojans. The Irish continued
to wear green for the rest of Devine's tenure at the school.
Faust era (1981–1985)
Gerry Faust was hired to replace
Devine for the 1981 season. Prior to Notre Dame, Faust had been one of the more
successful high school football coaches in the country. As coach of Moeller
High School in Cincinnati he amassed a 174–17–2 record. Despite his success in
the high school ranks, his success at Notre Dame was mixed and his record
mediocre at best. In his first season the Irish finished 5–6. The most
successful years under Faust were the 1983 and 1984 campaigns where the Irish
finished 7–5 and made trips to the Liberty Bowl and Aloha Bowl respectively.
His final record at Notre Dame was 30–26–1. Faust resigned at the end of the
1985 season (following fan cries of "Oust Faust") to take over as
head coach for the University of Akron.
Holtz era (1986–1996)
Lou Holtz had 17 years of
coaching experience by the time he was hired to lead the Irish. He had
previously been head coach of William & Mary, North Carolina State, the New
York Jets, Arkansas, and Minnesota. Holtz began in 1986 where his predecessor
left off in 1985, finishing with an identical record of 5 wins and 6 losses.
However, unlike the 1985 squad, which was generally outcoached and outplayed,
Holtz's 1986 edition was competitive in nearly every game, losing five out of
those six games by a combined total of 14 points. That would be his only losing
season as he posted a record of 95–24–2 over the next ten seasons adding up to
a 100–30–2 docket overall.
In contrast to Faust, Holtz was
well known as a master motivator and a strict disciplinarian. He displayed the
latter trait in spades when two of his top contributing players showed up late
for dinner right before the then top-ranked Irish played second-ranked USC in
the final regular season game of 1988. In a controversial move, coach Lou Holtz
took his 10–0 Irish squad to Los Angeles without stars Ricky Watters and Tony
Brooks, who he suspended for disciplinary reasons. This was not the first time
these players had gotten into trouble and the players had been warned there
would be serious consequences if it happened again. His move was vindicated when
the Irish defeated USC anyway.
Holtz was named national coach of
the year (Paul "Bear" Bryant Award) in 1988, the same season he took
Notre Dame to an upset of #1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts series and a
win over #3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl, thus capturing the national
championship. His 1989 and 1993 squads narrowly missed repeating the feat.
Overall, he took Notre Dame to one undefeated season, nine consecutive New
Year’s Day bowl games, and top 10 finishes in the AP poll in five seasons.
Holtz resigned from Notre Dame in 1996.
Davie era (1997–2001)
Bob Davie, who had been Holtz's
defensive coordinator from 1994 to 1996, was promoted to head coach when Holtz
departed. One of his first major decisions was to fire long-time offensive line
coach Joe Moore, who then successfully sued the university for age
discrimination. On Davie's watch, the team suffered three bowl game losses (1997
Independence Bowl, 1999 Gator Bowl, and 2001 Fiesta Bowl), and it failed to
qualify for a bowl game in two others (1999 and 2001). The highlight of Davie's
tenure was a 36–20 upset win in 1998 over #5 Michigan, the defending national
champion. Davie also posted a 25–24 home victory over USC in 1999. Davie nearly
defeated top ranked Nebraska in 2000, with the Irish comeback bid falling short
in overtime 24–27. The aforementioned 2001 Fiesta Bowl was Notre Dame's first
invitation to the Bowl Championship Series. The Irish lost by 32 points to Oregon
State, but would finish #15 in the AP Poll, Davie's highest ranking as head
coach. The 2001 squad was awarded the American Football Coaches Association
Achievement Award for its 100% graduation rate.
Following the 1998 season, the
team fell into a pattern of frustrating inconsistency, alternating between
successful and mediocre seasons. Despite Davie's rocky tenure, new athletic
director Kevin White gave the coach a contract extension following the Fiesta
Bowl-capped 2000 season, then saw the team start 0–3 in 2001 – the first
such start in school history. Disappointed by the on-field results, coupled
with the Joe Moore and Kim Dunbar scandals, the administration decided to
dismiss Davie. His final record at Notre Dame was 35–25. On December 9, 2001,
Notre Dame hired George O'Leary to replace Davie. However, New Hampshire Union
Leader reporter Jim Fennell – while researching a "local boy done
good" story on O'Leary – uncovered misrepresentations in O'Leary's
resume that had influenced the administration's decision to hire him. The
resulting media scandal embarrassed Notre Dame officials, and tainted O'Leary;
he resigned five days later, before coaching a single practice.
On December 17, 1999, Notre Dame
was placed on probation by the NCAA for the only time in its history. The
association's Committee on Infractions found two series of violations. The
New York Times reported "the main one involved the actions of a
booster, Kimberly Dunbar, who lavished gifts on football players with money she
later pleaded guilty to embezzling." In the second series of events, a
football player was accused of trying to sell several complimentary game
tickets and of using others as repayment of a loan. The player was also said
"to have been romantically involved with a woman (not Dunbar), a part-time
tutor at the university, who wrote a term paper for another player for a small
fee and provided players with meals, lodging and gifts." The Dunbar
violation began while Lou Holtz was head coach: "According to the NCAA
committee report, Dunbar, the woman at the center of the more serious
violations, had become romantically involved with several Notre Dame football
players from June 1995 to January 1998 and had a child with one, Jarvis
Edison." Notre Dame was placed on probation for two years and lost one of
its 85 football scholarships each year in what the Times termed
"minor" penalties.
Willingham era (2002–2004)
Once again in need of a new head
coach, the school turned to Tyrone Willingham, the head coach at Stanford.
Bringing a feeling of change and excitement to campus, Willingham led the 2002
squad to a 10–2 regular season record, including an 8–0 start with wins over #7
Michigan and #11 Florida State, and a #4 ranking. This great early start,
however, would be the lone highlight of Willingham's tenure, as Notre Dame
finished the year with a heart-breaking loss to Boston College, then lopsided
losses to USC and North Carolina State (in the Gator Bowl). The program
faltered over the next two seasons under Willingham, compiling an 11–12 record.
During this time, Notre Dame lost a game by at least 30 points on five
occasions. Furthermore, Willingham's 2004 recruiting class was judged by
analysts to be the worst at Notre Dame in more than two decades. Citing Notre Dame's third
consecutive four-touchdown loss to arch-rival USC compounded by another year of
sub-par recruiting efforts, the Willingham era ended on November 30, 2004
(after the conclusion of the 2004 season) when the university chose to
terminate him and pay out the remainder of Willingham's six-year contract.
Reports circulated that Urban
Meyer might be hired as Willingham's successor. Meyer was a highly sought after
coach and a former wide receivers coach at Notre Dame. Following a
well-publicized courtship by the Irish, Meyer chose instead to accept the head
coaching position at the University of Florida. Notre Dame subsequently hired Charlie
Weis, the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots (who at the time
were enroute to their third Super Bowl victory in four years). Weis had
graduated from Notre Dame, but had never played for its football team.
Weis era (2005–2009)
Charlie Weis became head football
coach for the Irish beginning with the 2005 season. In his inaugural season he
led Notre Dame to a record of 9–3, including an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, where
they were defeated by the Ohio State Buckeyes 34–20. Weis's impact was apparent
when, in the first half of the first game (against Pittsburgh), Notre Dame had
gained more offensive yards than it had in five games combined, during the
previous season. Quarterback Brady Quinn would go on to break numerous team
passing records that season and rise to the national spotlight, by holding 35
Notre Dame records as well as becoming a top Heisman contender. Weis and the
Irish went into the 2006 season with a #2 preseason ranking in the ESPN/Coaches
Poll. They finished the regular season with a 10–2 record, losing only to
Michigan and USC. Notre Dame accepted a bid to the 2007 Sugar Bowl, losing to LSU
41–14. This marked their ninth consecutive post-season loss, the longest
drought in NCAA history. As a result, Notre Dame dropped to #17 in the final
rankings.
In the wake of a graduating class
that sent eleven players to the NFL, the 2007 season (3–9) included various
negative milestones: the most losses in a single year (9); two of the ten worst
losses ever (38–0 losses to both Michigan and USC); and the first 6-game losing
streak for home games. The Naval Academy recorded their first win over the
Irish since 1963, breaking the NCAA-record 43-game streak.
In 2008, the Irish started 4–1,
but completed the regular season with a 6–6 record, including a 24–23 home loss
to Syracuse, the first time that Notre Dame had fallen to an eight-loss team.
Despite speculation the university might fire Weis, it was announced he would
remain head coach. Weis's Notre Dame squad ended the season breaking the
Irish's NCAA record nine-game bowl losing streak by beating
Hawai’i 49–21 in the Hawai'i
Bowl. Charlie Weis entered the 2009 season with the expectation from the Notre
Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS
Bowl berth. Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4–2, with close
losses to Michigan and USC. Many of their wins were also close, aside from a
35–0 victory over Nevada and a 40–14 thrashing of Washington State. Sitting at
6–2, however, Notre Dame lost a close game at Notre Dame Stadium to an unranked
Navy team, 23–21. This loss was the second to Navy in the last three years.
Weis was fired on November 30, 2009, exactly five years after his predecessor.
Kelly era (2010–present)
Brian Kelly became the 31st head
coach of the Fighting Irish on December 10, 2009, after coaching Cincinnati to
a 12–0 record and BCS bowl-game berth. In his first season, Kelly led the
Fighting Irish to a 7–5 regular season. Dayne Crist would start the season at
quarterback, but would be injured for a second consecutive year in the
Washington State game. Kelly turned to freshman quarterback Tommy Rees, who led
the Irish to victories in the last three games against #14 Utah, Army in Yankee
Stadium, and breaking the eight year losing streak to USC in the LA Coliseum.
Kelly guided the Irish to a 33 – 17 victory over Miami (FL) in the 2010 Sun
Bowl to finish 2010 with an 8–5 record. With senior wide out Michael Floyd returning
for his senior season and an outstanding recruiting class that included several
highly touted defensive linemen, Kelly and the Irish looked to improve on their
8-5 record from the prior year. However, an early season upset to a Skip Holtz
led South Florida team, and a last second loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor would
leave the Irish at 0-2 to start the season. The Irish bounced back to beat #15
Michigan State and had two 4-game winning-streaks, with the only loss during
that stretch coming at the hands of the Trojans. The Irish also broke Navy's
2-winning streak over Notre Dame (2009-10). Notre Dame finished the season an
identical 8–5 record, with an 18 – 14 loss to Florida State in the 2011 Champs
Sports Bowl. In their loses, multiple turnovers from the quarterback position
were often the culprit, and as a whole turnovers at critical times in the game
would often derail potential Irish comebacks.
Championships and distinctions
National championships
- Notre Dame has won eight wire service (AP or Coaches) national championships.
- Notre Dame claims national championships in an additional three seasons, for a total of 11. Notre Dame, however, is often credited with 13 in total. The 1938 and 1953 seasons are the reason for the discrepancy. In the 1938 season, 8–1 Notre Dame was awarded the national championship by the Dickinson System, while Texas Christian (which finished 11–0) was awarded the championship by the Associated Press. In the 1953 season, an undefeated Notre Dame team (9–0–1) was named national champion by every major selector except the AP and UPI (Coaches) polls, where the Irish finished second in both to 10–1 Maryland. As Notre Dame has a policy of only recognizing AP and Coaches Poll national championships post-1936, the school does not officially recognize the 1938 and 1953 national championships.
- Notre Dame has been voted national champion by at least one selector in an additional ten seasons (1919, 1920, 1927, 1938, 1953, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1989, 1993).
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