12/21/24
November 17, 2011
New Mexico Hires Ex-Irish Coach Davie: New Mexico has hired Bob Davie to coach its football program, 10 years after he was fired as Notre Dame's head coach after five seasons. Davie, 57, led the Irish to a disappointing 35-25 record and an 0-3 bowl record after succeeding Lou Holtz. He's been working as a college football TV analyst for ESPN and ABC. "The best candidate for the job was a guy who'd been off the sidelines since 2001? A coach who had a losing record in two of his final 3 years? A guy who's record in bowl games is 0-3?" asks J.P. Murietta of New Mexico TV station KOB.
Hey, J.P. Murietta, perhaps you could show us your list of top-flight coaches who would actually come to UNM?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
posted by wfrazerjr at 01:33 PM on November 17, 2011
You can't spell Urban Meyer without U-N-M, wfrazerjr!
posted by Etrigan at 02:05 PM on November 17, 2011
If UNT could get Dan McCarney, SMU June Jones; Texas State Dennis Franchione and UTSA Larry Coker, I don't see why UNM couldn't do better than Davie. But maybe he's a more impressive candidate than I think.
It's weird nobody wants Jim Leavitt. He built USF from no football program to the Big East in 12 years. Mike Leach is also out there.
posted by rcade at 02:59 PM on November 17, 2011
But maybe he's a more impressive candidate than I think.
Brent Musberger absolutely fawned over Davie when he was Lou Holtz' offensive coordinator. He had Davie pegged as a future head coach for what seemed like an eternity. They nearly had to get Musberger a lobster bib to capture the drool.
With that kind of endorsement, how could Davie not be seen as an impressive candidate?
I agree about Leavitt. He should have completed his anger management sessions by now.
posted by beaverboard at 03:38 PM on November 17, 2011
It's weird nobody wants Jim Leavitt. He built USF from no football program to the Big East in 12 years.
Coaches with off-field issues aren't en vogue right now.
Also, as a USF alum, while I certainly appreciated what Coach Leavitt did there for us, looking back on it, I'm not sure he ever would have gotten them farther than where they were (and are still, unfortunately): an 8-4 (+/- 1) team that would finish no higher than third in the conference.
And while being at SF right now certainly helps develop West Coast Connections, I'm not sure how well he could recruit in New Mexico. I guess he could try and reach into Arizona, and California and Texas, but I can't imagine that's an easy school to recruit from. Certainly won't be as easy as recruiting at USF, where he really only had to draw from Tampa and Miami and could still field a good team.
posted by Bonkers at 02:27 PM on November 18, 2011
As a UNT alum, I'd kill for the level of success USF achieved under Leavitt. Well, maybe not kill. That's too strong. Seriously injure.
posted by rcade at 03:01 PM on November 18, 2011
Perhaps Davie is inspired by what Coach Alford has done with the Lobos men's hoops program. Alford seems delighted to be there.
When they realized they really wanted a former Irish coach, but before they settled on Davie, they had thought about going for continuity by bringing in a coach who could continue the recent tradition of winning one a game a year.
Ty Willingham immediately came to mind. But then they looked at his 2008 UW season and became concerned that he wouldn't be able to meet the one win standard.