Spring Break
The Daily OrangeNotre Dame football coach Tyrone Willingham actually has a lighter side, though you'd probably never know it
By Mike Licker
Posted: 12/5/03, 3:11 AM EST Section: Sports
You think you known him. Every Saturday, win or lose, you see the same no-nonsense look on his face. His dark, razor-sharp eyes glare straight ahead as he leads the nation's most storied football program out of the tunnel. Determination is etched across his face. In post-game interviews his tone rarely changes.
But, you see, Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham has another side, albeit a side very few others get to see. Every now and then, Willingham relaxes and shows a different, more laid-back personality. But that, say his fellow coaches and former players, is a side they have become quite familiar with. That's not what Willingham wants you to think - in fact, he doesn't really care what you think.
Thousands of Syracuse football fans will get a first-hand look at that famous charge out of the tunnel this Saturday when Willingham's Fighting Irish visit the Carrier Dome at 1 p.m.
"I'm not overly concerned with that (serious) perception," Willingham said. "I just want to win football games and have a program with great integrity."
It's not hard to find where Willingham's determination came from. He never had great athletic ability - he worked for it. Nearly all his players know the story of how he walked on to Michigan State football team and eventually earned a scholarship. Now, as a coach, he demands that same hard work from his players. As they say, he makes them want to get better.
At Stanford for his first head coaching position, he built the football program into a perennial winner. In Willingham's seven seasons, the Cardinal made four bowl appearances. In fact, nearly every stop he's made, including the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Willingham has been a winner. So how does he do it?
He actually demands few things from his players, said former Stanford defensive end Marcus Hoover. It's simple - all players had to do was attend classes and come to practice, always giving their best.
Another thing about Willingham, Hoover said, is his organization.
But, you see, Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham has another side, albeit a side very few others get to see. Every now and then, Willingham relaxes and shows a different, more laid-back personality. But that, say his fellow coaches and former players, is a side they have become quite familiar with. That's not what Willingham wants you to think - in fact, he doesn't really care what you think.
Thousands of Syracuse football fans will get a first-hand look at that famous charge out of the tunnel this Saturday when Willingham's Fighting Irish visit the Carrier Dome at 1 p.m.
"I'm not overly concerned with that (serious) perception," Willingham said. "I just want to win football games and have a program with great integrity."
It's not hard to find where Willingham's determination came from. He never had great athletic ability - he worked for it. Nearly all his players know the story of how he walked on to Michigan State football team and eventually earned a scholarship. Now, as a coach, he demands that same hard work from his players. As they say, he makes them want to get better.
At Stanford for his first head coaching position, he built the football program into a perennial winner. In Willingham's seven seasons, the Cardinal made four bowl appearances. In fact, nearly every stop he's made, including the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Willingham has been a winner. So how does he do it?
He actually demands few things from his players, said former Stanford defensive end Marcus Hoover. It's simple - all players had to do was attend classes and come to practice, always giving their best.
Another thing about Willingham, Hoover said, is his organization.
