Be Careful What You Wish For
UHND.com - Frank Vitovitch
July 10, 2000 11:20 PM

Notre Dame, Ind - All of May was pretty much full of internet rumors that there was going to be a coaching change at Notre Dame.  We are now in July and it looks like there very well may be a coaching change at Notre Dame - just not the one any one was looking for.

The Rumors were flying in May that Bob Davie would by be out as head coach at Notre Dame and their would be a new one in place shortly.  Well, that never came true, but now a month and a half later it appears as if there will be a head coaching change at Notre Dame - just not in football.

Earlier this evening ESPN.com reported that Irish bball coach Matt Doherty is now UNC's #1 choice and that an announcement should be made on Wednesday.  With Doherty as the only candidate left who was interviewed all logic points to him being UNC's next head basketball coach.  Be careful what you wish for, because you may just get it.

Notre Dame fans were begging for a head coaching change, and now its likely there will be one.  This change however will not be met happily by Notre Dame fans and alumni however.  No, this one will sadden the Notre Dame community and possibly send the Irish basketball program back a few steps. 

Its ironic that for a month people were discussing how Bob Davie would not be coach at Notre Dame and how Tom Coughlin was going to take over.   Now in just a little over a week's time we are discussing how Notre Dame is going to replace Matt Doherty should he leave for UNC.

While he was only at Notre Dame for one year, he brought a renewed interest in the basketball program.  From game 1 when his team pulled off a huge upset over #4 Ohio State to the team he took the NIT Finals - he had fans believing better things were on the way.  Then when Jordan Cornette and Chris Thomas verbally committed to Notre Dame this summer, whispers of a tourney run in 2002 began flying around.  Now, he may be leaving with so much left to accomplish.

Filling his shoes will not be easy even though he was a rookie head coach.  Whoever replaces him (again should he leave) will have to win over the Notre Dame community just as Doherty did last season in order to keep optimism high. 

Again however, nothing is official.  All the signs on Monday night however are pointing to Matt Doherty leaving for North Carolina.   Notre Dame fans may be upset over this, but who can blame him?  Yes he has a lot of close ties to his players at Notre Dame and yes there's a lot left to accomplish here, but the UNC coaching job is pretty much the highest one can go in college basketball just as the Notre Dame football coaching job is pretty much the highest in college football.

Whatever Matt Doherty decides Notre Dame fans should wish him well and be grateful for the one great year of basketball he provided for Notre Dame.