ND must hit the bullseye
UHND.com - Ed, "Irish Mania"
July 13, 2000

When Notre Dame hired Matt Doherty last year the university made a statement that they were willing to take a risk on a man with no head coaching experience to jump start a program which has been playing 2nd fiddle to Notre Dame football for years.  Now that ND is unexpectedly in the position to hire another basketball coach are they willing to take that same risk again?

Matt Doherty's accomplishments in the short time has was at ND cannot be dismissed.  On the court the changes were obvious.  The players became tougher and developed a stronger resolve to compete and win.  Thanks to Doherty the players' efforts resulted in wins much more directly than ever before.  The Irish also won 20+ games, made it to the NIT finals surpassing all expectations and made a statement on the recruiting trail.  The perceptions of a one step forward two steps back program were slowly being erased as ND basketball was beginning to be looked at as a viable force in the Big East and nationally.  Maybe most importantly, along the way to national recognition the basketball program's relationship with the fans and the students themselves was rekindled.

Everything Doherty started must be continued.  For that to happen it would seem ND needs to take another risk and hire another dynamic personality to lead the program.  With a lack of coaching experience Doherty was a risk, but a risk that paid off.  The hiring of Doherty was like the basketball program taking aim at a national championship.  Through the first year anyway, it seemed that the aim was on course to eventually cut down the nets in the future.  Other schools such as Seton Hall (Tommy Amacher), Florida (Billy Donovan) and Missouri (Quinn Snyder) have also taken risks in hiring young dynamic coaches and it has paid off.  A new coach not only needs the personality and talent to coach his team to big wins but to attract top recruits, generate excitement among students and fans alike and be somewhat of a media darling.  Matt Doherty was all those things.  When ND hires their next coach will he be a coach who has what it takes to aim a program to a national championship?  Or will he be a "safe" choice who will be only good enough to get "satisfying results?"

When looking at the early list of candidates to replace Doherty one gets the sense that Notre Dame is thinking along the lines of "fool me once shame on you...fool me twice shame on me."  ND seems to have had enough of the high risk high reward syndrome and is looking for a safe choice.  Do any of the candidates mentioned so far truly elicit any excitement?  When ND does hire a coach will that hiring raise eyebrows and make people think ND is going for broke?  What does a safe choice say about ND's goals for basketball?  This is not meant to disrespect the legitimate candidates who are being considered for the position.  In sports, timing is everything and at this point it would seem that the timing is still right to hire a young dynamic coach.  To win a national championship in this day and age a program needs a dynamic coach with a winning personality.  A safe choice may get ND an above .500 record and an occasional one win and out visit to the Big Dance but taking a risk on a coach with the right personality could result in an eventual national championship.

Obviously, Notre Dame is not an established program to the point where if a coach is needed they can promote an assistant or hire a coach with Notre Dame ties (whether it be a former assistant or player) the way UNC can (and did) or Duke could do when the time comes.  In terms of recent success and recognition amongst the media and today's high school basketball athletes Notre Dame's program is still a bit of an unknown.  So the question needs to be answered.  Does Notre Dame have the courage to take another risk?  Will they go out there and find a coach who has a dynamic personality and can lead a program to the Promised Land?  Or will Notre Dame not want to take the risk of being put in this position again and merely hire a safe coach who will do an adequate job.  To take a quote from some of today's ND football players Notre Dame needs to "shock the world" when hiring a new head coach.  I hope Notre Dame basketball takes another risk.

One thing is for sure, the new coach whomever he may be, will face the prospect of carrying on what Matt Doherty started.  The comparisons will not only be restricted to on the floor results but off the floor results as well.  Doherty raised the bar for Notre Dame basketball and his successor's job is to not only meet that bar but to raise it even higher.