After viewing the press conference introducing Tyrone Willingham as the new Irish head coach, I felt much better about the decision that had been made in the wake of the embarrassing O'Leary debacle.

Despite the obvious pressures of recruiting at an Ivy League-caliber school, I was still skeptical about the winning percentage of Coach Willingham at Stanford, a good football school, but not elite.

I enjoyed a sense of confidence after hearing him speak to reporters, however. He portrayed himself as a man of class and virtue, and he emphasized winning at all levels of the student-athlete experience. He has shown in his short tenure that he is what Notre Dame needs to move past its troubled recent history.

Jon Gruden or Steve Mariucci were the fantasies of many, mostly due to the media attention they received, but no one should be disappointed with the hiring decision. Coach Willingham will bring Notre Dame back to where it belongs by leading a championship caliber team that also will be the most respected group in college football.

Paul Zederbaum

senior

off-campus

Jan. 16, 2002

• Screeners deserve congratulations for a good job
  
• Student family housing is not adequate
  
• Mauritania gets running water and the Internet
  
• Willingham is what Notre Dame needed