Signing day is happy `Holiday' for Davie, Irish
TIM CASEY
Sports Writer
Bob Davie hadn't heard from him in a few days.
No one at the Holiday home in San Antonio, Texas, was answering the phone. Frustrated with reporters and recruiting analysts calling on a daily basis, Carlyle Holiday decided he had had enough of the inquiries.
No need to worry for Davie.
Unlike a year ago, when he lost the quarterback he coveted — CJ Leak — to Wake Forest on signing day, Davie had his options covered. He had already signed two quarterbacks — Matt LoVecchio and Jared Clark. So getting Holiday would be an added bonus, not a necessity.
The official word came down Wednes-day, after holding a morning press conference. Around 8 a.m., Holiday made his decision: Notre Dame over Nebraska.
Davie got his revenge.
"What happened last year took the wind out of us a little bit," Davie said, referring to the Leak situation. "That wasn't going to happen again. I will never get myself in that position again where I've got all my eggs in that one basket."
Instead of holding out for one quarterback, as he did last year with Leak, Davie targeted some of the top high school signal-callers early last spring.
In fact, 10 of those quarterbacks attended the Notre Dame summer football camp, including LoVecchio and Clark. LoVecchio committed almost immediately after the camp, while Clark waited until after his visit in December to make his final decision.
With two quarterbacks in the fold, the Irish staff could turn its attention to Holiday. One member of the Irish coaching staff, normally Davie or assistant head coach Kirk Doll visited Holiday's home every week, while also conversing over the phone.
They were honest with Holiday — as they had been with the other two quarterbacks — telling him that there would be competition. There was no promise of playing time, no guarantee to start, as Leak was apparently told by the Wake Forest coaching staff just prior to his signing with the Demon Deacons.
"We were right up front with them [the quarterbacks] from the beginning," Davie said. "I told each one of those quarterbacks that I wanted to sign three. I told them who they were. I told them who else we were recruiting from day one."
Though they had a feeling they would land Holiday, there was no indication where Holiday was leaning. Even getting in touch with him was a task in itself.
"Kirk Doll has got little calluses on his fingers from hitting that dial on that phone so many times," Davie said. "In my sleep I can hear that operator come on saying `No one answers yet.'"
But they kept pursuing the 6-foot-2, 190 pound Holiday — the 48th ranked player in recruiting analyst Tom Lemming's Top 100. They had targeted him in March and were not about to let him slip away.
Yet the phone calls continued to go unanswered, the uncertainty mounted and the impending decision kept being delayed.
And when he had made his decision to attend Notre Dame, those gathered at his high school knew his choice before the Irish coaching staff.
"His [Carlyle's] mom had told Kirk that Carlyle had told her Tuesday night, but Carlyle had not told us," Davie said. "We did not know until he called us, after he had signed at the press conference in his high school. That's difficult. So the communication process can be a little frustrating at times."
In retrospect, the frustration turned into adulation on Groundhog Day
2000. The Irish landed all three quarterbacks they targeted. They also signed several other top recruits, including defensive All-Americans in linebacker Mike Goolsby (Joliet, Ill.) and defensive lineman Greg Pauly (Waukesha, Wisc.).
Now, with the three incoming quarterbacks, as well as junior Arnaz Battle, returning next season, the focus shifts to the starting position. Davie insists that there will be an open competition, though Battle's experience gives him an edge.
"It's open [the quarterback spot]," Davie said. "I think [competition is] what's best for Arnaz, and Arnaz understands that.
"But let's face it, Arnaz is a little bit ahead in the race. He's been in the system and he's got spring ball."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, February 3, 2000
