Waldrum turns down pro offer, stays with Irish
By KEVIN BERCHOU
Sports Writer
The Notre Dame women's soccer team suffered its first defeat of the season this past weekend at the hands of the North Carolina Tar Heels but it very nearly endured a far greater loss just days prior.
Randy Waldrum, the team's head coach and a nationally respected soccer figure, came close to leaving the Notre Dame program to run the Bay Area Cyber Rays of the brand new women's professional league.
As good as gone just a week ago, Waldrum will be returning not just for next season but for at least the next four thanks to a five-year contract he received from Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White.
The athletic director did all within his power to ensure that one of the nation's best soccer coaches remained in the shadows of the Golden Dome.
Early on in the season, the San Jose group asked White for permission to speak with Waldrum. After listening to the Cyber Rays' sales pitch, Waldrum was sold. The youth of the league, coupled with the opportunity to coach at the highest level convinced him it was time to jump ship.
"I think I wanted to see what it would be like to coach at the next level," Waldrum said. "It was the right time for the league to be starting and it was something I thought I wanted to be a part of."
With a formal offer from the professional ranks on the table, Waldrum told White he was leaving, a difficult decision he wrestled with during a grueling season in which his squad battled through injuries to several stars.
Not wanting to lose the man he knew was the right choice to lead the Irish program, White made sure Waldrum knew how much Notre Dame wanted him back.
"He emphasized all along that I was the person they wanted," Waldrum said. "I don't know that I've ever worked with an athletic director who's more aggressive and who wants to win more."
White's pitch to Waldrum included mention of new soccer facilities that are in the university's long term plans to build as well as his word to do everything possible to keep the soccer program among the nation's elite.
Now wavering in his commitment to the fledgling pro league, Waldrum was torn between his heart and his ambitions. Knowing that taking the pro job would likely be the best thing for his career, Waldrum knew that remaining in South Bend would be best for his family.
White, admitted Waldrum, stepped in at the last minute and "sweetened the pot" doing some things that Waldrum said "ensured the long-term stability of my family."
The five-year guaranteed commitment from Notre Dame was longer than any a pro league whose future success was uncertain could promise.
"I'm anxious to work with [White] over the next five years," Waldrum said. "His commitment to winning is there for every program. It's nice to work for an athletic director who wants to secure your future."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, December 7, 2000
