Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:46 pm EST
Gently nudged from play-calling duties by Charlie Weis for the last three games of the regular season -- and gee, that worked out swell, huh? -- Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood is taking over at the Ohio-based Miami, famed cradle of coaching legends like Red Blaik, Sid Gillman, Ara Parseghian, Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler before their big breaks at various Midwestern mega-schools. Not so high on that list is Shane Montgomery, who leaves Haywood with a program coming off its second 2-10 finish in three years.
Miami's actually a great job -- the Redskins/RedHawks aren't exactly awash in MAC championships lately (just one in the last 20 years, with Ben Roethlisberger under center in 2003), but aren't far removed from a run of 12 straight winning season, either, and that "Cradle of Coaches" bit is no joke. Beginning in 1949, nine of the ten Miami coaches between Woody Hayes and Montgomery went on to more prestigious jobs after a winning tenure in Oxford (on a less promising trend, the two Miami coaches before Montgomery, Randy Walker and Terry Hoeppner, both died well before their time after moving on to Northwestern and Indiana, respectively).
Haywood's longest stop as a coach was eight years on Gerry DiNardo's staff at LSU, but he's a Notre Dame guy -- he played for Lou Holtz and has spent the last four years there under Weis. If he wins quickly at Miami, his name will be very high on the initial list to step into Weis' beleaguered shoes in South Bend. But only if he wins.
Dr. Saturday is a college football blog edited by Matt Hinton. Email him tips and feedback.

Posted Feb 3 2010
RivalsMinute: Bama wins the title
Posted Feb 3 2010
Posted Feb 3 2010
Edited by MJD
Edited by 'Duk
Edited by J.E. Skeets
Edited by Greg Wyshynski
Edited by Matt Hinton
Edited by Chris Chase
Edited by Jay Busbee
Edited by Jay Busbee
Edited by Steve Cofield
Edited by Chris Chase
Edited by Chris Chase
Edited by Brooks Peck
Edited by Andy Behrens
8 Comments
1 - 8 of 8
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
First, Chizik goes to Auburn over Gill. BCA threatens (justified) lawsuit. Two black head coaches are hired in the next couple days. God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man, man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs. Allow me to stroke a contemplative beard I do not have.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
2. haywood and charlie weis and their families are, and always have been,and always will be, very close friends. no one wanted to see haywood leave notre dame. charlie took over the offensive play calling duties to give haywood the time to interview for head coaching jobs since haywood's time to be a head coach had come and everyone in the notre dame community wants to see haywood succeed.
3. haywood remains a loyal notre dame alum and will always be cheering for notre dame except when notre dame plays miami of ohio.
4. for anyone who doubts the close relationship between charlie weis and notre dame and mike haywood, try reading haywood's acceptance speech(haywood gave the speech before notre dame's impressive performance at the hawaii bowl and we were there in person) of the miami of ohio head coaching job, instead of reading the media with con artist agendas and other fraudulent information published on the internet.
mele kalikimaka and greetings from paradise,
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
1 - 8 of 8