I don’t know about you, but I did the second of two spit takes as I typed that headline.
The first one? When Spencer Tillman of CBS Sports reported at the half of the Alabama-Auburn game that former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick is a viable candidate for the soon-to-be opening at Notre Dame.
(Crap, did it again...)
According to Tillman, he spoke to a few people very close to the Notre Dame process this morning who stated that Billick’s name has now emerged as “a strong and viable candidate for that opportunity”
To quote the Grand PFT Poobah, wow.
Billick is certainly from way out in right field as his name has not been mentioned at all in the speculation about Weis’ replacement. The current CBS color analyst has no known ties to the Irish, but he was a collegiate assistant from 1978-1991 -- BYU, San Diego State, Utah State and Stanford -- before moving on to the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.
But, still, Billick to South Bend? At first blush and with very little in-depth consideration behind it, it would seem highly unlikely that Billick would even be a periphery candidate let alone a “viable” one.
It would seem like the last thing the Irish need right now is a new head coach who is 17 years -- 17 freaking years -- removed from his last run-in with the college game.
And if he is indeed a viable candidate? Well, that tells you all you need to know about the state of the Notre Dame football program right now.