A University official clarified on Wednesday reports in many media publications that the decision to fire Tyrone Willingham was made at an emergency meeting involving Notre Dame's Board of Trustees.
"The idea that there was an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees on Monday night, I wanted to clarify that was not true," the official said. "There were seven people involved in the decision process. They met on Monday night and met again Tuesday morning."
The official went on to identify the seven people as University President Father Edward Malloy, University President-elect Father John Jenkins, University Provost Nathan Hatch, executive vice president John Affleck-Graves, athletic director Kevin White, chairman of the Board of Trustees Patrick McCartan and Philip Purcell, the chair of the Board's athletic committee.
"We have 58 trustees. There was no emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees involved in this. It was just this group," the official said. "I wanted to clarify because it has gotten out in so many accounts that there was an emergency [meeting]. ... It's not our term. We never said anything about it."
The Observer reported in Wednesday's edition that sources said a Board of Trustees meeting was held Monday night.
