Dear Mr. Swarbrick,
What should you be looking for on our next coach's résumé? Because let's face it: Charlie should be fired later this week, season or year. He has the same winning percentage as Ty Willingham and Bob Davie, and has gone 0-5 against USC. How could he not be fired (and 15 million little reasons don't count)? How about two for two in games against USC in the Coliseum. Charlie hasn't come within 30 points, let alone getting a victory in his two trips to Southern California.
If you are one of those people who say we can't recruit the same caliber athlete because of academic standards, you'll be shocked to know which team boasts this accolade. It's the Stanford Cardinal. Jim Harbaugh has taken lesser athletes and gone to the Coliseum and outcoached Pete Carroll twice. Yes, he went to Michigan. Yes he is 16-18 in three years at Stanford. But he is turning around a program that was irrelevant in the Pac-10 and college football in general into a team that can beat anyone in the nation. He has shown his ability to win big games by beating Oregon and USC in back-to-back weeks. Charlie doesn't have a victory in his five seasons that compares to those great upsets.
So, Mr. Swarbrick, I have a suggestion for you. In two weeks, let Jim Harbaugh make your coaching search easy. If he can beat Charlie, even without the three flashy Super Bowl rings to show recruits, I propose you offer him the job immediately. And then, just maybe, he can lead us to a 34-point victory in the Coliseum next year. I'll even be happy with a three-point victory. Wouldn't that be a nice change?
Go Irish. Beat UConn.
P.S. If Jim Harbaugh should turn you down, Brian Kelly wouldn't be a bad choice, either.
David VanEgmond
senior
off campus
Nov. 17
