Notre Dame football is such an important part of the college football experience that the university has managed to secure television contracts exclusively for the school despite remaining one of the only Independent schools in Division 1A. The school has produced more All-Americans than any other program and has had seven of its players awarded the Heisman Trophy. Notre Dame tickets sell well each season no matter how much the team struggles. The Fighting Irish are simply ingrained into the Saturday afternoon experience every fall.
The University of Notre Dame made the improbable rise from a small Catholic college in South Bend, IN to a national college football powerhouse in an era when the East Coast dominated the game. The school began playing the relatively new sport early on, in 1887. For a little more than a decade Notre Dame played as a club team against local athletic clubs, high schools, and other colleges. They had varying success, but the introduction of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States helped begin organize the sport. Suddenly Notre Dame football tickets were available for a consistent season with a more agreed upon manner of choosing a champion, official polls.
The school played well under these new conditions and earned respect regionally and eventually began to make a name for the school nationally. In 1918 Knute Rockne, a former end for the team, came back to coach. In 13 seasons he led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a record of 105-12-5. That incredible run included five undefeated seasons and won three national championships (all before the AP became the accepted poll to determine the best team in the nation). The Rockne era ended in 1930 and Rockne's life ended tragically less than a year later in a plane crash on March 31, 1931.
Notre Dame football found its next coach through its alum again. Heartly Anderson served as an assistant under Rockne and played for the team in his college days. Anderson stayed for two successful seasons before resigning. Elmer Layden, one of the famed Four Horseman to play under Rockne in the 1920s, took over. Layden went 47-13-7 and left in 1940 to become the Commissioner of the National Football League.
These two coaches had incredible success, but were unable to bring another national championship. The fans with Notre Dame tickets were agitated after the legend of Rockne brought three championships home in less than a decade. Frank Leahy came in as the new coach in 1941. Another former Fighting Irish player, Leahy had immense success as part of the coaching staff for successful football teams at Fordham University and Boston College.
Leahy took control of the Notre Dame football program from 1941 to 1943 and 1946 to 1953. The inactive years coincided with World War II when there were more important things for young men to do than play college football. In fact Leahy served in the Navy as Lieutenant during that period.
He went 87-11-9, including a stretch of 39 games without a loss in which the Fighting Irish went 37-0-2. That incredible coaching career included six undefeated seasons and four national championships.
The University of Notre Dame had an unparalleled half century of success as a college football team. After Leahy resigned, though, the school would finally struggle. Under new coach Terry Brennan the team had two good seasons and three abysmal years. The Fighting Irish struggled under his replacement Joe Kuharich and Hugh Devore before Ara Parseghian could come in and re-invigorate the program.
Under Parseghian the Notre Dame football went 95-17-4 in 11 seasons. The Era of Ara brought two national championships and two undefeated seasons. The Fighting Irish also had their first African-American player to start at quarterback for the school in 1971. Medical reasons ended Parseghian's tenure and Dan Devine took over. In six seasons Devine went 53-16-1. Devine brought another national championship home before resigning.
Gerry Faust replaced Devine. Faust had an impressive record as a high school coach but could not convert those high school wins into college wins. Notre Dame football slipped into the middle of the pack. This slip to mediocre, but not terrible seasons allowed Faust to remain the head coach for five seasons.
After Faust, Lou Holtz took over as head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Holtz already had 17 years of coaching experience before taking the job. After a difficult first season in 1986 he would lead the team to a 95-24-2 regular season record through 1996, though he struggled in bowl games, going 5-6. His reign ended in one undefeated season, nine straight bowl New Year's Day bowl games, five top-10 AP finishes, and a single national championship.
Since the departure of Holtz, Notre Dame football has struggled to justify its national following and television contracts. The team has failed to be a real contender under Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis. There have been few dreadful seasons, but many lackluster years that inspired little confidence.
