November 24, 1996

Bob Davie's Opening Press Conference

MR. WADSWORTH: Ladies and gentlemen, you know on Friday afternoon we discussed with you in some detail how the search itself was conducted and the conclusion that we arrived at early last week and left only for Father Malloy to meet with the candidate and give us his response.

We received that response Friday evening, and as a result I stand before you today extremely proud and enthused about introducing the now head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, Mr. Bob Davie.

BOB DAVIE: Thank you, very much. I've waited a long, long time for this moment. I can tell you standing here that it's been well worth the wait.

You know, through this whole process, I've prided myself on staying on an even keel and focusing only on the things that I felt I could control. With the emotion yesterday in that stadium and the emotion today in this announcement, I've got to admit right now, I'm a little overwhelmed.

You know, words can't describe how proud and honored I am to stand here and be introduced as the next head football coach at the University of Notre Dame.

Right now, I feel like the luckiest man alive. The reason I feel I'm the luckiest man alive is not because I've just become a head coach, but I've become the head coach at a place that I love and a place that I think represents all that's good in college athletics and at a place that represents and has high standards, and they will not compromise for anyone or anything.

Obviously this is a great day for me personally. It's a great day for my family. I promise to the Notre Dame family that I'm going to do everything in my power so that hopefully one day people will look back on this and say it was a great day for Notre Dame football.

You know, having spent the last three years of my life here at Notre Dame, I feel I've come to understand this university and its values. And I can sincerely stand here right now and say without a doubt this is the greatest university and the best coaching job in America. And when people say Notre Dame is not for everyone, they're absolutely correct. This place is different, and because of that, I've come to love Notre Dame.

You know, when I think of all the great coaches who have been involved in this program, I feel a tremendous obligation to do everything I can to maintain and to build on this tradition. I do realize the magnitude and the responsibility of this job, how tough it is to follow in those footsteps. But, you know, I also feel totally confident that I can do this job, and I do feel that I'm the right guy for this job at this time.

I've coached and I've prepared for 20 years for this opportunity. You know, I wanted this job for a lot of reasons, but in all honesty, the biggest reason I wanted this job was because I realize as the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, you're put in a position where you have the ability to serve an awful lot of people and be a positive influence on a lot of people's lives, and I take that responsibility very seriously.

My goals for this program are simple, they coincide with the mission of this university: Number one, be the best at everything we do, but do it with integrity and do it with balance in our lives, we as coaches and we as players.

Number two, continue to be the model program in this country for developing student athletes. Not only graduate them, but develop them as a total person. I want our players to know that we care about them, and their self-worth is not judged just solely on wins and losses.

Third, I want to put a team on the field that represents the very best of Notre Dame and the very best of our student body. We will continue to be a football team that plays with great toughness, great desire and great enthusiasm, but above all, with class.

The focus of this program will be on the players. I truly want them to enjoy this program, and when they walk away from here, I want them to say this was the best experience in their lives.

At this time I think the most important thing for me to do is really thank the people that have made this possible. First of all, I'd like to thank the administration, Father Malloy, Father Beauchamp, Mike Wadsworth, my good friend George Kelly. I realize what a tremendous responsibility they had in making this decision, and I will be forever grateful to them for the faith and the confidence they showed in me.

I would also like to thank them for the way they handled this process. I was in constant communication with them. Everything they did went exactly according to schedule, and they did it with the utmost professionalism. I promise you I'm going to lean on all of you for advice along the way because there's no one else that has a greater love and a greater knowledge of this university and this program than these gentlemen seated up here with me.

Next, I'd like to thank Lou Holtz. I think yesterday this football team and our fans showed the nation what appreciation they had for Lou Holtz. There was some magic in that stadium. At the end of the third quarter when they did the Lou chant, I believe it was the first play of the fourth quarter immediately after that when Raki Nelson caught that touchdown pass, I went up to Lou and said, "Lou, that's for you. There's some magic in this stadium right now."

Three years ago when I came to Notre Dame, I came here because Lou Holtz told me that he would teach me how to become a head football coach, and he did that. Because of that and because of my relationship with him and what I've learned, I feel totally confident in my abilities. We've had a great relationship, I'm proud of that, and I look forward to that relationship continuing.

I'd like to leave you with one thing or say one thing about Lou Holtz to all the Notre Dame people: no one cared more about Notre Dame and loved this university more than Lou Holtz.

I'd like to thank my family. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce my wife Joanne, my daughter Audra. I didn't introduce you yet (laughter). Last but not least my son Clay. You know, seems like just yesterday, Joanne and I were standing in the kitchen at our house in College Station, Texas, going through at that time what was the toughest decision in our lives, whether or not to come to Notre Dame. Honey, I think we made the right decision.

People tell me how our lives will change, and I believe they will. But when you've got a wife like I have and a family like I have, I know the change will be for the positive.

I'd like to thank our players. Obviously there's a lot of great things about Notre Dame, but to Bob Davie, the greatest thing about Notre Dame is our players. I think everyone that comes in contact with our players, whether we're on a road trip and the people that work at the hotel, flight attendants on the charter flights, will tell you the same thing, they're a first class group of individuals, and I think they've shown you the last several weeks just how special they are by the way they've handled these distractions.

I'd also like to thank the community, the fans and the student body. Their support for me has been unbelievable, and there's no way I can thank all of them. I don't think there's any question we have the greatest student body in the country here at Notre Dame.

I would like them to know that this will continue to be their football team, and I've got an obligation to continue to bring student athletes on this campus who belong on this campus and who will continue to fit in with them.

Finally I'd like to thank the entire athletic department, especially John MacLeod, Paul Mainieri, Joe Sassano, John Heisler, Mike Enright, Lefty Smith, Dr. Moriarity, I could go on and on. Their support for me has been unbelievable. At times I think they worry more about me than I was worried about myself.

In closing, I know what a challenge this job will present, but as long as I can lean on and have the support of the people that I just mentioned, I think we can overcome anything, because the true power of Notre Dame is in its people.

I'm going to take one step at a time, I'm going to go slowly. My focus right now is on, number one, Southern Cal, number two, assuring the players in our program right now of the direction that this program will continue, and number three, recruiting.

Lastly, I'd like to thank all of you, the media. I've had a great relationship with you as an assistant coach and I look forward to that continuing in my new role as the head coach at the University of Notre Dame. I thank you all very much.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: You know, when I came here three years ago, if someone would have told me that I would even have the opportunity to be the head coach of Notre Dame, you know, I certainly wouldn't have believed that. And even last year when I entertained some job prospects from other universities, you know, at no time did I really think that I would be a head coach at Notre Dame within the time frame that I wanted to be a head coach. So, in all honesty, the reason I stayed at Notre Dame last year was because I truly loved and truly enjoyed what I was doing. You know, I've been slow to move and I've been slow to move on to the next thing, and that's why I am the happiest guy in America right now because I'm at a place I plan on staying in.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: It took me a little time. I've got to confess, I can remember staying over there at the Jamison Inn for about six weeks before my family got up here, and I called Joanne, she probably knows better, I'd call her every night and acted like a baby, how home sick I was, how cold it was, how the wind blew so hard. You know, it does take time. As I mentioned before, Notre Dame is different. It takes time to really sort out what makes it different.

You know, I played against Notre Dame in three Cotton Bowls, two consecutive Cotton Bowls the year before I came here. And to first think of Notre Dame as a coach, you associate it with the high profile of the football program, you associate it with the nationally televised games, you associate it with the top-10 finishes. But, you know, when you're here for a while, you really start to understand what it's all about. It's just -- it's hard to explain, but it's just the feeling you get that a bunch of people that are here for the same reasons.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, our plans right now, we've got one regular season football game left on this schedule, and all of our focus is going to be on Southern California this next week. As I mentioned, I'm going to take it one step at a time. But, yeah, as soon as that Southern Cal game is over, my immediate focus will turn to recruiting, and I plan to work harder than any head coach in the country at recruiting.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I think continuity in the staff is very, very important. I think it's important for the players, I think it's important for our development as coaches, and as a staff. Obviously there will be members of the staff that will be asked to stay. How many or to put a number on it right now I think is premature, because I've just had so many things going through my head these last couple of weeks that I really want to sit down and just take my time on that. There really will be no discussions with the current staff or discussions with the media on the staff until after the Southern Cal game.

Q. Can you talk a little about how much this is going to play a part in this week's game with Southern Cal?

BOB DAVIE: I don't think it will play at all a role in the Southern Cal game. It's business as usual. One of the things about being a football player or a football coach at Notre Dame, one of the biggest values you learn in coaching or playing for Lou Holtz is mental toughness and the ability to focus. If the last three weeks are any indication, the folks on this football team, I think we can feel pretty good about this aspect of it heading into the Southern Cal game.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: You know, I've thought a lot about this over the years. You know, I think the role of a head football coach, if they delegate authority, without ever losing authority. And Bob Davie will not be the offensive coordinator or the defensive coordinator. What I'm going to be is the head coach, and at the same time never lose the authority.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I think when you're the head football coach of Notre Dame, number one, you better be able to continue the tradition of being able to line up and run the football. You know, this program is built on toughness, this program is built on discipline, and you've got to be able to run the football to bring those things out.

I obviously realize from my 20 years of being on the defensive side, you cannot only be one dimensional; you've got to be able to throw the football and you've got to have balance in your offense. The bottom line of what we will do, we will be able to run the football, but we will do the best thing that based on our personality gives us the best chance to win the football game. So to answer your question, we will always line up and run the football and be able to out-tough people at the University of Notre Dame.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: You know, I don't know that it's any factor. You know, I've always felt -- I've been asked that question so many times of, "Do you feel the fact that you haven't been a head coach is in some way a negative?"

You know, I've always been very fortunate that I've coached for coaches, RC Slocum at Texas A&M, Jackie Sherrill, certainly Lou Holtz who delegated me an awful lot of authority. I feel like in some ways I'm totally prepared to be the head football coach because I doubt there's many head coaches in this country that have experienced the type of things I've experienced, particularly over my last three years here at Notre Dame.

You know, I don't know that it's a factor at all, but I certainly don't think it's a negative. I feel totally prepared because of my experience coaching for Lou Holtz and coaching at Notre Dame.

Q. (Inaudible) technical preparations, the enormous pressure, spotlight and notoriety that will be with you every day now?

BOB DAVIE: Sure, last year when I was put into the role when Coach Holtz had his surgery, one of the first thing I've said is that I'm not going to take myself too seriously. I'm going to maintain a balance in my life because these three people sitting over here, my wife and my two children, are very, very, very important to me. I think as long as you have balance and as long as your ego doesn't get too big, I think you're able to do that.

Father Beauchamp said something to the entire athletic department the first day of class, and I'm not sure exactly how he said it, but he said, 'Don't let your career goals and your ego cloud (effect) what's really important in your life.'

I'm going to try to maintain that balance as much as humanly possible here because I've waited a long time to be a head football coach and my family has waited a long time for me to be a head football coach, and number one, I want to enjoy it.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Totally, yeah. As I mentioned, right before I came up here, I visited with Coach Holtz. You know, we both agreed -- we have such a great relationship, one that we're both proud of, and just as he leaned on the former great coaches at Notre Dame, I'm going to lean on Lou Holtz. I don't care if you've been a head coach or where you've been a head coach somewhere else, no one knows what it's like to sit in this seat and that's why I'm going to lean on Lou Holtz very heavily.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, you'll have to ask the players. I think they found out just about 19 minutes ago, is that right?

You know, the actual mechanics of the thing, Friday afternoon I guess it was about 2:46, not that I was paying close attention to that, but I think it was about 2:46, I got a phone call from George Kelly, and George said that Mike wanted to speak with me on the phone.

So Mike got on the phone, and the first question he asked, "Bob, are you still interested?" So I kind of said, "Mike, you could probably twist my arm into saying I'm still interested." But then he said, "How would you like to go over and visit with Father Malloy?"

From my understanding, Father Malloy had been out of town. Mike said he was going to meet me in the back with his Jeep. I went around back and made sure I got there before he did because I didn't want him to leave without me. But then we went over and visited and met with Father Malloy. I met with Father Malloy for about an hour. I came back just in time for our meetings at four o'clock. At that time I felt pretty confident that I had -- that I'd receive the head coaching job at the University of Notre Dame.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I'm not going to try to copy or try to emulate Lou Holtz. Let's face it, if you spent three years of your life coaching for Lou Holtz, with as strong a personality as he has, as strong a focus and as driven as he is as a head coach, a lot of Lou Holtz has rubbed off on Bob Davie.

So to answer your question, I'm going to be Bob Davie and I'm going to approach every day doing what I think -- what my philosophy is, but there's a lot of Lou Holtz in my philosophy.

You know, these next two weeks, Southern Cal game, hopefully the bowl game, it's just like it was last year when we played Vanderbilt, this is still Lou Holtz's football game.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I think one of the most positive -- the biggest positive at Notre Dame is that we do have great academics, we do have great athletics. That's the point I made earlier. I think this truly does bring out the very best in college football. What I want to do is have the best process of identifying a select few guys and a select few players across this country that fit in and understand what we're trying to get done at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is not going to ever lower the standards. What we need to do is just go out and find the best prospects in America that can blend in on this campus and be successful on this campus and graduate.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: He was happy for me. I think he was sincerely happy for me. I think he was sincerely happy for the players. I imagine he was proud that the program would continue and the philosophy that he's worked his life on to build would continue because Lou Holtz has done a lot of great things at Notre Dame. Bob Davie is very, very aware of that, and our players are aware of that. So I think he was sincerely happy for me and the direction the program is headed.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: I was totally surprised, yeah. You know, there's so many ups and downs in the course of every season. Most coaches during a point in the season, whether you're an assistant coach or a head coach, the topic of maybe not coaching next year or going out and getting involved in another profession inevitably comes up. But, you know, that's just a common thing that happens every year in this profession. At no time did I really think Lou Holtz was serious and that Lou Holtz wouldn't come back to the University of Notre Dame.

Q. Are you a different person now than you were three years ago?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I think I've learned to become a lot more focused. I really have learned from being at Notre Dame what's really important. You know, having spent three years at this university, I understand the values of this university, I understand the ideals, and I feel totally comfortable being put in this situation.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: I think that obviously depends on what that head coaching job would have been. You know, I've never been a guy, as most of you know, that's felt because of ego reasons or because of financial reasons that I needed to go out and become a head coach. It was always more important to me where would I become the head coach.

To answer your question, if this would have never happened, there's a good chance I would have gone on and become a head coach if the right school would have made me the offer.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: The only job I would have left Texas A&M for was assistant football coach of Notre Dame. I can only speak for Bob Davie, that that's why I'm here.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, that's kind of tough to speak for the players. You know, the reason I'm in coaching is because I enjoy the day-to-day relationship with these guys. That's why I do it. You know, I enjoy the X's and O's, I enjoy the scheming. What I really enjoy is when these guys show up every day at three o'clock because that's what you look forward to.

I think I've always had their best interests at heart. I think a big part of this, they need to know that you care about them as a total person. As I said before, I am never going to judge their self-worth totally on wins and losses. You know, the reason I'm in coaching is because I enjoy the relationship I have with the players.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: I can understand that. I don't think there's any question that as an assistant coach, you know, players are a lot less guarded with you. You spend a lot more time just in individual meetings and in individual counseling sessions and things of that nature. I don't think there's any question that that's probably true.

But, you know, I'm not going to change. I am not going to change. And my door is going to be open. Like I said, I'm going to enjoy this job, and the enjoyment I get out of this job is being around these guys.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I think, make no mistake about it, there's only one Lou Holtz. I've never been around a football coach that has had the success he has, that has such a burning desire every single day to be the best at whatever he's doing. I feel I'm the same way. So, you know, to answer your question, everyone's different. I mean, you can sit out there right now and obviously there's differences between Lou Holtz and Bob Davie, but there's a lot more similarities between Lou Holtz and Bob Davie than what a lot of people might believe.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: You know, I think the biggest concern I have is just the obligation to maintain and to build on this program. I watched last night on TV, the little bit of TV I watched, when Coach Holtz got up and said he's leaving this program clean, with its integrity intact, headed in the right direction, I just want to make sure that I continue in that same focus, and just protecting the integrity and protecting what makes this university special. That's very important to me. I've got a great love for this university, and the obligation I feel is just to continue that.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: You know, I'm not sure. I mean, I haven't -- you know, you bring up a good point. We've played, you know, the last couple football games obviously with this thing hanging over us, and I've been involved in some other situations, you know, because I wasn't sure what my future held. So I've entertained some other universities that have been in our home. You know, then you win that football game yesterday and you stand around that sidelines, to be honest, you're really preparing for how you're going to handle the next step. The next step to me in all honesty was this press conference.

Jack, in all honesty, I've taken one step at a time. I don't know if it's hit me or not. You know, the other thing I was -- it really dawned on me for the first time, though, when I was sitting with Father Malloy in his office the other day, and that's the first time where really the magnitude of this job really hit me. Just the office and where it was located and the atmosphere, you know, the fact that I thought the process was winding to a close, and it was a reality that it could happen. You know, I probably guarded myself against ever thinking during the process that I would actually get it because I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment.

Q. Would you characterize the nature of the meeting with Father Malloy (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I don't think I'm in a position to share what was discussed, but it was about a 45 minutes to an hour in length. We just shared ideas. We just shared our views on what we thought about a lot of issues: life, the role of football at Notre Dame, the role of the head football coach at Notre Dame, all those things that he felt were very important.

Q. Yesterday when Coach Holtz was talking, you left the field. Did you just not want to be another distraction out there?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I felt like it was Lou Holtz's moment. I certainly didn't want -- I don't know if any reporter would have come up to Bob Davie, but I certainly didn't want anyone coming up to me and taking away from that moment because that moment right there is once in a lifetime for anyone.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I think first of all, there's a lot of other coaches on this staff that have benefitted from Lou Holtz's expertise in teaching guys how to become a head coach. We've got several other coaches on this staff right now that are excellent head coach prospects, including Dave Roberts.

I think if you went around this country and polled assistant football coaches in college football, they would tell you that based on Lou Holtz's track record, coaching for Lou Holtz, you'll have a great opportunity to be a head coach. But he's taught me to really keep focused on what's important, that's the day-to-day coaching, day-to-day execution, day-to-day motivation of the players.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: I don't think it's difficult at all. You know, I went through the same transition, RC Slocum at Texas A&M were on the staff together, RC as the defensive coordinator, I was the linebacker coach. One of the happiest days of my life is when RC Slocum got that head coaching job and Bob Davie was put into the roll of being the defensive coordinator. We maintained a great friendship. We also maintained a great professional relationship. You know, I can separate the two. I can separate the two. I'm going to remain a good friend. But as I mentioned, I'm not going to lose authority either.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, I think that's the thing I'm looking forward to the most, Jeff. You know, the role of an assistant football coach, particularly the defensive coordinator, it's a little bit of a grind on a day-to-day basis. You play so many different schemes, in there early morning till late at night battling those X's and O's every day. You don't get out of the office very much.

What I'm looking forward to is diversifying myself a little bit, and having the time to be able to be the head coach and spend thought on how to motivate players, and allowing guys to come by my office during the day and help them with some issues that are maybe important in their lives at that time.

So the fact that I won't have to spend just the unbelievable hours on X's and O's, I think it gives me a lot more time to spend time focusing and getting ready for what I think's important.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: Well, you know, I grew up in Pittsburgh. Obviously I can remember Sunday mornings, the Notre Dame highlights and Notre Dame highlights show always on.

I wish I brought it with me, in fact, my wife wanted me to bring this with me, but I have a letter that I received my senior year in high school when I was a high school football player at Moon High School at Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, I received a recruiting letter from Notre Dame. At that time I was having a little bit of trouble staying focused in the classroom and I wasn't doing the things necessary it would take to get into Notre Dame.

I can remember my head high school football coach, Rick Shear, handed me that letter and, through the letter he had like a line through it saying "be worthy". I'll never forget that. I'll never forget that moment where I received that recruiting letter from Notre Dame, but my high school coach kind of X'd out my name and said, You've got to be worthy to get this. He based it on the fact I maybe wasn't doing everything I needed to do academically to prepare myself.

Obviously growing up in Pennsylvania, you know, coaching at Pittsburgh, we had some great games against Notre Dame over the years.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: I'm trying to think. It wasn't from George Kelly. Might have been from Tom Pagna. A recruiting letter, preliminary type recruiting letter, I've still got that letter.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BOB DAVIE: I tell you what, I had to laugh. Melvin Dansby said, "Coach, I want to come back here five or six year from now and look at you all wrinkled up with gray hair." I'm going to do everything I can to keep from letting that happen. It's unbelievable when you think of all those things.

Thank you all, very much, for your attention.