Lionel Tyrone Willingham (born December 30, 1953) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player and coach. He was the

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

(1995–2001), the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

(2002–2004), and the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

(2005–2008), compiling a career

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

record of 76–88–1.

Early career

Willingham attended Jacksonville Senior High School in

Jacksonville, North Carolina Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the 14th-largest city in North Carolina. Jacksonville is the county seat and most populous commun ...

and lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. He went on to

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

, where he played football and baseball and graduated in 1977 with a degree in

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...

. Willingham held assistant coaching positions at his alma mater (1977, 1980–82),

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

(1978–79),

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

(1983–85),

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

(1986–88), and

(1989–91). When Stanford head coach

Dennis Green Dennis Earl Green (February 17, 1949 – July 21, 2016) was an American football coach. During his National Football League (NFL) career, Green coached the Minnesota Vikings for 10 seasons. He coached the Vikings to eight playoff appearances in ...

was hired as the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

head coach in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, Willingham followed him as

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

s coach (1992–94).

Head coaching positions

Stanford

Following the

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

season, despite having never been more than a position coach at any level, Willingham returned to Stanford as head coach, succeeding Bill Walsh. In his seven seasons (1995–2001) as coach, he led the Cardinal to a 44–36–1 record and four

bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...

appearances. Notably, Willingham's teams went undefeated (7-0) against arch-rival

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. In 2000, he was presented with the Eddie Robinson Coach of Distinction Award that is given annually to honor "an outstanding college football coach and role model for career achievement". His best team was the 1999 team, which won the school's first outright Pacific-10 Conference title in 29 years and appeared in the 2000 Rose Bowl. Willingham's 44 wins were the most by a Stanford coach since John Ralston, who left the school for the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

of the NFL after the 1971 season.

Notre Dame

2002

On December 31, 2001, Willingham was hired as head coach at Notre Dame. Willingham began the

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

season by going 8–0, and went on to become the only first-year coach in Notre Dame history to win 10 games. For his efforts, he was named the ESPN/Home Depot College Coach of the Year, the Scripps College Coach of the Year, the Black Coaches Association Male Coach of the Year, and the

George Munger Award The George Munger Award is presented to the NCAA Division I college football coach of the year by the Maxwell Football Club. The award was named after former University of Pennsylvania head coach George Munger. People who voted for the winners ...

College Coach of the Year by the

Maxwell Football Club The Maxwell Football Club (originally called the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia) was established in 1935 to promote safety in the game of American football. Named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell, legendary college player, official, and ...

. In the 2002 regular-season finale, ND was blown out by arch-rival

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

, 44–13, and was outgained 610–109—the worst such margin in school history. That loss knocked ND from a likely

Bowl Championship Series The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...

berth down to the 2003 Gator Bowl—where they were beaten by

North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

, 28–6.

2003

The 2003 team finished 5–7 and was beaten badly in four of those losses, getting shut out twice in one season for the first time since 1960, including a 37-0 loss to Florida State and finishing with a point differential of 243–315—the worst of any Fighting Irish team since the 2–8 team of 1956.

2004

In 2004, Notre Dame posted a 6–5 record in the regular season, including a 41–16 loss to

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

(the second-worst home loss ever to Purdue) and ending with Willingham's third consecutive loss to

for his fifth loss by 30 points or more, and eighth by 22 points or more, in his three seasons. The following Tuesday, November 30, after an overall record in South Bend of 21–15 (an 8-0 start followed by a 13-15 finish), Notre Dame terminated Willingham as head coach. Defensive coordinator

Kent Baer Kent Lex Baer (born May 2, 1951) is an American college football coach. He is the defensive coordinator at the University of Montana, a position he had held since 2018. Baer served as the interim head football coach at the University of Notre D ...

served as acting head coach for the

Insight Bowl The Guaranteed Rate Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989. Played as the Copper Bowl from inception through 1996, it was known as the Insight.com Bowl from 1997 through 2001, then ...

, a 38–21 loss to

Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...

Washington

On December 13, 2004, Willingham was hired as the new head coach at

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, succeeding

Keith Gilbertson Keith Steven Gilbertson Jr. (born May 15, 1948) is a retired American football coach and player. He was the head coach at the University of Idaho (1986–1988), the University of California, Berkeley (1992–1995), and the University of Washingto ...

. The Huskies returned 19 of 22 starters from the previous season, in which they had gone 1–10 (0–8 in conference play). Willingham's primary task was to change the program's image, which had been marred by off-the-field legal problems under

Rick Neuheisel Richard Gerald Neuheisel Jr. (; born February 7, 1961) is an American football analyst, coach, former player, and attorney. He served as the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1995 to 1999, at the University of Washi ...

. He instituted a strict hair policy and was known to occasionally show up in his players' classes unannounced to make sure they were attending.

2005

As chance would have it, Willingham found himself facing his former team on September 24, 2005. Notre Dame prevailed, 36–17. His first season at Washington ended with a 2–9 record (1–7 in conference play, tied for 9th place), capped by a scuffle after a close loss to Washington State.

2006

His 2006 Washington team started October with a 4–1 record, with its most notable victory a stunning 29–19 upset over previously undefeated

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

, before losing its next 6 games after starting

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Isaiah Stanback Isaiah Ramon Stanback (born August 16, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at ...

suffered a season-ending foot injury in a loss to Oregon State in their sixth game. The Huskies ended the season at 5–7 (3–6 in conference play, 9th place), this time defeating state rival

Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

(WSU) by three points. This win held WSU from defeating the Huskies for three years in a row, something that has never happened in the history of the century-long rivalry.

2007

The 2007 Washington Huskies football team faced what a preseason

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...

opinion piece called "the toughest schedule in the country" Washington went on to a 4–9 record overall (2–7 in conference play, 10th place) with wins against Syracuse, Boise State,

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

, and

. There was considerable debate after the season over whether Willingham should be fired as no other coach in the history of the program had ever tallied three straight losing seasons.

won the Apple Cup again, making it three out of the last four. In the end, it was decided that he would return for the upcoming season with the expectation that the team become more competitive. Additionally, several boosters were pleased at Willingham's effort to clean up the program.

2008

Willingham's stiff demeanor resulted in a somewhat acrimonious relationship with fans, boosters, and the Seattle media. The turning point came at the end of his third (losing) season when there was a big question as to whether he would be retained. However, President Emmert gave him a vote of confidence and he was retained for a fourth year. The 2008 season started off inauspiciously with #21

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

defeating Washington 44–10. This marked the first time Oregon had ever beaten Washington five times in a row in the history of the century-long rivalry. The second game against #15

BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...

was a nail biter and Washington scored the final touchdown in the final minute. The PAT would have tied the game, however an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called against quarterback

Jake Locker Jacob Cooper Locker (born June 15, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Washington, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans eighth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. A backup during his e ...

who had thrown the ball up in the air in celebration after scoring the touchdown. This moved the PAT attempt to 35 yards which was blocked and the BYU escaped with a 28–27 victory. In the next game, the Huskies were dismantled 55–14 by the #3

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run ...

, giving the overmatched Huskies their greatest margin of defeat at home since 1929. In the fourth game, the Huskies lost to

leaving them as the only winless team in a BCS conference. The Huskies were without a sack, leaving them as the only school without a sack at this point of the season. It was the second 0–4 start in the last five years and only the fourth time ever in the history of the program. Starting quarterback Jake Locker was lost for the season, injuring his left hand during a block on a reverse. In the fifth game,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

put Washington away early and the game ended with a 48–14 wipeout of the Huskies. This was the biggest margin of victory by Arizona over Washington ever, and started a watch of just how bad the team could get. The Huskies had a flat performance in their sixth game to lose to

34–13. This was the fifth consecutive loss to the Beavers, something that had never happened in the long history of the series. Game 7 was another loss versus his former team Notre Dame. The Huskies were nearly shutout in suffering a 33–7 loss that left them 0–7 and ineligible for a bowl game yet again. On October 27, 2008, seven games into the 2008 season, Willingham announced that his contract was being terminated and he would be leaving UW after the regular season.Willingham to step down as Huskies coach at season's end
Associated Press, October 27, 2008, Accessed October 27, 2008. Game 8 was a shutout by

. At 0–11, Washington was the only winless team in the FBS, and the owner of a 13-game losing streak stretching from the last season. Washington closed out the season with a loss at 1–10 Washington State in double-overtime, making it four of the last five, and with a season-ending loss at

. Willingham finished the season with an 0–12 record, the Huskies' first winless season in 119 years.

After coaching and family

In 2014, Willingham was named as a member of the

College Football Playoff The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...

selection committee. Willingham also volunteered as a coach on the Stanford women's golf team in 2011. Willingham served as President on the

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

(AFCA) Board of Trustees in 2008. On July 18, 2010, at the age of 56 and nearly two years after he had coached his last game, Willingham announced he was retired from coaching. Willingham is married and has three children, Cassidy, Kelsey and Nathaniel, with his wife, Kim. Cassidy was a gymnast at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...

and Kelsey was a softball player at the

University of California at Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the U ...

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willingham, Tyrone 1953 births Living people American football quarterbacks Central Michigan Chippewas football coaches College Football Playoff Selection Committee members Michigan State Spartans football coaches Michigan State Spartans football players Minnesota Vikings coaches NC State Wolfpack football coaches Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches Rice Owls football coaches Stanford Cardinal football coaches Washington Huskies football coaches People from Kinston, North Carolina Coaches of American football from North Carolina Players of American football from North Carolina African-American coaches of American football African-American players of American football