High School "All-Star" Games -- Big Surprises!

Brian Kelly and staff will be pleased to see "three" of their verbal commitments named among the "Top Ten Surprises" at the recent high school All-Star football games played across the country -- by the "recruiting experts" at Rivals.com.  I won't spoil the story -- but, the #1 surprise in the country is a ND commit!  Here's the link:


LINK:  TOP TEN SURPRISES @ HIGH SCHOOL ALL-STAR GAMES

Video of "GO IRISH" chant in Ethiopia!

Notre Dame alum, Matt Desmond is involved in Run Across Ethiopia -- a group that is running the equivalent of a marathon -- EVERY SINGLE DAY -- for ten straight days in Ethiopia, to raise money to build three schools in this African country.  They began the run last Sunday -- and as you'll see in the links below -- Matt is thinking about Notre Dame along the way.  In the first video, you'll find Matt teaching a number of Ethiopian children how to yell "GO IRISH" and "Michael Floyd."  In the second video, Matt teaches them how to yell "Ishaq Negus" -- the first and middle name of the high school All-American, Ishaq Williams -- who committed to Brian Kelly this week.  Only at Notre Dame!

LINK:  ETHIOPIAN CHILDREN YELLING "GO IRISH!" 

LINK:  ETHIOPIAN CHILDREN YELLING "ISHAQ NEGUS" 

LINK:  FACEBOOK -- RUN ACROSS ETHIOPIA 

LINK:  BLOG: RUN ACROSS ETHIOPIA

All the Notre Dame Men @ Florida

If you've been paying any attention at all to the Florida Gators football program the past five years under Urban Meyer -- and now a month into the Will Muschamp era -- you will have found one common trait amongst each of their coaching staffs:  a relationship to the University of Notre Dame.

FACT:  Each of the last six (including current) Florida Gator football coaching staffs have spent more years; attending, coaching or playing football at Notre Dame -- than Brian Kelly's current staff.

Think about that...

Meyer, a former Notre Dame assistant coach under Lou Holtz -- hired a number of coaches who had ties to the University of Notre Dame football program during his five years at Florida:

• Steve Addazzio -- Offensive Coordinator, was on Bob Davie's staff at Notre Dame
• Greg Mattison -- Co-Defensive Coordinator, was on Davie's and Willingham's staff at Notre Dame
• Charlie Strong -- Defensive Coordinator, was on Lou Holtz and Bob Davie's staff at Notre Dame
• Chuck Heater -- Co-Defensive Coordinator, was on Lou Holtz's staff at Notre Dame
• Anthony Weaver -- Grad Assistant, former Notre Dame starting defensive end

Will Muschamp, who was named as Meyer's replacement this past month -- has already followed suit -- hiring two Notre Dame grads to his staff:

• Charlie Weis '78 -- Offensive Coordinator -- ND alum and former Head Coach of the Irish
• Bryant Young '94 -- Defensive Line Coach -- ND alum, former Irish All-American and Grad Assistant on Charlie Weis' staff at Notre Dame

Don't they say; "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Irish Women's Hoops -- Smash Pitt Panthers!

Muffet's 12th ranked Fighting Irish traveled to Pittsburgh last night to take on the 9-7 Pitt Panthers -- and it looked like they had a "little fun" in the process, leading 50-19 at halftime!  Notre Dame went on to beat Pitt 82-50 -- taking their record to 15-4 for the season and 4-1 in the Big East.   Surprisingly, Notre Dame had lost its last two games against Pitt. Here's a link to the South Bend Tribune story:

LINK:  SBT:  IRISH ROUT PITT