Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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title runs with five differ- ent football coaches, but he was 3-0 as the "acting head coach" when Leahy was bed-ridden with ill- ness, including the 26-6 season-finale win versus USC in 1946 that helped the Irish win the national title. The last time an Irish assistant had to replace a head coach on the side- lines because of health reasons was 1995, when Bob Davie stepped in for Lou Holtz, who had un- dergone neck surgery. had greater continuity in his staff than Ara Par- seghian (1964-74). Three of his assistants — back- field coach Tom Pagna, defensive backs coach Paul Shoults and defen- sive line coach Yonto — were with him all 11 sea- sons from 1964-74. In Parseghian's final six THE LOYALISTS No Irish head coach seasons from 1969-74, he had only one change on his staff. Offensive line coach Jerry Wampfler took the head coaching post at Colorado State in 1970 and was replaced by Brian Boulac to assist Wally Moore. Moore had been with Parseghian at Notre Dame since 1966, while Notre Dame alumnus Boulac had been a gradu- ate assistant for him and would coach with the program through 1982. NO ORDINARY JOE The record for most years as an Irish assis- tant was 19 by Yonto — 17 straight during the Ara Parseghian and Dan Devine years (1964-80), and then the first two un- der Lou Holtz (1986-87). In between, he served in an administrative capac- ity for Gerry Faust from 1981-85. What's amazing is Yonto had no college coaching experience when Parseghian hired the Notre Dame gradu- ate from the high school ranks. He gradually moved up the ladder, first as a defensive line as- sistant to John Ray from 1964-68, then as coach of the entire line when Ray took the head coaching position at Kentucky in 1969, and then defensive coordinator in 1977. The runner-up was linebackers coach George Kelly with 17 years from 1969-85, spanning the last six years under Par- seghian and then the entire Devine and Faust regimes. He moved to an administrative capacity under Holtz and later be- came special assistant to the athletics director. COORDINATING EFFORTS The word "coordina- tor" was not used until Devine came aboard in 1975. He gave the of- fensive coordinator title first to Merv Johnson that year, followed by recruit- ing coordinator to Boulac in 1976, and finally defen- sive coordinator to Yonto in 1977. MOORE OR LESS The most popular sur- name among Irish assis- tants was Moore, with three total. • Wally Moore was first the freshman coach and later offensive line assis- tant for Parseghian from 1966-74. • Mal Moore, a Bear Bryant disciple and the Alabama athletics direc- tor since November 1999, was the running backs coach from 1983-85 and assistant head coach his last two years under Faust. • Finally, Joe Moore was hired to coach Notre Dame's tackles and tight ends in 1988, took over the entire line the fol-