Dan Devine had some big shoes to fill. He arrived at Notre Dame as the replacement of the great Ara Parseghian, one of the most successful coaches in Fighting Irish history. But by all accounts, Devine did what he could with what he had. He would guide Notre Dame to a 53-16-1 record with 3 bowl wins.
One of his most memorable victories came in 1977 when he and a young Joe Montana led the Fighting Irish to a national championship. In the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic, Notre Dame demolished Texas and Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, 38-10.
Devine was also a coach of much controversy, changing the traditional navy blue and white team jerseys to Kelly green and gold in a game against the USC Trojans. Notre Dame ended up crushing the Trojans 49-19, and as a result, the Irish would wear green for Devine’s entire stay.
However, even with his achievements, many sports writers and football experts observed that Devine was never really accepted by Notre Dame. Whether it was because they had gotten used to Ara Parseghian or for other reasons, the Fighting Irish community was cold to Devine.
But any way you look at it, love him or hate him, Devine did deliver wins and titles. And that is a testament to just how competent he is as a coach.
Hello there, my name’s Tom Colton, and I’m currently studying at the University of Notre Dame and I’m a huge fan of the Fighting Irish. For more writings on Notre Dame football, drop by this blog.
Tom Colton 
