Rockne’s Aura Was Different for Ara in His Era

Lou Holtz walked away from the greatest coaching job in America on Tuesday for no good reason, he said.

Well, that’s no good reason.

Holtz is leaving Notre Dame, the only job he ever coveted, the jewel in college football’s crown.

Why?

Because he was afraid of a ghost?

If one of the reasons Holtz is leaving is because he did not want to break Knute Rockne’s school record of 105 victories, it would be a first for humankind. Holtz will record his 100th victory--trust us--against lowly Rutgers on Saturday.

Imagine Henry Aaron stepping out of the box, stuck on 713 home runs, and announcing: “Man, I can’t do this. That record belongs to Babe Ruth.”

Or Pete Rose retiring one hit short of Ty Cobb’s all-time record for hits.

It doesn’t make sense.

Lou, this may come as a news flash, but records were made to be broken. Even Rockne’s. No one would have hated you for it.

Ask Cal Ripken Jr. how badly he felt after breaking Lou Gehrig’s hallowed record for consecutive games played.

The Rockne-aura question was posed to Ara Parseghian, who came within 11 victories of breaking the legendary coach’s record before retiring in 1974 with an 11-year record of 95-17-4.

Parseghian, who retired for health reasons, says he was never personally haunted by Rockne.

“It could very well be, because of tradition there,” Parseghian said, trying to examine Holtz’s thought process. “Rockne built the house, we all feel an obligation to that tradition. I sensed it when I was there. It could very well have been a factor. It was not a factor in the case of my decision.”

Parseghian said he never heard a disparaging word from alumni about his threatening Rockne’s mark.

Yet, Holtz spoke of Rockne’s record more than once in the final days.

“I would feel remorse if I were to break it,” Holtz said Sunday. Holtz also said not to read anything more into his retirement.

“People will say there has to be more to it than this, but believe me, there isn’t,” he said.

But how could there not be? Why else would Holtz walk away from a sweetheart deal?

Was he tired? Fed up? OK, say so.

Was he disappointed with this year’s 7-2 team? The crushing losses to Ohio State and Air Force? The pressures of recruiting?

Fine.

Was he haunted by the fact he recruited the wrong quarterback, Ron Powlus, to run his option attack? That his teams have lost 10 games the last three years?

Whenever a coach says there isn’t anything more to the story, there usually is more to the story.

If there really isn’t, Holtz made a big mistake.

“I think he was on an emotional roller coaster,” Parseghian said. “He’s a friend of mine. He was very upbeat about the season. All of a sudden, the roller coaster. The loss to Ohio State, that hits you over the head. Then you beat Washington, destroy them, then lose to Air Force. I think the dramatic ups and downs, like an elevator, put him into a funk. Now, you can’t win the national title, you’re not in a conference, so the only thing is a bowl, and the bowl may not be the bowl you want.

“It would be interesting to call Lou a month from now and say, ‘Are you still satisfied with the decision?’ He may have made a hasty, emotional decision. But I understand the roller coaster he was under.”

Unfortunately, the rest of us don’t.

Lou, was that all there is?

HOLTZ, THE LEGACY

Holtz will be best remembered for rescuing Notre Dame from its darkest hours, the Gerry Faust (30-26-1) years from 1981 to ‘85, and winning the national title in 1988.

But since last challenging for the national title in 1993, losing out to Florida State, Notre Dame has gone 6-5-1, 9-3 and 7-2 so far this season.

Holtz’s curious deployment of Powlus, a slow-footed, pro-style passer, into his option offense has long puzzled many, while his Irish teams of late have been underachievers.

Holtz was even slipping as a game-day coach. He made two mistakes in the 29-16 loss to Ohio State, first by not trying a two-point conversion when it was called for, second by not trying a field goal with his kicker clearly in range. Holtz acknowledged botching both plays.

Holtz, in sum, was an excellent college coach.

Not legendary. Not Rockne.

WELCOME BACK

The season’s best comeback story was lost in the fine print of most newspapers when Boise State Coach Pokey Allen returned to the sidelines Saturday after winning a second round against a rare form of muscle cancer.

Boise State, 1-9 without Allen, rewarded its coach with a 33-32, last-minute victory over New Mexico State in Las Cruces.

Allen, 53, had been on medical leave since Aug. 6 after suffering a recurrence of the cancer first diagnosed in December 1994. Allen returned to coach the Broncos to a 7-1 record last year before the latest relapse.

“Shoot, you know, we got lucky and came back and found a way to win,” Allen said of Saturday’s victory. “Everybody’s saying, ‘Oh the Pokey aura,’ and all that, but I’ve lost a lot of games like that. We happened to win this one, so it is a big deal for us.”

Having Allen back is a bigger deal.

While on medical leave, Allen sought alternative treatments in Canada for the cancer that had spread into his lungs.

“I was growing a baby out of my chest,” Allen said. “[The tumor] got the size of a large grapefruit.”

Doctors operated to remove the tumor, only to find another attached to it. Allen said radiation treatments reduced the second tumor to almost nothing.

“I’ve got some cancer cells in the lungs,” he said. “If they’re growing, they’re growing very slowly. They’re not hurting me at all.”

Allen’s prognosis was once bleak, but he now expects to coach five more years at least.

Allen can’t wait to get back on the field for Saturday’s season finale against Idaho, then get ready for 1997.

“I feel great today,” he said. “I’m on a strict diet, vegetarian diet, pastas, stuff like that. I’m fine. I’m a little lighter than I was, but not noticeably. I wouldn’t have come back if I thought I couldn’t coach.”

THE STATE OF SAN DIEGO

San Diego State’s November swoons continue. In three of the last five seasons before this one, the Aztecs could have clinched the Western Athletic Conference title with a home victory in their final conference game.

They lost all three, including last year’s 24-13 decision to Colorado State.

This season, the Aztecs fought back from early-season injuries and star tailback George Jones’ four-game suspension to challenge for the WAC title again.

The team’s Nov. 9 victory over then-undefeated Wyoming put the Aztecs in great shape to win the Pacific Division title and a play in the Dec. 7 title game.

The Aztecs needed only to win their last three games and hope that Wyoming would beat Colorado State on Saturday, which it did.

But the Aztecs responded with an unthinkable 44-42 loss to 0-10 Nevada Las Vegas, maybe the worst team in Division I.

HURRY-UP OFFENSE

--Alabama’s upset by Mississippi State threw the Southeastern Conference’s West Division race into chaos, possibly to a committee vote.

If Auburn beats Alabama on Saturday, and Arkansas defeats Louisiana State on Nov. 29, there will be a three-way tie in the West among Auburn, Alabama and LSU.

If that happens, the division winner will be determined by a vote of SEC athletic directors. The winner gets the privilege of playing East champion Florida in the Dec. 7 title game.

--With a loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, Oklahoma will finish 3-8, its worst record ever. Twice, Oklahoma has had seven-loss seasons. The Sooners were 3-7 in 1965 and 4-7-1 in 1931.

--Kansas State, whose bowl alliance hopes were dashed with its loss to Colorado, would probably earn a Cotton Bowl berth with a victory over Iowa State on Saturday. Kansas State has never appeared in a New Year’s Day bowl game.

--If Colorado loses to Nebraska on Nov. 29, look for the Buffaloes to accept a Holiday Bowl bid. Nationally, losses by North Carolina, Alabama and Kansas last weekend pared down the field for two at-large alliance picks.

The three teams fighting for the picks are now Penn State, Notre Dame and Brigham Young.

--Deja vu? Arizona State hopes not. Ten years ago, the Sun Devils clinched their first Rose Bowl berth by defeating California. Arizona State was 9-0-1 before its final regular-season game and needed a victory over Arizona in Tucson to enter the Rose Bowl unbeaten. The Sun Devils lost, 34-17.

Two weeks ago, the Sun Devils earned their second Rose Bowl berth by defeating California. Arizona State is 10-0 and needs only to beat Arizona in Tucson to enter the Rose Bowl undefeated.

But who believes in all that stuff?

--Let’s see, football game on Nov. 23 in Berkeley, basketball game in Maui two days later? Impossible?

First-year California basketball Coach Ben Braun says there’s a good chance Tony Gonzalez will be able to play in both. Gonzalez, Cal’s starting tight end, plays his last regular-season game against Stanford on Saturday. That leaves Cal’s starting forward plenty of time--doesn’t it?--to get to Hawaii in time to join his teammates in the Maui Classic on Nov. 25.

“It’s possible that might happen,” Braun said.

Anyone told Tony yet?