April 6, 2002
The Notre Dame football team kicked off its spring season with a two-hour practice on Saturday afternoon. It marks the first practice under new head coach Tyrone Willingham.
“I thought it was a good first day,” Willingham said. “I thought the young men were eager to get started, as were our coaches.”
He also stated that his practices differ from some because it is a “fast-paced” practice.
“Our practice is intense and quick,” Willingham said. “At the same time, we are not at such a pace that we don’t have the opportunity to teach. We want to make sure that it is a major element of what we do.”
Willingham and his staff will have plenty of opportunities to teach, as Saturday marked the first of several spring practices. All the hard work will culminate into the annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage which will take place on April 27.
South Bend Weather
“The best blessing you can get is some sunshine and nice weather,” Willingham said
The unpredictable South Bend weather brought sunshine and mild temperatures for the Irish’s practices, allowing the team to practice outdoors.
First Practice Goals
Willingham and the Irish coaching staff made communication a priority for the team. He wanted to see how players and coaches communicated on and off the field.
“Really what we focused on was language and how we communicate with each other,” Willingham said. “Then we started to create an environment, that environment where we understand how we do the things we do and how we do them so that we can move forward as a football team.”