Leadership Matters - And Notre Dame Came Up Short | Derek Dooley

I spent nearly three decades in college and professional football and was fortunate to be a part of championship runs, heartbreaking losses, great wins, losing seasons, and everything in between. While a lot has changed in America’s greatest sport, there are some fundamental truths that remain.

One thing I’ve learned is this: the moments that define programs aren’t always wins and losses. Many times it comes down to how leaders respond when things don’t go their way. That’s why I was deeply disappointed in Notre Dame’s leadership following the College Football Playoff decision to leave them out.

Was the playoff committee’s decision fair? Maybe, maybe not. But that’s life — and that’s football. Deciding to opt out of a great bowl game because you didn’t like the outcome sends exactly the wrong message to current and future players, kids who love sports and dream of getting a similar chance one day, and your fans.

There’s no question we have barreled into a new era of college athletics. Expanded playoffs, player compensation, NIL, and the transfer portal — all of that is real and presents challenges for coaches, administrations, players, and families. But none of those absolve university leadership of college athletics’ most important mission: developing young men and women into better people with skills and character traits that will make them more successful when they leave their alma mater.

College sports are supposed to teach hard work, personal responsibility, humility, teamwork, grit, and the ability to play for something bigger than yourself. Those lessons don’t stop being important just because a committee makes a decision you don’t like.

There are two fundamental problems with Notre Dame’s decision.

First, players play because they love to compete. Not every team gets to play for a national championship — that’s always been true. But that doesn’t make competition meaningless. Bowl games matter because competition matters.

You don’t see NFL teams quitting once they’re eliminated from playoff contention. In fact, I’ve been part of teams that played their tails off in December simply for the pride of competing, the joy of the locker room, and the opportunity to beat the guy across from you. These memories and the bonds created through shared sacrifice last a lifetime.

By opting out, Notre Dame denied its players a meaningful competitive experience not to protect them, but because of sour grapes. And don’t say they wanted to opt out — leaders should lead them.

Second, what lesson are you teaching your players and millions of others when things don’t go your way? Take your ball and go home? Blame others? Accept no personal responsibility? Don’t look inward and ask what you could have done better?

Frankly, they could’ve beaten Miami.

Contrast that with leaders like Coach Clark Lea at Vanderbilt. Coach Lea openly acknowledged his team’s shortcomings and took ownership when expectations weren’t met, even though Vanderbilt enjoyed a historic season this year. His message has been consistent: we didn’t win enough games and that’s on us. That’s leadership.

Which brings me to why all Georgians should be proud of the leadership at our flagship institution.

In 2023, Georgia was the No. 1 team in the country and lost a close SEC Championship Game. By any reasonable standard, they were one of the four best teams in college football, yet they were left out of the playoff. They were upset and rightfully so.

But what did Georgia do? How did the coaches and players react to adversity?

They went to work. They showed up to their bowl game and beat the brakes off Florida State, a team that was also left out of the playoff but chose to spend its time complaining and pointing fingers. The results spoke for themselves.

That response didn’t happen by accident. It’s why Georgia is the gold standard in college athletics — not just because of elite talent, but because of elite leadership. Kirby Smart is the best coach in the business and he’s supported by outstanding university leadership who understand the mission. Together, they’ve built a culture that prepares young people to handle and succeed in spite of adversity, not avoid it.

Life doesn’t always feel fair because it isn’t. Neither is football. The job of leadership isn’t to protect people from disappointment — it’s to teach them how to respond to it.

Georgia gets that. Notre Dame should too.