BeltwayVol
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As rebounds go, David Cutcliffe couldn't have asked for much more.
Fired after five seasons as head coach at Ole Miss, he landed squarely on his feet at Notre Dame as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach on Charlie Weis' new staff.
"All things considered," he says, "it was just about the perfect situation for me. It was an opportunity for me to grow as a coach in a great situation."
His heart was in it.
And then it wasn't.
First came the fatigue. Then came discomfort in his chest. Next was a visit to the doctor.
Finally, Cutcliffe underwent triple bypass heart surgery in March.
Suddenly, a golden opportunity under the Golden Dome was compromised. Given his weakened condition and the demands of coaching at a program like Notre Dame, Cutcliffe resigned.
"It became clear to me that I just couldn't do the job," he says. "I wasn't able to work like you need to work. I owed that to Coach Weis and to those players. I would've been short-changing Notre Dame. If you can't do the job because of your health, you need to step back.
"It was the toughest decision I've ever had to make."
Next came the easiest one. Instead of staying in South Bend, Ind., or returning to Oxford, Miss., Cutcliffe sought out the comfort zone of East Tennessee. An assistant for 17 years at the University of Tennessee, he came home.
"It's the perfect place for our family to be right now," he said. "I can step back, regain my strength, get healthy and take a look at where we can go from here."
While he's recovering and rehabbing, Cutcliffe also will take on a new venture. He has committed to doing talk radio four hours a week in Knoxville. "I'm heading to the dark side," he said with a laugh.
Somehow, I don't think Jim Rome is shaking behind his microphone for fear of losing his job. Cutcliffe is thorough and analytical, but he is no shock jock. Reporters covering his Ole Miss teams said his Monday press conferences were a cure for insomnia.
"I see things from a coach's perspective, not necessarily a fan's perspective, so hopefully I can add something to the shows," he said.
Mostly, though, Cutcliffe is just trying to get back up to speed physically. He lost 30 pounds after the surgery and is slowly upgrading his cardiac rehab program.
"I wouldn't want to start two-a-days in the sun right now, but by October or November I expect to be at full speed. The doctors are optimistic."
Once a coach, always a coach. In time, Cutcliffe plans to return to the sideline. It's in his blood. He says he wants to be a head coach again, but understands that his next job Plan B, he calls it could be as an assistant.
Frankly, that may be the best fit. Some people are better assistant coaches than head coaches. Cutcliffe's personality is better suited to handling one position or overseeing an offense rather than running the whole operation.
He has the Midas touch with quarterbacks. At UT, he tutored Andy Kelly, Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning and Tee Martin. At Ole Miss, he recruited and coached Eli Manning. His effectiveness is measured in passing mileage and first-round draft picks.
"I've had the good fortune to coach some outstanding players who were also great people," he said.
Yes, David Cutcliffe's heart is in the right place.
Fired after five seasons as head coach at Ole Miss, he landed squarely on his feet at Notre Dame as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach on Charlie Weis' new staff.
"All things considered," he says, "it was just about the perfect situation for me. It was an opportunity for me to grow as a coach in a great situation."
His heart was in it.
And then it wasn't.
First came the fatigue. Then came discomfort in his chest. Next was a visit to the doctor.
Finally, Cutcliffe underwent triple bypass heart surgery in March.
Suddenly, a golden opportunity under the Golden Dome was compromised. Given his weakened condition and the demands of coaching at a program like Notre Dame, Cutcliffe resigned.
"It became clear to me that I just couldn't do the job," he says. "I wasn't able to work like you need to work. I owed that to Coach Weis and to those players. I would've been short-changing Notre Dame. If you can't do the job because of your health, you need to step back.
"It was the toughest decision I've ever had to make."
Next came the easiest one. Instead of staying in South Bend, Ind., or returning to Oxford, Miss., Cutcliffe sought out the comfort zone of East Tennessee. An assistant for 17 years at the University of Tennessee, he came home.
"It's the perfect place for our family to be right now," he said. "I can step back, regain my strength, get healthy and take a look at where we can go from here."
While he's recovering and rehabbing, Cutcliffe also will take on a new venture. He has committed to doing talk radio four hours a week in Knoxville. "I'm heading to the dark side," he said with a laugh.
Somehow, I don't think Jim Rome is shaking behind his microphone for fear of losing his job. Cutcliffe is thorough and analytical, but he is no shock jock. Reporters covering his Ole Miss teams said his Monday press conferences were a cure for insomnia.
"I see things from a coach's perspective, not necessarily a fan's perspective, so hopefully I can add something to the shows," he said.
Mostly, though, Cutcliffe is just trying to get back up to speed physically. He lost 30 pounds after the surgery and is slowly upgrading his cardiac rehab program.
"I wouldn't want to start two-a-days in the sun right now, but by October or November I expect to be at full speed. The doctors are optimistic."
Once a coach, always a coach. In time, Cutcliffe plans to return to the sideline. It's in his blood. He says he wants to be a head coach again, but understands that his next job Plan B, he calls it could be as an assistant.
Frankly, that may be the best fit. Some people are better assistant coaches than head coaches. Cutcliffe's personality is better suited to handling one position or overseeing an offense rather than running the whole operation.
He has the Midas touch with quarterbacks. At UT, he tutored Andy Kelly, Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning and Tee Martin. At Ole Miss, he recruited and coached Eli Manning. His effectiveness is measured in passing mileage and first-round draft picks.
"I've had the good fortune to coach some outstanding players who were also great people," he said.
Yes, David Cutcliffe's heart is in the right place.
