Bob Davie ( American football ) Robert Edwin " Bob " Davie , Jr . ( born September 30 , 1954 ) is the head coach for the University of New Mexico Lobos . He is a former ESPN analyst and former American football player . He previously served as the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1997 to 2001 , compiling a record of 35 – 25 . Early life and playing career . Bob Davie was born in Sewickley , Pennsylvania to Bob Davie , Sr . and June . Davie was raised in Coraopolis , Pennsylvania . As a student at Moon Area High School , Davie excelled in sports , lettering three times each in football , baseball , and basketball . During his senior year , Davie served as captain of both the football and basketball teams . The same year , his elder brother died of cancer . Davie received a football scholarship to attend the University of Arizona . After two weeks in Arizona , however , Davie became homesick and returned to Pennsylvania . He soon enrolled in nearby Youngstown State University , where he was a starting tight end for three years . Assistant coach . Following his graduation from Youngstown State in 1977 , Davie took a job as a graduate assistant for the University of Pittsburgh football team , working under head coach Jackie Sherrill . Davie then spent two years as an assistant coach at the University of Arizona before returning to the University of Pittsburgh for the 1980 – 1982 seasons . He then moved to Tulane as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach from 1983 to 1984 . From 1985 to 1988 , Davie served as the outside linebackers coach at Texas A & M University before serving as the school ' s defensive coordinator from 1989 to 1993 . During his stint at A & M , he helped further develop the " Wrecking Crew " defense , which , in 1991 was No . 1 in the nation in total defense . In 1994 , Lou Holtz , the head coach at the University of Notre Dame , offered Davie a job as defensive coordinator , at the recommendation of Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Moore . Although Davie twice turned down this job offer , after discussing the matter with his wife he agreed to work for Holtz . Under Davie , the Notre Dame defense improved , and in 1996 the team set a school record for number of sacks and allowed the lowest total yardage of any Notre Dame team since 1980 . In September 1995 , Davie served as interim head coach when Holtz missed a game in order to have surgery . Under Davie , Notre Dame beat Vanderbilt 41 – 0 . Head coach . In November 1996 , Holtz retired from Notre Dame after eleven seasons as head coach . Notre Dame interviewed four candidates , including Gary Barnett , Tom Clements , and Davie . Davie had applied for several other head coaching jobs , and was offered a position at Purdue University . He turned down Purdue when offered the opportunity to become the next head coach at Notre Dame . Davie was the first assistant to become a head coach at Notre Dame since 1954 , when Terry Brennan replaced Frank Leahy . Fans were not excited about Davie ' s promotion . His habit of referring to the traditions of Texas A & M University rather than those of Notre Dame alienated many fans . Within months of his hiring , Davie and the university were sued by Joe Moore , who had been fired by Davie . Moore alleged that Davie had defamed him , and that his firing was a result of age discrimination . Although a judge dismissed the defamation charges , the university was later found guilty of age discrimination , and Moore received a small settlement . Throughout much of the proceedings , fan sentiment had been on Moore ' s side , with many fans very unhappy with Davie . During Davie ' s tenure , Notre Dame was also placed under NCAA sanctions for the first time over the actions of a booster . The school was placed on probation and lost two scholarships , and the university subsequently disbanded all booster clubs . In five seasons at Notre Dame , Davie compiled a 35 – 25 record including three bowl games , most notably the 2001 Fiesta Bowl , a 41 – 9 loss to Oregon State , which was the first Bowl Championship Series game in school history . His final season included the 2001 AFCA Academic Achievement Award when the Notre Dame football team posted a 100 % graduation rate . Notre Dame ' s performance on the field was inconsistent from year to year during Davie ' s tenure . Following a 7 – 6 campaign in 1997 which saw Notre Dame overcome a 2 – 5 start , the Irish were poised for a major bowl bid with a 9 – 1 record going into their 1998 season finale against USC when quarterback Jarious Jackson suffered a knee injury on the last play of the LSU game . Jackson did not play against the Trojans and Notre Dame , its offense rendered powerless , suffered a 10 – 0 loss . The team had to settle for the Gator Bowl and lost to Georgia Tech to finish 9 – 3 . A 5 – 7 campaign followed in 1999 and the national media began to question Davie ' s abilities . In 2000 the Irish bounced back and finished 9 – 3 once again on a significantly weak schedule . Newly - hired athletic director Kevin White promptly gave Davie a five - year contract extension . Within weeks of signing the contract extension , Davie ' s team lost in the Fiesta Bowl . During the next season , Davie presided over the first 0 – 3 start in Notre Dame history in 2001 . The Irish won their next three games to even their record , but losses to Boston College , Tennessee and Stanford sealed Davie ' s fate as the Irish finished 5 – 6 . He was fired on December 2 , one day after a 24 – 18 win over Purdue . Davie was replaced by George O ' Leary , who in turn resigned in disgrace after it was revealed that his resume contained inaccuracies . Notre Dame then turned to Tyrone Willingham to lead the program . On November 16 , 2011 , Davie was hired as the new football coach at New Mexico replacing Mike Locksley . Media career . Between his head coaching positions at Notre Dame and New Mexico , Davie was a college football analyst for ESPN and ABC , and a color commentator for " ESPN2 College Football Saturday Primetime " . Personal life . Davie is married to the former Joanne Fratangelo . They are parents of two children , Audra and Clay . Clay Davie played football at Arizona State University .