It seemed sufficiently expressive.

"This is a very thorough process," university President Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., had said, as the school's search committee flew hither and yon in search of Davie's successor.

"We can tell you everything about a candidate's background. We can tell you everything about his record."

So it seemed, until George O'Leary's past came to light and blew up in the faces of the Notre Dame athletic and administrative hierarchy.

The parts about claiming three-year football letterman status at New Hampshire, a school O'Leary actually attended for two years after transferring from the University of Dubuque (Iowa)...and later was found to never have played a down of varsity football for the Wildcats...and about earning a master's degree from New York University.

O'Leary's football career was derailed by mononucleosis in his junior year, a knee injury in his senior season.

"Some players said they remembered him on campus," Manchester Union-Leader reporter Jim Fennell told ESPN. "But they remembered him as a student, not as a football player. Obviously, he never played, a fact confirmed when Joe Yukica, New Hampshire's coach in the 1966-67 seasons, said he always those who played for him and could not recall O'Leary.

Athletic Director Kevin White, tired and drawn, had left campus in the pre-dawn hours to begin anew the draining search for an individ- ual to fill the nation's most visible football coaching position.

In his short prepared statement, he'd used the words O'Leary's misrepresentations were the product of "...A very human failing..." but also constituted a "...Breach of trust..."

So instead of preparing to hunker down and close deals on their share of the nation's bluechip prep seniors, Notre Dame's search committee, consisting of Father Malloy, trustee and former defensive back David Duerson, White and a very select few others, will earn more frequent flier miles.

With it comes another checklist of eligibles.

Somewhere in the Nevada desert, a sports book will somehow come up with a morning line on the Notre Dame's prospects.

As a small service, collegeBLITZ.com decided to issue a few educated guesses.

1. JON GRUDEN (Again) | Yes, the Oakland Raiders coach has the Al(batross) Davis millstone hanging around him. But if that N.D. flame burns at all, as he claimed it did during the college regular season, he will find a way to shake his fears of a possible messy divorce from Stalag Davis. Odds: 2-1.

2. BOB STOOPS | Yes, he pulled his name from consid- eration, but word is there's a Notre Dame escape- clause in his Oklahoma contract. A Youngstown native from an ethnic Catholic family, he might find the plains of Northern Indiana a bit more appetizing than the Oklahoma prairie. Odds: 5-1.

3. MIKE SHANAHAN | New name. Native of Chicago's south suburbs, Irish Catholic roots. What's left to do in Denver? Odds: 10-1.

4. BARRY ALVAREZ | Forget the snippet about some Wisconsin players purchasing unadvertised discounted shoes. Alvarez's name still rings true with some Irish alums and some on-campus figures. The only real question is: Do enough of them have serious clout to bring the former Lou Holtz defensive coordin- ator back as head coach? Odds: 10-1.

5. TYRONE WILLINGHAM | The Stanford coach has done a workmanlike job of keeping the Cardinal football program nationally visible, scoring an impressive early-season home victory over Boston College as well as beating Notre Dame. As one of only five African-American coaches among the nearly 120 Division I-A programs, he is an attractive candidate. Can he develop the passion for Notre Dame the committee cherishes? Odds: 12-1.

6. TOM O'BRIEN | "Notre Dame would NEVER raid Boston College for its coach," one old grad said. "Ever heard of Frank Leahy?" he was asked. But he had a ready answer. "Leahy was a 'Domer.' He was always an N.D. guy." Still, if the twists and turns of this totally-unexpected chase don't play out correctly, you never know. Odds: 15-1.

7. NICK SABAN | The L.S.U. coach replaced Notre Dame grad Gerry DiNardo in Baton Rouge and the Tigers sprung a major upset on Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference championship game. He is known to like the student-athlete concept. Odds: 15-1.

Off the board — San Francisco 49ers coach Steve Mariucci, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti. Bellotti is a Roman Catholic, but his wife and children are Mormons. Does this matter? Probably not, but Notre Dame's a tad finicky in this area and the Mormon/Catholic family mix, plus Bellotti's love of tree-hugger country and success in one of the nation's best conferences — the Pacific 10 — should keep him in Eugene.