The reason O'Leary, 55, was forced to resign as Fighting Irish coach came down to an innocuous effort by a Manchester, N.H. sports writer to pursue a local angle of what promised to be O'Leary's noblest venture.

"The writer from the (Manchester) Union-Leader (Jim Fennell) was going to write a nice fluff story on Coach O'Leary," said former Irish, Bears and New York Giants defensive back David Duerson.

"He called (the University of New Hampshire athletic department) and asked, 'How does it feel to have a three-year letterman as head coach at Notre Dame?'"

Duerson has more than your typical ex-Irish footballer's interest in O'Leary's fate. A member of the university's board of trustees, he was a key member of the search committee for Bob Davie's replacement.

As he talked with ESPN Radio 1000's Dan McNeil and Harry Teinowitz Friday, the disappointment was apparent in Duerson's voice.

"The guy (New Hampshire Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information Scott Stepin) said, 'He never played here.'"

The resultant fallout touches every part of the college football world. It turns out O'Leary, who was greeted on campus last Sunday much as Gen. Charles DeGaulle had been in August of 1944 along Paris' Champs Elysees. It turns out George Joseph O'Leary, the Central Islip, N.Y., grandson of Irish immigrants with the endearing Noo Yawk accent and let's-get-down-to-business was a victim of his own ambition from over 20 years ago.

The reality is he was not a three-year letterman at New Hampshire. And that he had not earned a master's degree from New York University as he had proclaimed on his profile as he applied for his first college position, at Syracuse University, after six years as a high school coach in New York state.

His terse, prepared statement says the rest.

"Due to a selfish and thoughtless act many years ago (apparently as he applied for an assistant's position in 1980 on coach Dick MacPherson's Syracuse staff), I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni and fans," it read.

"The integrity and credibility of Notre Dame is impeccable, and with that in mind, I will resign my post as head football coach effective December 13, 2001."

With forty-seven words, George O'Leary was gone.

And a stunned campus was left to wonder why the fickle winds of fate had blown so cruelly on Notre Dame's storied football program once again.

"He said, 'This was a mistake as a young coach,'" Fennell told CNN sports anchor Larry Smith Friday. "One reporter said to me that sports information directors would get calls from coaches looking to change their resumes."

Fennell smiled wryly, not particularly happy in a newsmaker role. But around the country, the fallout from South Bend pushed Jason Giambi, Michael Jordan, the Bowl Championship Series and Chicago Blackhawks' power play out of the spotlight.

Again that imaginary halo atop Notre Dame's beleaguered football program appeared bent to jaded outsiders.

Many media, products of business-as-usual, football-factory state or private universities' journalism schools, snickered joyously at the Irish's continuing misadventures.

One Notre Dame sophomore, interviewed by South Bend's WNDU-TV said with an ironic smile, "Finals should be canceled; they ought to focus on what's really important. This is a pretty major deal."

But few Irish eyes were smiling.

"There are three qualities Notre Dame looks for in a coach," Duerson told AM-1000. "One, a proven winner, a guy who can get Notre Dame back into major prominence. Two, he needs to be a great fit for Notre Dame, to have a passion for Notre Dame, to understand its Catholic tradition and ethics. And three, to be a great public relations representative for Notre Dame, to personify what makes Notre Dame a unique place."

Seemingly, as he stood at the podium in Joyce Center last Sunday, George Joseph O'Leary had hit the trifecta, the perfect "safe" choice, since Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and, in a manner of speaking, Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden, had withdrawn from consideration. And then...

"Kevin's (Kevin White, Irish A.D.) status is fine, but he's pretty shook up right now," Duerson said.

"He was pretty reserved in our conference call today."

Particularly given he'll have to head a totally unplanned second effort to find Notre Dame a football coach.

White was unavailable to the media all day Friday, leaving only this statement: "I understand that those inaccuracies represent a very human failing.

"Nonetheless, they constitute a breach of trust that makes it impossible to go forward with our relationship."

While some Irish detractors snicker with delight, White, Duerson, University President Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C. and a tiny gaggle of N.D. insiders continue their furious search.

"It has been five of the most bizarre days in university history," said WNDU-TV sports director Jeff Jeffers on the station's 6 p.m. newscast.

"I was in shock after seeing it 100 times," said senior offensive tackle Jordan Black to WNDU-TV. "It finally dawned, I finally realized we don't have a coach."

But to a player, there was full support for the school's Leary stance.

Now the REALLY tough part begins.

Again. One former head coach in another sport, still an unabashed Notre Dame supporter, decided to use a papal-election analogy.

"When the white smoke goes up on Perry Way (his home street), then we got (Jon) Gruden!" said Digger Phelps, the former men's basketball coach and major Gruden supporter.