Vaas can't pass up a return to ND

[Tux of Borg]

I think this is a good pick up for Notre Dame. Vaas was the RB coach under Lou Holtz in the early 90's. Plus he's spent the past 8 years developing young players in NFL Europe.

 

http://und.collegesports.com/ot/nd-newstand.html

Vaas can't pass up a return to ND

By ERIC HANSEN

Tribune Staff Writer

 

Peter Vaas, head coach of NFL Europe's Cologne Centurions, is heading back to Notre Dame as the Irish quarterbacks coach.

 

Kevin McDougal can still remember the sting of losing Peter Vaas as his position coach after just one season. But the positive impact Vaas made during that one season was more enduring than the pain.

 

"He's a guy who makes a difference," said McDougal, a former Notre Dame quarterback in the early 1990s, now living in his hometown of Pompano Beach, Fla., and working in real estate. "He helped me to become a more accurate passer. He made me believe in myself when I was only the backup quarterback. I think the only reason you didn't hear more about him was because we weren't a throwing team, like Miami or those schools, but I hear Notre Dame is going to be a throwing team now."

 

Whether or not that actually happens, Vaas is returning to the school he left 14 years ago to be part of what Irish fans hope is the start of an offensive renaissance at ND.

 

Irish head coach Charlie Weis announced Friday that Vaas would replace David Cutcliffe as the Irish quarterbacks coach. Cutcliffe, 50, announced his resignation Wednesday, citing heath concerns. He had undergone triple bypass heart surgery in March.

 

"For several years, Peter Vaas has been on our 'radar' and was certainly on my short list when I took this job," Weis said in a statement. "After further research, the support for Peter from people I know and trust was overwhelming, making this move an easy one. An additional plus was Peter's Notre Dame experience in 1990-91, adding another coach with Notre Dame ties."

 

Others with Notre Dame ties themselves, like McDougal and fellow former Irish quarterback Paul Failla, applauded the move.

 

"I know I was really bummed out when he left," said Failla, a freshman who along with McDougal was backing up Rick Mirer when Vaas departed to become head coach at his alma mater, Holy Cross.

 

"He's a great blend of a teacher of technique with a great outgoing personality who develops great relationships with his quarterbacks. And I'll tell you what else he'll do, he'll be a great recruiter. He's got an excellent eye for talent and his personality is perfect for this. Let's face it, recruiting is all about sales -- selling the school, the opportunity and yourself."

 

It didn't take long for the 53-year-old Vaas to sell himself on coming back to Notre Dame after spending eight season in NFL Europe. Vaas finishes up his second season as head coach of the Cologne (Germany) Centurions (5-4) Sunday when his team faces league leader Berlin (7-2) in the regular-season finale.

 

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity of returning to the Notre Dame family," Vaas said in a statement. "In this business, you always leave a place with a heavy heart and some sadness, yet arrive at your new place with a smile on your face. That certainly will be the case with this move. I've been in NFL Europe for eight years now, so I'll be leaving a part of me over here, but I'm excited about returning to Notre Dame."

 

Vaas, who began his coaching career as an assistant at Allegheny (Pa.) College in 1974, spent two seasons at Notre Dame -- serving as the running backs coach in 1990 and the quarterbacks coach in 1991, both under head coach Lou Holtz.

 

"He used to have all the quarterbacks over to his house for dinner every Thursday night," said Failla, a burgeoning college football assistant himself at St. Francis (Pa.) University. "We really got to know his wife (Roseann) and daughters (Katelyn and Kelly) very well. Even in that short time, they became like family to us."

 

Katelyn, in fact, just finished her freshman year as a student at Notre Dame. Her father will become a student of sorts in the next couple of months, learning Weis' offensive system while the rest of the staff is racheting down.

 

"My past experience in college was tremendous, and I've had some opportunities to return to college football over the last 10 years," Vaas said. "But none of those opportunities was as exciting as this one. Our first experience at Notre Dame was fabulous, something that had great impact on my family and me. The chance to return to South Bend and to work with -- and learn from -- Charlie Weis is an amazing opportunity."