By Coach Bob Chmiel
BlueandGold.com

I have been asked so many times how the weather influences recruiting at Notre Dame. I have answered the question in myriad ways dependent upon who is asking and what I want to say. For the record, there have been some really interesting stories in regards to how the weather is handled. But in reality, if the snow falls as well as the temperature, it is business as usual.

There are obviously some adjustments with transportation if airports are closing or the planes are running late. But it was always my belief that the coaches should not talk about it. And I sincerely believe that if we could not play through the "weather factor" with our competition, we were not really doing a great job of selling things that we can control.

First and foremost, coaches must discuss the opportunity for a world class education. I have told more than one recruit that I would rather be sitting in a Notre Dame classroom looking out the window watching it snow, than sitting in another classroom in a warm climate looking at the sun. The difference being what is going on academically in the classroom at Notre Dame.

I am totally aware that the competition uses this issue on a regular basis. One of our coaches always retorted with the fact that after your college career is complete you could be drafted by the Bills or the Packers.

Kory Minor was one of the greatest young men that I have ever had the pleasure of being associated with, as well as having one of the greatest moms of all time. In a word, they were both class.

As you may well remember, Kory was the USA Today defensive player of the year. I can still visualize that great shot of him on the back page of USA Today. I had it hanging on the back of my door and in all candor, I thought on a number of occasions, "I hope this guy does not break my heart."

Kory played at Bishop Amat high school in California and played for an outstanding high school coach, Tom Salter. The competition for Kory was obviously the Trojans of the University of Southern California – a school that shared the same climate that Kory had become accustomed to having grown up with in sunny California.

Mike Trgovac was the lead coach in the recruiting of Kory and he was doing great work. Mike was the type of recruiter that exuded sincerity and Mike had established a trusting relationship with Kory's mom as well as Coach Salter.

He scheduled Kory and his mom to come in for the first weekend of recruiting, often called "the banquet weekend." The week prior to his scheduled visit, Kory called to let us know that he would have to reschedule because his team had won in the first round of the playoffs and would be playing the following weekend.

He rescheduled for the following weekend, and once again had to reschedule because of a conflict with the playoffs as his team prevailed in the second round.

That particular December was blessed with some unseasonably warm weather. In retrospect, I actually remember the first two weekends’ temperature was well into the 50s. This was great weather for an official visit from a young man from southern California. I can only imagine someone telling Kory that this weather was quite normal for South Bend in December.

The academic calendar at Notre Dame is such that the student body does not actually return to campus until the second weekend of January. This is not the case at most schools. I did not want to bring in recruits when there were no students on campus.

Some coaches felt that they could successfully host a prospect without the campus being active. I would not relent to that argument and neither would Coach Holtz.

Now as we approached that fabled weekend, the temperature dropped drastically and the snow fell for about three days. It was bitter cold and the wind was blowing sideways with those little crystals that almost felt like needles when they hit your face.

Enter Kory Minor and his mom! Some on the staff believed that with what was going on outside, we simply had no chance. I was not one of those and neither was Mike Trgovac. Mike had worked so hard and I wanted to arrange everything as perfectly as possible to return Mike's hard work and enthusiasm in recruiting Kory.

I remember telling Mike not to even talk about the weather. I would have the vans that transported the recruits warmed up and close the entrances of every building that we would visit.

On Friday evening, everything went as planned and it was obvious that Mike had a great relationship with Kory and his mom. I felt great about our chances but as I was once told, 99 percent sure in recruiting is not sure enough.

Saturday morning the wind blew even harder, it was miserable even for someone like myself who had grown up near the lake in Chicago. All of Kory's academic visits went well that Saturday morning, and as the day moved into the afternoon, I had no doubts that this was a special young man and a special mom.

I did not feel losing Kory to USC was an option. There had to be a way.

In the early afternoon, Kory had a great visit with Coach Holtz but he did not commit. He would meet with Coach Holtz once again on Sunday and maybe then I thought.

Shortly after Kory's visit with Coach Holtz he had yet another appointment on campus. As we prepared to leave the Joyce Center and be transported out in the tundra, Kory's mom asked where we were going. I explained that we would be visiting Alumni Hall. She suggested that we walk.

Was this a ploy on the part of this wonderful woman to sway her son to USC? As we began our journey, my skepticism began to grow. Past Notre Dame Stadium, past DeBartolo Hall, I was attempting to guide them to our destination with as much cover from the wind as possible.

As we approached the quad in the open area, she stopped Kory and myself. She looked at Kory and said something of this nature as I recall…

"Kory, do you see that man walking over there? Do you see that young lady over there? Do you see those students over there? They can handle this weather and so can you. I can buy you a coat. I can't buy you a Notre Dame education. You WILL tell Coach Holtz that you are coming to Notre Dame."

This was a special, special lady who wanted the best for her son, and a special son who wanted to be a success for his mother.

The weather was no factor that day. And we had a lot of help!