Someone in the athletic department has got to finally realize the current state of the softball program cannot continue.

This is not unlike the state of the baseball program under Aoki. Sure, the softball team has been making the tournament. Making the tournament should not be the definition of a successful program. Set low expectations and you are always successful.

is the mission statement of Notre Dame's athletic department.

Never was it more apparent than the football program under Swarbrick, but it's endemic throughout Notre Dame's athletic department.

But for "It was unremarkable" Swarbrick's tombstone ought to read, "Set low expectations and you are always successful."

Another contender, but the original Mayor Daley has first claim upon it -- "If a man can't put his arms around his (children) and help them, then what's the world coming to?"

I compare ND under Swabrick to another athletic department I used to be familiar with (University of Florida under Jeremy Foley) and the difference is night and day. Foley's commitment to being excellent at absolutely everything UF did could not have been clearer. Two anecdotes:

1. A former colleague of my wife was hired to start a new program under Foley. He told her in their first meeting that she had X years to compete for a conference title and Y years to compete for a national title or she was out.

2. Foley forced UF's men's tennis coach to resign despite the team making the Sweet 16 ten of the coach's eleven years. In announcing the resignation and search for a replacement, Foley stated that his vision for the program was to compete for the national championship and that he would find someone who could. (Footnote: the replacement he hired won Florida their first ever national championship in men's tennis in 2021).

Does Swarbrick even have a vision for what he expects his programs to achieve? If so, there's no evidence that it's anything meaningful or that he holds anyone accountable for failing to achieve that vision.