Q&A With Jim Dent, Author of “Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame”

Last year, I had a small thrill when I got to read a preview copy of Jim Dent's latest book, Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame. It was exactly what a guy like myself needed to whet the whistle just before the start of college football season. You can read my original review below this post. But let me take a moment to add to that review. As a year has gone by, and so much has happened in a single off-season from the point of view of Notre Dame and Irish fans, this book has new life. Rather than reading Resurrection and seeking some vicarious exhilaration through the description of Ara Parseghian's first season at Notre Dame, this summer I found myself reading Resurrection and trying to fend off parallels between Parseghian and Brian Kelly that verged on becoming blatant. In short, if you want to head into this season with more hope for the future of the Irish program than perhaps any other year since the late 80s, read this book right now.

Recently we had the opportunity to ask Jim Dent a few questions about Resurrection, his writing process, and if he, himself, sees any comparison between Ara and Brian Kelly. Sit down, because his answers wont do much to dissuade the optimistic Irish fan in you.

1) You open Resurrection with a story of Tony Carey, upon learning that Ara Parseghian had just been hired to be the head coach of Notre Dame football, leaping onto the hood of his car in a parking lot and screaming, "We are back! We are back!" Have you been tracking the recent history of Notre Dame football, and would you imagine that any of today's Irish players reacted in a similar way to the news that Brian Kelly is now the Head Coach at Notre Dame? Do you think the news took any of today's players by surprise in the way that the Parseghian news took Carey by surprise?

I doubt that there will ever be a reaction like Carey's to a new coach coming in. But I would also be willing to bet that many of this season's players are very happy to have Brian Kelly. I happen to think that Brian Kelly is the next Ara Parseghian.

2) In describing what a typical Notre Dame game in New York City was like in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, you quoted New York Times columnist Paul Gallico, who wrote, "Tomorrow is the annual gathering of that amazing clan of
self-appointed Notre Dame alumni which will whoop and rage and rant and roar through the town from sunup until long after sundown in honor of a school to which they never went." After doing your research of the era, would you say that the curiosity about what makes a Notre Dame fan tick today is similar to the curiosity held by non-fans in the early half of the 20th century?

I am not saying that the Notre Dame fan base of today is not outstanding. But I think it would be impossible to match he enthusiasm for Notre Dame-Army in the twenties, thirties, and forties. During that time, Irish Catholics were looking for something to cling to and Notre Dame football was their symbol of hope. At the same time, I expect we will see a reawakening of that spirit to an extent this season.

3) Some of the details you add to the book about South Bend really surprised me. In particular, you describe the Flamingo bar, and its bouncer named "N.T Shine." The "N.T." stood for his real name, "New Testament." How do you dig up details like that for a work like this? How do you decide which details to use to illustrate the story?

Ara Parseghian asked me the same question. He said, 'what the heck was the Flamingo?' Well, it was basically a hiding spot for the football players who wanted to enjoy a cold beer and not get caught. I thought it was pertinent because it was a hang-out for the players. By the way, N.T. Shine spent a little time around the Notre basketball team and I think he's still around Notre Dame.

4) At one point, you explain that, in the 1960s, the professional football game and the college football game were very much in
competition with one another. Pete Rozelle, the NFL commisioner at the time, had made moves, particularly with television deals, that had forced college football to keep up. Today we're watching quite a few figureheads in the college game plead to the NFL to institute rules and changes that would help with issues with agents and money across the college game. Do you think the same sort of direct competition between the NFL and college football exists today, and do you think the NFL would really have any business interests in helping the college game in this dilemma?

I think that college football and the NFL co-exist peacefully today. This was not the case in the 1960s It serves no purpose for the pro league to step on college football. Yes, I think the NFL needs to help college administrators and coaches weed out the bad agents. At the same time, you have to realize that unscrupulous agents have been around since the 1970s when salaries started to take off. Don't think they will go away with a snap of two fingers.

5) Coach Parseghian actually made quiet a few references to "bringing Notre Dame Football back" to the elite ranks of college football when motivating the team. That sort of over-arching, legacy-building goal seems to be down-played in public by coaches in today's game. Today you always hear the relatively boring talk of "1 game at a time." Do you get the sense
that Parseghian's motivational techniques would be antiquated today, or are such techniques likely more common when coaches haver their players behind closed doors?

I think the Ara Parseghian formula would work beautifully in today's game. I think Ara was a genius for the 1960s, and would be today. The man was brilliant in every phase of the game. Again, I hope that Brian Kelly to an extent is following the Parseghian blueprint. Think about the similarities to 1964 and 2010. Kelly is trying to rebuild a program just like Parseghian did.

6) In the epilogue, you actually prescribe that anyone interested in getting Notre Dame out of its current rut should read Resurrection. Do you get the sense that any of the new faces at Notre Dame (AD Jack Swarbrick, Coach Kelly, etc...) may actually be taking you up on that advice or at least may be looking back at how the turnaround worked in 1964 and using that as a blueprint for another turnaround today?

Jack Swarbrick has read the book and I sent a copy to Brian Kelly. Yes, it would do them both justice to study the era and maybe even sit down with Ara and listen to him.

7) Some of the stories about players and coaches in Resurrection are absolutely wild. Could these same coaches, with such, shall we say, "personality quirks," have been successful in College Football today, with a 24/7 news cycle and the internet always watching?

I think that college football today could use some colorful characters. There are no more Bear Bryants or Tom Pagnas or Johnny Rays to spark interest. At the same time, I don't think the coaches on Parseghian's staff stepped out of bounds or violated NCAA rules. I think they were trying to motivate their players and have a good time. By the way, I loved that Notre Dame coaching staff from 1964.

Thank you, Mr. Dent, for your time.

Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame will be available in paperback on August 31 and is already available in Hardcover.

Disclosure: St. Martin's Press, the publisher of Resurrection, supplied HLS with preview copies of the book in order to review (but we'd still probably rave over it had we picked it up off the shelf).