BOSTON -- Harvard University football coach Joe Restic is leaving the Ivy League to become head coach at the University of Notre Dame, the Patriot Ledger of Quincy reported Thursday.
The newspaper said it was informed by a source that Restic, named Eastern Coach of the Year in 1974 and New England Coach of the Year in 1974 and 1975, came to terms with the Irish two weeks ago.
Restic, however, told the Ledger, 'I have no comment on anything about Notre Dame. The only thing I'm thinking about now is my game with Dartmouth this week. That's the only thing on my mind. That's all I have to say.'
Notre Dame officials declined comment on the report.
Restic, 54, is to replace Dan Devine, who has announced he will resign at the end of this season, the Ledger said. Before this season, Devine's five-year coaching record was 44-14.
Restic's name had been circulated for several months as a possibility for the Notre Dame job, along with other nationally known coaches including Lou Holtz of Arkansas, Terry Donahue of UCLA and George Welsh of Navy.
Before this season, Restic's nine-year overall coaching record at Harvard was 47-32-2. His mark among Ivy League opponents during that time was 37-24-2.
The Crimson are currently in first place in the Ivy League, off to their best start since 1973 with a 4-0 mark.
Restic, a former wide receiver and defensive back with the Philadelphia Eagles, came to Harvard in 1971 after 16 years of coaching at the high school level, as an assistant at both Brown and Colgate and a stint as assistant then head coach of the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League.
His son Joe played for Notre Dame and was drafted in 1979 by the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.
