The play was designed for Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana to take a two-step drop and then hit Kris Haines in the corner of the end zone during the waning seconds of the 1979 Cotton Bowl.
But pressure up the middle from the University of Houston defense forced Montana to roll to his right before he managed to find Haines with the game-winning two-point conversion that completed a great Fighting Irish comeback. In the postgame frenzy following his team’s improbable victory, coach Dan Devine’s stoic demeanor stood out.
The play was made-for-television thrilling, but it was the sort of execution Devine expected.
“We ran that same play over and over again in practice, and I had the bruises from diving for the ball to prove it,” Haines said. “[Devine] knew it was almost impossible to miss because we had worked on it so much.”
Devine, who died Thursday at 77 after a long illness, instilled a sense of confidence in his players, whether it was winning a national championship with Notre Dame in 1977 or posting 12 winning seasons in 13 years at Missouri. Although more distant than his charismatic Irish predecessor, Ara Parseghian, Devine quickly earned the respect of his players.
Haines knows that as well as anyone. After playing for Devine at Notre Dame, he spent three years with the Bears and one year with the Blitz in the USFL. He currently teaches physical education at Catherine Cook Elementary School in Chicago and runs his own karate school in the city.
Haines weighed only 165 pounds when Devine recruited him for his first class at Notre Dame.
Years later when Devine retold the story of finding his talented receiver, Haines’ weight gradually was reduced to 150 pounds and eventually to about 140.
“I got lighter as the years went by and my story became more miraculous,” Haines said with a laugh. “Coach Devine never really told you up front how he felt, and some people took that the wrong way.
“But I have articles written about me where Coach talked about how glad he was he gave me that chance, how first looks didn’t count where I was concerned. That still means a lot.”
Haines still has a letter of recommendation for law school that Devine wrote for him, extolling his player’s virtues as a solid student and a credit to any institution. Haines says it was one of the deciding factors in getting him admitted.
Devine could be tough when needed, but he stuck by his players. Harry Oliver missed three field-goal attempts when the Irish lost 17-10 in the 1981 Sugar Bowl to Georgia, that season’s national champion. When Oliver’s father approached Devine after the game to thank him for giving his son a scholarship, Devine told him his son was the reason the Fighting Irish had reached the bowl game.
“I realized it was a team effort but that was still great to hear,” Oliver said. “He just seemed to know how to deal with young athletes.”
Devine coached a Hall of Famer like Montana and college greats such as Johnny Roland of Missouri, not to mention hiring coaches such as Greg Blache, the Bears’ defensive coordinator, and future Colorado head coach Gary Barnett. He also helped players such as Rick Slager, his first Notre Dame quarterback, whom Montana eventually replaced.
Slager wanted to coach football, and while attending law school, Devine made him a graduate assistant. After a couple of seasons, Slager decided it wasn’t the career for him and went into the private sector.
“I really liked getting to know him from both perspectives,” Salger said. “He’s one of the all-time class people. Coach really believed in what he was doing.”
The 1977 championship squad will celebrate its 25th anniversary at Notre Dame on Sept. 14 when the Irish are host to Michigan. For many on that team, the 20th anniversary was the last time they saw Devine.
“I was just hoping he would make the reunion, but I guess it wasn’t in the cards,” Haines said.
“Coach Devine exhibited great patience and perseverance. I tested him a few times, and he always stuck by me.”
