Less than a month after lying on his resume, George O'Leary is back and in the NFL. http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0111/1309687.html Busy Tice brings O'Leary on board EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- George O'Leary was hired as an assistant for the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, nearly a month after quitting as Notre Dame's coach for lying on his resume. O'Leary will coach the defensive line and also serve as assistant head coach. Vikings coach Mike Tice and O'Leary met Friday to discuss the job. An official announcement would be made later in the day, team spokesman Tom West said. Neither O'Leary nor his lawyer immediately returned calls. The NFL had no comment on the hiring. Tice said earlier in the day he planned to offer the job to O'Leary, who coached him in high school. He cut short a session with reporters before taking questions on O'Leary. O'Leary, the former Georgia Tech coach, was hired by Notre Dame on Dec. 8. He quit five days later after officials discovered lies on his resume about his academic and athletic background. "George O'Leary will no doubt be a great addition to the Vikings staff," Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White said. "Personally speaking, I am most pleased to learn that he has been offered, and accepted, this opportunity. We wish him the best." Earlier Friday, Red McCombs declined comment on O'Leary but told The Associated Press he was "on board" with Tice on any coaching staff decisions. "I like the direction he is going," McCombs said. "I feel very good about the staff he is proposing." Tice also said he would interview Art Shell, the former Oakland Raiders coach, for the job of offensive line coach. O'Leary coached Tice in New York at Central Islip High School in Long Island. O'Leary's lawyer, Jack Reale, did not immediately return a call Friday. On Thursday, he said nothing had been offered to O'Leary. "He's just waiting for somebody to step up and hire a pretty good football coach. His future is pretty wide open at this point," Reale said. O'Leary left Notre Dame after admitting he falsely stated in his biographical sketch that he had a master's degree in education from New York University and had earned three letters as a New Hampshire football player. O'Leary attended New Hampshire for two years and never played a game. Tice was made interim coach when Dennis Green was forced out Jan. 4 after 10 seasons. On Thursday, his first day as head coach, Tice let go special teams coach Gary Zauner. Four assistants, including offensive coordinator Sherm Lewis and defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas, learned Tuesday they won't be returning, and outside linebackers coach Trent Walters left for a job at Notre Dame. Tice offered the defensive coordinator position to defensive backs coach Willie Shaw, who is expected to accept it. Tice made it clear that everyone's input would matter -- something that wasn't always the case in Green's tenure. Green was ousted last Friday, days before the Vikings' 5-11 season ended. Tice coached the team in their final game Monday night, a 19-3 loss to Baltimore. Green was forced out last week because he had apparently lost control of some of his players.
If Marv Albert could get the number 1 commentator job at NBC, TNT, and MSG, it was only a matter of time before O'Leary got back into coaching.
