To say the offseason has been tumultuous at Notre Dame would be nothing short of a vast understatement. The Fighting Irish have seen more change than a bank teller since the end of the 2001 season.

How much change? Well, since December the Irish have replaced their head coach -- twice. They have seen four players kicked out of school for an alleged sexual assault of a Notre Dame student and athletic department employee. Their star tailback was booted off the team for academic shortcomings. And two players, including a starting quarterback candidate and a possible replacement for the scholastically delinquent tailback, decided to transfer.

To begin to tell the tale, you have to go back to the start of last season, when coming off a berth in the Fiesta Bowl, the Irish got off to an 0-3 start for the first time since 1956. That put coach Bob Davie squarely on the hot seat, or more accurately back on the hot seat, as he had been under scrutiny almost since the day he succeeded Lou Holtz at the helm in 1996.

A three-game home winning streak resurrected hopes, but the Irish followed with losses at Boston College and at home to Tennessee. A 17-13 loss at Stanford ended any hopes of a bowl game, and even a season-ending win at Purdue couldn’t save Davie’s job. His five-year run ended with a 35-25 record and an 0-3 mark in bowls -- hardly up to the lofty standards to which Notre Dame has become accustomed.

Enter George O’Leary, the fiery former Georgia Tech head coach who admitted he was living out his life-long dream by coaching at Notre Dame. But just five days later, he also admitted to some discrepancies on his coaching résumé, and he quietly stepped down.

Another coaching search began, and this one culminated with the hiring of Tyrone Willingham, who was the head coach for seven years at Stanford -- the team whose defeat of the Irish ensured the end of Davie’s tenure on campus. Willingham, whose coaching career includes stints as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL and Stanford, Michigan State and Rice, has been known as a no-nonsense coach who gets the most out of his players at all levels.

Several problems that had nothing to do with Willingham were illuminated in the offseason. Willingham’s and the program’s resilience was tested almost immediately, as shortly after spring practice, three Irish players and a former player were accused of sexual assault. Junior receiver Lorenzo Crawford, senior safeties Donald Dykes and Abram Elam, and graduate student Justin Smith, who also played safety last year, were kicked out of school and await trial over the incident, which allegedly occurred March 28 when a 20-year-old former student manager claims to have been raped by the players at a house off campus.

Already rocked by the scandal, the program was dealt another one-two punch when junior quarterback Matt LoVecchio and sophomore tailback Cory Jones decided to transfer out of the program. Both had been pushing for more playing time in spring practice, but LoVecchio left to be coached by former Notre Dame star Gerry DiNardo at Indiana, and Seattle native Jones transferred to play closer to home at Washington.

Just days after Jones’ transfer was announced, Willingham had to dismiss senior tailback and All-America candidate Julius Jones from the team because of academic struggles. Jones led the team with 718 yards rushing last year, and his absence leaves the Irish without an experienced running back on the roster.

Going into spring practice, the battle at quarterback looked to be among the most interesting on the team. LoVecchio started seven games as a freshman in 2000, leading the Irish to a BCS bowl berth in their Fiesta Bowl loss to Oregon State. In that span he threw 11 touchdowns and just one interception and completed 58.4 percent of his passes. But LoVecchio fell out of favor with Davie and his staff last year and lost the starting job after just two games, losses at Nebraska and at home to Michigan State. He finished the season with one touchdown, four interceptions and a sub-.500 completion percentage, and now he’s headed downstate to play for the Hoosiers.

LoVecchio’s transfer is somewhat ironic in that he figured to fit better into the more passing-friendly offense Willingham is expected to favor.

Instead, junior Carlyle Holiday (6-3, 214) is the incumbent and basically the sole competitor for the starting job. Holiday made his first start at Texas A&M last year and went 5-4 as a starter, becoming the first Irish quarterback to post three career 100-yard rushing games, including a 122-yard effort against Pittsburgh, 130 yards against West Virginia and 109 at Boston College.

Junior Jared Clark (6-4, 228) shifted to tight end in the spring, leaving the backup role undecided. In spring practice, sophomore Pat Dillingham (6-1, 209) got a large share of the snaps. He’s a walk-on who went to high school with Willingham’s daughter in Portola Valley, Calif.

It’s hard to overemphasize how much the loss of Julius Jones and Cory Jones hurts the Notre Dame offense. The Irish were already without the graduated Tony Fisher, who finished 17th on the school’s all-time rushing list and was a four-year letter-winner. Julius Jones, who ran for 1,750 yards in three seasons, was on pace to rocket to fifth on that same career list. Last year he logged 168 carries for 718 yards and six touchdowns, leading the team for the second straight year in both yards and scores. He was also a dangerous return man whose loss will be felt on the special teams.

Meanwhile, Cory Jones was making a push in spring practice for more playing time at both halfback and fullback. The possibility existed for an all-Jones backfield, with Cory leading the way for Julius, but instead, Notre Dame’s inexperience will be on display on every handoff, at least early on.

Sophomore Ryan Grant (6-1, 211) is the only tailback with experience, although senior Chris Yura (6-0, 220) is a three-time letter-winner on special teams. Grant carried the ball 29 times for 110 yards and a touchdown as a freshman, with most of his action coming in the season finale at Purdue, which Julius Jones missed with an injury.

The departure of Cory Jones is even more distressing to the Irish because the top two fullback candidates are seniors -- Tom Lopienski (6-1, 245) and Mike McNair (6-0, 230). Lopienski should get the nod this year -- he has started 18 games in his career, including nine last season when he carried the ball 10 times for 63 yards.

The Irish must replace split end Javin Hunter and flanker David Givens, or basically the entire receiving corps. Hunter (37 catches) and Givens (33) combined to catch 70 of Notre Dame’s 109 completed passes last year -- next-best on the team was Julius Jones with nine catches.

Junior Omar Jenkins (6-1, 204) is the leading returning receiver, with seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown last year. Senior Arnaz Battle (6-1, 213) battled a leg injury for much of the season but made three starts at flanker, catching five balls for 40 yards. Jenkins could be the star of the group, as he starred in spring drills and came on strong at the end of last season, catching the 47-yard touchdown pass from Holiday at Stanford.

At tight end, senior Gary Godsey (6-6, 259) is expected to replace the graduated John Owens, who caught six passes for 79 yards and a score last year.

Even though the losses at running back and receiver are significant, if the offensive line does its job well, it shouldn’t matter who’s handling the ball for the Irish -- they will be able to put points on the board. Last year the line led Notre Dame to a ranking of 14th nationally in rushing and 17th in passing efficiency, and with four returning starters, the offensive line again should be one of the rocks of the team.

At center, senior Jeff Faine (6-3, 298) enters the season with a streak of 23 straight starts and was selected to the preseason Lombardi Award watch list. After not playing as a freshman, Faine led the Irish in minutes played the last two years.

Senior Jordan Black (6-6, 305) switched from left tackle to right guard during the 2001 season and has made 32 career starts, including 23 straight. A torn ligament in his right knee cost Black the final three games of his freshman season, but he has been a fixture ever since.

Senior Sean Mahan (6-3, 285) started all 11 games at left guard last year, his first as a starter, after bouncing around from tackle to guard his freshman year. He finished second to Faine in playing time last season.

Senior Brennan Curtin (6-8, 305) made six starts last year, two at right tackle subbing for Kurt Vollers, and the final four of the season at left tackle when Black changed position. Either junior Sean Milligan (6-4, 300) or senior Ryan Gillis (6-3, 305) will replace Vollers as the starting right tackle. Milligan started five games at right guard last year, but Gilles had a strong spring practice, and offensive line coach Diedrick said the battle was too close to call.

Senior Nicholas Setta (5-11, 177) was one of the most reliable kickers in the country last year. He has led the Irish in scoring in each of the last two seasons, with 74 points as a sophomore and 68 as a junior. Last season he made 15-of-17 field goal-attempts, including 8-for-8 from beyond 40 yards. He also connected on all 23 extra-point kicks.

The Irish have to replace both defensive ends -- Anthony Weaver and Grant Irons -- as well as backup nose guard Andy Wisne. Weaver finished third on the team in tackles with 59, and led the team with seven sacks, 21 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and three forced fumbles. Meanwhile, Irons chipped in 22 tackles and five tackles for loss, and Wisne who started the first six games, contributed 16 stops.

Senior Darrell Campbell (6-4, 296) started nine games last year, missing two with neck spasms and a sprained knee. He had 26 tackles, three sacks and seven stops behind the line, playing inside for the first time after two seasons as a backup defensive end.

Senior Cedric Hilliard (6-2, 290) finished the year starting the last five games at nose guard and will get the nod there again this season. He missed part of spring practice with a hamstring injury but made it back in time for the spring game. He had 27 tackles, including eight for a loss, and two sacks last year.

Junior Kyle Budinscak (6-4, 269) started two games at defensive tackle in 2001, spelling an injured Campbell against West Virginia and Purdue. He’s looking to earn more playing time in the middle this season. Sophomore Greg Pauly (6-6, 280) could play his way into the mix as well after a strong spring.

Senior Ryan Roberts (6-2, 260) started five games at right end last year and is the only player coming back with any experience at that position.

The Irish lost two active members of the linebacker corps from 2001. Tyreo Harrison led the team with 97 tackles, including 11 behind the line and two sacks. Rocky Boiman had 41 tackles -- 10 for a loss -- and four sacks.

But senior Courtney Watson (6-1, 232) returns after starting all 11 games at inside linebacker. He’s the leading returning tackler, finishing second to Harrison last year with 76, including a career-best 18 in his first start, at Nebraska. He also hit double-digits in tackles against Michigan State and Texas A&M, and returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee.

Senior Carlos Pierre-Antoine (6-3, 241) is the leading candidate to replace Harrison at the other inside spot. He has extensive special-teams experience in his Notre Dame career. He will be pushed by junior Mike Goolsby (6-3, 240), another special-teamer who had a strong spring.

"I’m impressed with Mike Goolsby and I think he’s kind of taken charge in the last week or so," defensive coordinator Kent Baer told Blue & Gold Illustrated during spring practice. "Carlos Pierre-Antoine has done a nice job too. We might not make that decision until we kick off that first game."

Junior Derek Curry (6-3, 228) is the heir apparent at outside linebacker.

What appeared to be a position of strength now seems to be a bit of a liability, at least at safety, where Dykes and Elam were expected to make key contributions before they were kicked off the team. Senior Gerome Sapp (6-0, 218) started five games at strong safety and should get the nod there again this year. He made 36 tackles, including a career-high eight against Tennessee, and in the victory over Navy he recovered two fumbles, running one back 39 yards for a touchdown.

Seniors Glenn Earl (6-1, 205) and Matt Sarb (6-0, 195) should fight it out for the starting free safety position. Earl made three starts there last season after recovering from an early-season leg injury. He made 33 tackles and had a pair of sacks in his time on the field. Sarb is known as a special-teams standout but saw time in the secondary during spring ball. Freshman Lionel Bolen (6-0, 195) and junior David Bemenderfer (5-11, 195) could find their way into the mix as well.

The Irish are strong at cornerback, where senior Shane Walton (5-11, 185) and junior Vontez Duff (5-11, 194) return as starters.

Senior Joey Hildbold (5-10, 191) returns for his fourth season as the Irish punter. Last season he ranked 35th in the nation with a career-high average of 42.2 yards per punt. He’s a two-time finalist for the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top punter, and his average has increased every season.

The loss of Julius Jones will hit the return teams hard. In three seasons he was just 168 yards away from supplanting Tim Brown atop the list of all-time leading kick returners in Notre Dame history. He took a kickoff 100 yards for a score against Nebraska in 2000, had a punt return for a touchdown as a freshman, and averaged 24.3 yards per kickoff return and 11.4 yards per punt return in his career.

The Notre Dame tradition makes the school an attractive option for the nation’s top prep players, and this year proved to be no exception. Despite getting a late start, Willingham’s first recruiting class was solid.

Quarterback Chris Olsen (6-2, 220) of New Jersey leads the class. He was considered the top quarterback in the state and a top 15 pick nationally. He has the size and arm to be a prototypical drop-back passer to lead Willingham’s offense.

Olsen’s favorite targets could become wide receivers Maurice Stovall (6-5, 219) from Archbishop Carroll in Philadelphia and Rhema McKnight (6-2, 188) from California. Stovall’s size and speed have drawn comparisons to Randy Moss, and he could play as a freshman. A first-team USA Today prep All-American, Stovall caught 31 passes for 743 yards and nine touchdowns as senior.

The versatile McKnight, from Kennedy High School in La Palma, Calif., was the top receiver in California, but he also played quarterback in 2001. Rated the 28th player nationally by CNNSI.com and Student Sports and 41st by the The Sporting News, McKnight caught 20 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. He also rushed for 1,483 yards and 21 touchdowns and completed 50 percent of his passes for 451 yards and two more scores.

On defense, linebacker Nate Schiccatano (6-3, 220) from Pennsylvania was a key recruit, while Derek Landri (6-3, 275) from California could play on either side of the ball but should find his way to the defensive interior. Travis Leitko (6-6, 250) of Texas is a pass-rushing demon, and Californian Chris Frome (6-5, 240) could play anywhere on the line.

Year One of the Willingham era will be an interesting spectacle for college football fans. Obviously, the team has been hit hard by unexpected defections, some voluntary, others forced. The Irish lost key players that were being counted on to contribute or lead the way on both sides of the ball.

The quarterback position could get sticky if Holiday doesn’t adjust well to Willingham’s new offense, but with no experienced signal-callers on the bench, the Irish might have to ride it out and make the best of the situation. There’s probably enough talent in the backfield to get by, especially with a veteran line clearing the way, and the receivers should step up enough to give Holiday reliable targets.

On defense, the veteran corners will have to help carry the inexperienced safeties, and on the line the Irish have to find somebody to pressure the quarterback so the secondary will have a little breathing room. If it comes down to the kicking game, give the advantage to Notre Dame, even without Jones returning kicks.

A bowl berth is always expected in South Bend, and Willingham comes to campus with a reputation for getting the most from his players. Weighing all the factors, it looks like with a break or two, the Irish could return to the postseason with their rookie coach leading the way.