Sending head coach Ty Willingham a clear message that he was on the wrong track, Notre Dame set fire to his home, leaving Willingham and his family homeless, and facing uncertainty and hard questions.

Willingham knew he faced tremendous pressure after becoming Notre Dame's head coach two seasons ago. The team went 10-3 last year, a turnaround for which Willingham was lavishly credited and praised. But this season has been dismally anti-climactic; the team is 4-6, with Stanford and Syracuse left on its schedule.

"It's appalling," said Notre Dame president, Reverend Edward Malloy. "Ty's gotta be accountable for this. He knows that. And, by the way, this [message] is just the tip of the iceberg."

Willingham, ignoring the ominousness of Malloy's remark, instead focused on the positive. "My wife's seen some good rentals, so we're hoping to be situated again soon."

"Ty's a family man," said Notre Dame Athletic Director Kevin White. "We know that. Other than winning football games, there's nothing more important to him than his family. Ty knows what's at stake."

Although the school hasn't officially admitted to the arson, neither did Malloy or White deny it. "C'mon, read between the lines," Malloy said.

Absolutely no one took seriously a caller from HAMAS, which took responsibility for the incident.