Personal Foul: Coach Joe Moore vs. the University of Notre Dame

Another Peek Under the 'Tarnished Dome'

'Personal Foul' is a surprisingly candid, in-your-face expose of Notre Dame football under embattled head coach Bob Davie. This is no run-of-the-mill Golden Dome football story, and its believability is no accident. In his first book, Chicago attorney Richard Lierberman renders a highly credible glimpse of the enigmatic Davie and the Notre Dame football program. 'Personal Foul' takes its most compelling reveleations from direct testimony given in the Federal age discriminatin case filed by former ND offensive line coach Joe Moore. The author was Moore's attorney, and the revealing insights about South Bend's innner sanctum are backed by sworn, often surprising testimony. Lieberman's story packs a punch as it recounts how Moore fought both the image and power of Notre Dame, and how the federal court slugfest turned into a war of character assassination including charges that Moore had become an irrational coach who physically abused his players. Moore countered with Davie's criminal indictment tied to a phony recruiting expense scheme from his early coaching years at Arizona. Featuring tales of star players and ND administrators, 'Personal Foul' exposes a sexual escapade between cheerleaders, focuses on the anger of Rick Kaczanski who was disgusted with his own deposition, and paints Davie as a plebian coach with movie star looks and a shallow agenda. The book does not exhibit the polish of seasoned lawyer-authors, like Vince Bugliosi for example ('Helter Skelter'), but it is a very good first effort. The tale is not really a high stakes legal thriller, but it works very well as an effective expose, which is where the author hits his stride: the story pickes up steam, the writing becomes more fluid, and the pages seem to turn quickly as the reader is allowed a peek under the Notre Dame mystique.