Notre Dame finally has a new head coach. And he was worth the wait. Especially if you believe in righting wrongs.

The Irish today will introduce former Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham and the crash you hear is a huge barrier in college football coming down. Hopefully.

Willingham is the first black coach in Notre Dame history. In any sport. It’s not about time. We’re way past that.

But now the only college football program in America with its own network television contract will have a man of color, character and competence walking the sidelines.

“I think it will open some more opportunities,” said Nebraska quarterbacks coach Turner Gill, who is black. “I’m guessing it would. I don’t think it’s going to be a floodgate of African-American minorities getting a head coaching positions but hopefully there will opportunities for presidents of universities, AD’s to take a deeper look at minorities for those opportunities at a lot of institutions.”

Big time college football has a lousy record in the minority hire department. Willingham is one of just four black head coaches out of 117 Division I-A schools. Willingham didn’t get the job because he’s black.

He got it because he proved at Stanford, where he posted a 44-36-1 record, that he could be successful at a university that doesn’t allow its athletes to neglect academics. He got it because Notre Dame is in dire need of a makeover.

When the Irish hired Bob Davie almost six years ago, there were only a handful of coaches in the $1 Million Club. Now there are more than 20.

No wonder coaches such as Oregon’s Mike Bellotti and Washington’s Rick Neuheisel told the Irish they were staying put. Why live in a dump of a town like South Bend, where a legion of fans puts the football program under a microscope, when wealth and national championship aspirations can be had at more attractive places?

“I’m not saying ND is not a great job, but there’s a lot of things that go into college that makes coaches not want to go there,” said Randy Shannon Miami’s black defensive coordinator who should merit head coaching consideration soon. “You think Steve Spurrier would leave Florida for ND? You think Bobby Bowden would leave Florida State for ND?

“It’s perceived more of a glamorous job,” continued Shannon. “He’s [Willingham] done a great job at Stanford. He’ll do a great job at ND.”

If he doesn’t, Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White will be looking for a new job in about five years.

He could have hired Willingham about a month ago for approximately $1.2 million per season. Notre Dame received permission to speak to Willingham, but never even gave him the courtesy of an interview.

But after the George O’Leary fiasco, White came calling again, this time hat in hand. Sources told The Post that Willingham got a six-year deal worth approximately $2.5 million.

There’s a reason for top high school recuits to once again go to Notre Dame. The Irish have themselves a coach who’s not from the old boy’s club. It’s about time.