NYDailyNews.com- Charlie Weis is out as Notre Dame head football coach, a source close to the program told the Daily News. AD Jack Swarbrick has decided to make a change after Weis finished the season with a 6-6 record and four straight losses to Navy, Pitt, Connecticut and Stanford.
Weis coached Notre Dame for five years and leaves with a 35-27 record. He has told friends in South Bend he has at least six offers from NFL teams to become their offensive coordinator.
This past weekend against Stanford Weis refused to do halftime and postgame media interviews. He reportedly cleaned out his office Thursday before the team left for the West Coast. Weis is not the only one apparently leaving. Junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen was seen giving his football helmet to his familly following a 45-38 loss to Stanford in which he threw five touchdown passes, a strong indication he will declare for the NFL draft.
It may be breaking news, but it certainly isn't anything that caught us off guard. Charlie Weis had a subpar tenure at South Bend. Weis was brought in to be an offensive guru, fresh off a Super Bowl title as offensive coordinator with the Patriots. He had inherited a good core of players from former coach Tyrone Willingham. In 2005 he took that team to the Fiesta Bowl, finishing 9-3 and number nine in the national rankings. In 2006, his final year with practically Willingham's team, Weis went 10-2 earning a trip to the Sugar bowl. He ultimately lost both bowl games, but it was back-to-back BCS berths for a school that desperately needed to be relevant again.
He had reached national acclaim at Notre Dame. Just seven games into his first season, the school extended his contract to a 10-year deal. He was the 2005 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He had brought Notre Dame to back-to-back BCS Bowl games, something that had not been accomplished since the Lou Holtz era (1992 & 1993). And to top it off, he had put together a top-1o recruiting class in his first two years, including national player of the Jimmy Clausen.
But Brady Quinn being drafted would mark the beginning of the end for Weis. In 2007, the Fighting Irish went belly-up going 3-9. Their three wins? UCLA, Duke, and Stanford. They even lost to the Navy Midshipmen, snapping a 43-game winning streak over them. The team ranked near the bottom in rushing yards, total yards per game, and scoring per game. It was their first nine-loss season ever. Weis put the blame on his own mistakes; not taking advantage of full-speed practices and did not develop his players enough.
The 2008 and 2009 seasons were a roller coaster ride. In '08 the Irish started 4-1 but ended 7-6, including an embarrassing loss to Syracuse--the first time Notre Dame ever lost to an eight-loss team. This year, Notre Dame was a preseason top 25 team. They even were thought to be a lock for a BCS bowl with their easy schedule. They're 6-6 now.
Mediocrity is something that is not accepted around South Bend. That's why they had the quick trigger with Willingham. And that's why they pulled the quick trigger on Weis. They need a name that is comparable or larger than the school is, not an experiment. People expect to win at Notre Dame. And they expect to win now. Urban Meyer anyone? I'd love to see that.
As for Charlie Weis, get on the earliest flight to Logan airport. I'd love to see the whole gang get back together. The combination of Belichick, Weis, and Romeo Crennel was equivalent to the A-team. Let's do it babbbby!
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