In the end, Weis sounded like a man who had run out of answers. Weis left Boston, where he built his reputation as one of the game’s foremost offensive minds while an offensive coordinator for the Patriots, with his career at a crossroads and his future as Notre Dame’s coach very much in doubt. The Weis Watch is officially on, and based on the fact that his team is regressing during his all-important fourth season, justifiably so. Notre Dame’s third loss in four games could not be explained away as another awkward but necessary step in the maturation process. No, this Boston massacre only fueled the fire of critics who believe Weis is more problem than solution… Whether Weis has lost the confidence of his team is one question. Whether he is losing the confidence of his superiors is another. If the Irish lose to Navy on Saturday, which hardly seems out of the realm of possibility now, Weis might be fired before he is able to limp off the field. Bob Davie, after all, had one more win during his first 46 games than Weis has now. Tyrone Willingham’s winning percentage was .583; Weis’ is .587… It’s not as if Weis’ fate is sealed. There is still a way out of the mire Notre Dame finds itself in, but it’s a steep, uphill climb, especially for a guy with a gimpy knee who may have lost his team and appears to be running out of answers — and time. – Sun-Times


What little Boston College’s unranked team wasn’t able to accomplish in a 17-0 defrocking of Notre Dame Saturday night, its fan base took care of. That is sending Irish fourth-year head coach Charlie Weis, once an iconic offensive mind in these parts, and his 5-4 football team into a firestorm of doubts, questions and Faustian comparisons. And yes, Weis has a mere one-loss advantage through 46 games as the Irish head football coach (27-19) over Gerry Faust (25-20-1) at the same juncture — and behind Bob Davie’s eventual semi-cataclysmic pace (28-18). If there’s a thread of hope in what seems to becoming a weekly visit by Weis to his career crossroads, it’s that the man is still searching for answers with an open mind, still fighting, still showing he has at least the heart, if not the aptitude, to direct a lasting renaissance of the Notre Dame football program. – South Bend Tribune


Notre Dame is 1-15 in their last 16 games against teams with winning records. – NY Daily News

Ugh... if this does become an issue (I'm not sold they will fire him after this season) then that adds another team that could very well interest Brian Kelly.

My question would be - what is his buy out? Didn't he just sign an extension worth millions to keep him around. Funny thing about this situation too is the fact that the man who gave him the extension is already gone. Look for this talk and watch to diminish if ND finishes 7 & 5 and makes the Gator /Sun, or Cotton bowl; especially if by some miracle they would win their post season bowl too. If ND finishes 6 & 6 and makes a bowl he will be around for at least another year. If ND finishes 5 and 7 look for the rumor mill to kick into high gear and explode.

mlb Wrote:Ugh... if this does become an issue (I'm not sold they will fire him after this season) then that adds another team that could very well interest Brian Kelly.

You know, I thought that, but I wonder if the situation with Kelly at Central Michigan might turn them off to him. You know that Notre Dame considers themselves clean and above things. It also turned Michigan off to Kelly.

Kelly's history won't bother Tennessee at all. That's everyday business in the SEC...

Nice time to ride to the rescue, Charlie
by Jason Whitlock
Updated: November 10, 2008, 7:55 PM EST

It is very brave and quite magnanimous for The Great Weis Hope to throw his offensive coordinator under the bus by publicly announcing his decision to reclaim leadership of the Notre Dame offense with defensive powerhouses Navy and Syracuse on the Irish schedule.

Too often, I waste column inches blasting Charlie Weis, Notre Dame and the lifetime contract awarded to an unproven blowhard. I never take the time to point out the good side of "Pear Bryant."

Well, that changes today.

I cannot deny the courageousness and nobility of Weis embarrassing offensive coordinator Mike Haywood following Notre Dame's 17-0 loss to Boston College over the weekend.

Look, most college coaches of reasonable character and integrity would've stripped Haywood of his control of Notre Dame's offense privately. A low-key, moderate-ego coach would've kept the behind-the-scenes maneuvering behind the scenes.

But Weis has virtually no ego. He is arguably the most ego-less coach working today.

That's why he made it crystal clear to anyone who would listen that he will be responsible for any offensive success the Irish have when they face defensive juggernauts Navy and Syracuse.

The undersized Middies are giving up just 27 points per game to Division I opponents. The 2-7 Orangemen are nearly as stingy, surrendering just 37 points per outing.

As you can see, a week after battling the nation's 10th-best defense (Boston College), it's extremely noble for Weis to alert the media of his plans to fix Notre Dame's offense.

I'm sure the same media members who championed Weis' lifetime contract will once again sing his praises when the Irish show remarkable improvement and climb to 7-4 before getting waxed by USC.

Again, Notre Dame's progress and Pear Bryant's greatness can best be seen by analyzing Washington's failure under Tyrone Willingham. You must remember that Tyrone Willingham's recruiting is what destroyed Notre Dame football, and as long as Tyrone is recruiting — no matter the school — Notre Dame won't be any good.

That has to be the explanation. I realize The Great Weis Hope is in his fourth season and has a roster flush with mature talent he recruited. And I realize that Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski made a point to remind his players that none of them was good enough to be recruited by Pear Bryant. (I must admit I stole the Pear Bryant nickname from an e-mailer.)

You would think that superior talent and the decided schematic advantage that Weis promised upon his coronation as Notre Dame messiah would allow the Irish to at least kick a field goal against Boston College. That's naive thinking. You don't understand the damage being caused in South Bend by Willingham's recruiting in Seattle.

And if you can't understand that, then you surely can't grasp the self-serving motive of Weis retaking over his offense with two weak opponents on the schedule.

It's no secret. I dislike Charlie Weis and despise the free pass he was given by the media when he was handed a huge contract extension for doing less than Willingham.

Weis is a bully and a coward, and his well-timed announcement that he would abandon this "head coach stuff" so he could bail out his offense proves my contentions.

He's planning on the Irish averaging 35 points the next two weeks and selling his impatient fan base on the myth that he's making real progress. He's hoping the media will assist him in selling this lie.

Weis is an average college head coach with horrendous people skills. That's not a good combination. Bobby Knight had poor people skills, a brilliant mind and a superior work ethic. Nick Saban is a football Bobby Knight.

Weis might be a reverse of Pete Carroll, who bombed in the pros and excelled in the collegiate game. Coaching in the NFL is easier. Everyone is on more equal footing. There are fewer variables. You can hire someone else to evaluate talent. College coaches have already developed the talent.

Weis is in over his head coaching the college game.

There are rumors that Notre Dame might pull the plug on The Great Weis Hope if he loses to Navy.

I'll be rooting for Notre Dame this weekend. I want Charlie Weis at Notre Dame as long as I'm a columnist. His failures and the rationalizations offered up by Notre Dame fans are worth two to three columns a year.

Hell, I've written two this month and could easily get a third if Navy pulls an upset. Stay tuned.

This article appeared on the Fox Sports website on Monday, November 10, 2008.

Navy's going to pull the upset. I've been on the same page with this guy all along. The media's habit of declaring things that haven't happened yet sickens me, and Fatman was one of the biggest things that have never happened that they proclaim the greatness of - simply because he was hired by Notre Dame. I'm so glad he bombed...

Yet, the ESPN meatheads are defending him. They believe he deserves another year. Funny thing is, ND has had top notch recruiting classes(which are all Weiss' recruits) and yet there is little improvement. I find it interesting that his record is no better than the coaches he replaced.

Krocker, that has to be one of the funniest articles I’ve ever read Thanks for posting.

I heard a segment on ESPN radio this morning that the buyout is 21 MILLION dollars. Talk about job security.

Good question. Things were looking good at 5-2 and with a two touchdown lead at the half against Pitt.

The wheels have come off quickly after two straight losses and everyone is taking their shots at Weis. He has not endeared himself to anyone, on or off campus, and people have bailed quickly.

Many ND fans have gotten off his bandwagon and want him replaced. Sportswriters have wasted little time taking their shots in columns.

I think that unless Weis loses to Navy or Syracuse and/or gets blown out by Southern Cal, he will be back.

I think that you will see major staff changes in the offseason on the offensive side of things.

he's 1-16 in last 17 vs teams with winning records.

TerryD Wrote:Good question. Things were looking good at 5-2 and with a two touchdown lead at the half against Pitt.

The wheels have come off quickly after two straight losses and everyone is taking their shots at Weis. He has not endeared himself to anyone, on or off campus, and people have bailed quickly.

Many ND fans have gotten off his bandwagon and want him replaced. Sportswriters have wasted little time taking their shots in columns.

I think that unless Weis loses to Navy or Syracuse and/or gets blown out by Southern Cal, he will be back.

I think that you will see major staff changes in the offseason on the offensive side of things.

I bet y'all go 0-3...