Comments on: Cliff Notes guide to the case against Charlie

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:37:21 +0000

good good…this post deserves nothing …hahaha just joking …nice post

By: mrrandolph

mrrandolph — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:48:49 +0000

Thanks BigMike!!
My point is that with the right choice it can turn in a hurry. I don’t however feel CW is the right choice.
Here are some teams that like ND struggled atleast 10 years with multiple coaches that hired the right man and returned to the top.
LSU before Nick Saban: 3 coaches in 10 years Archer,Hallman, DiNardo
Texas b4 Mack Brown: McWiliams, Mackovic
USC b4 Carroll: Smith, Robinson, Hackett
Oklahoma b4 Stoops: Gibbs, Schnellenberger,Blake
Georgia b4 Richt: Goff,Donnan
Alabama b4 Saban: DuBose,Franchione,Shula
Wisconsin b4 Alvarez: McClain, Hilles,Morton

By: BigMike4562

BigMike4562 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:30:26 +0000

See those teams did one thing, they hired an experienced coach capable of changing the program. Urban Meyer being one, Les Miles, Bob Stoops, the only problem is Ty was on the same course until you get an NFL coach who had no experience at running a team let alone an inexperienced bunch of kids…..I feel for you as fans and appreciate your outlook…

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:43:47 +0000

Good points, mrrandolph. And I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that although a lot of the guys who lost close games to the (cheating) Pats may be too old to strap on a helmet and do it over again, they’d be eager to give it a shot (provided they played against the same players they originally faced!), you know?
You’re a good guy, too. I also enjoy your comments. I don’t need you to agree with me (my hurt inner child does, but he doesn’t count). I agree with what you said about differing opinions. Otherwise you don’t really learn anything. It’s the same reason I always wanted to play basketball against players who are better than I am. Otherwise I don’t improve. And if some ND fans just want a “safe zone” where they can stroke each others’ ego and talk about how ND is perfect in every way (Keep TOUCHDOWN CHARLIE and we’re in the hunt for a NATIONAL TITLE next year, bay-bee!) and no one ever points out that the emperor seems a bit threadbare, then I’m sure there’s an empty treehouse where they can congregate.

By: dan e

dan e — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:26:33 +0000

you come onto this nd blog slinging mud about the smug attitudes and opinions of notre dame fans and then try to use logic to “hear” you out. your “stereotyping” of notre dame fans is very conflicting to your posts of “logic”. i am but one voice on this blog out of,…i would guestimate…one hundred or so, and bloggers have been pretty much all over the map about the “state” of notre dame football. it doesnt bother me that you are here…knock yourself out…notre dame means alot of things to different people, some hate, some love, either way its relevant and theres a reason why. domers know, others are left slinging mud

By: mrrandolph

mrrandolph — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:12:42 +0000

Stephenoftroy:Here is what you said in your last post.
mrrandolph: hearsay is inadmissible unless an exception applies. I am not a lawyer but if Cushing and Jarrett both said it in interviews (that are on record) than I would think it is not heresay but reality. But, my point is that alot of kids have transferred or decided not to come to ND because of some of these coaching decisions and the result of broken promises in the case of Jarrett.
And, if Hitler had not broken his agreement his Stalin and try to take Moscow and if it hadn’t been for the harsh Russian winter. Russia never would have had a chance to join the Allied Forces. And, anyway, America’s involvement is the only reason Europe is free today to diss the USA at every opportunity.
And, I have never blamed the refs for losing a game. There are way over 100 plays a ballgame with everyone designed to either score or stop a score. The Clausen fumble/incomplete pass didn’t cause ND to lose. The long pass before halftime, the Pitt RB breaking the long TD run, poor tackling on Pitt offense play 1-60 all had something to do with the loss.
And, anyone who played the Pats during CW’s OC days and lost: StL SB by 3pts, Eagles and Panthers in SB by 3pts, Titans in playoffs by 3 pts, Steelers in a couple of Championship games by a score. But, all of those teams are to old now to come back and play the game and make it right. And, I believe it was football justice that their perfect season was ended by a team they should have beat. And, ir it were played Sunday, and I knew the outcome, it would still be hard for me to bet against a perfect team.
As for the Ty thing, I really could care less his skin color, height, weight, IQ, etc.; I just want someone who can coach.
I really enjoy your comments and questions and I know you are a good guy and I for one like differing opinions for they make you think your positions through and change if need be.

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:27:04 +0000

mrrandolph: Even if Cushing and Jarrett did say what you say they said, my point was always that what they said isn’t relevant. Even if you get past the hearsay rule, evidence still has to be relevant to be admissible, remember? They came to USC, not ND. If the Russians had joined Hitler, WWII might have been different. But they didn’t.
We need to deal with what actually happens. This appears to be a big problem for many Irish fans. Talking about allegedly bad calls, allegedly crooked refs who allegedly want to help a conference make money in bowl games, allegedly bad coaches from the past who allegedly left a mess for the present coach to clean up, and so forth just IGNORES the reality on the field. ND has better talent than its record reflects. I don’t see how that can be chalked up to anything but inferior coaching.
Oh, and “Bill Belicheat?” Good one! Who, by the way, do you think benefited from the cheating by spying on the defensive signals? Why, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis! So, if you’re honest about it, Weis got the ND job because he got a helping hand at his prior job. Is that meaningfully different from the CLAIM that Ty Willingham was an “entitlement” or “affirmative action” hire? Just asking.

By: NDFAN401

NDFAN401 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:50:07 +0000

STEVE, YES I DO KNOW OTHER TEAMS BESIDES ND, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A NOTRE DAME DISCUSSION AND DID NOT KNOW I WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS OTHER TEAMS TO VALIDATE MY KNOWLEDGE AND OPINIONS ON THIS NOTRE DAME SUBJECT. HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE ON ALL OF THIS, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO COME TO OUR SCHOOL, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO IS COACHING THE TEAM, WHAT DOES MATTER IS THAT AS NOTRE DAME FANS WE WANT TO SEE THE SCHOOL AND FOOTBALL PROGRAM FLOURISH. RIGHT NOW, IT IS THE JOB OF JACK SWARBRICK, CHARLIE WEIS AND ALL THE OTHER COACHES AND PLAYERS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I AM NOT DISILLUSIONED ABOUT NOTRE DAME IT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS SINCE WE WON ANYTHING RELEVANT, BUT THEY ARE MY FAVORITE TEAM AND I AM NOT FAIR WEATHERED ABOUT THEM I WILL TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM. I DO HOWEVER WANT TO SEE THEM RETURN TO GLORY AND THE RIGHT PEOPLE NEED TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I JUST HOPE THAT THE PROCESS OF THAT HAPPENING IS NOT A KNEE JERK REACTION TO PRESSURE FROM THE ALUMNI, PRESS OR ANY OTHER SOURCE THAT IS JUST SIMPLY BASHING CHARLIE WEIS WHEN THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO SHARE IN THIS MESS. I DON’T WANT TO SEE SOMEONE THAT IS NOT GOING TO DO ANY BETTER BE HIRED AND BE DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM AGAIN IN ANOTHER 3 YEARS, AS A NOTRE DAME FAN I JUST WANT TO WIN!!!

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:57:55 +0000

I have been a big ND fan for as long as I can remember watching football. I would never root for the team to lose so the coach can get fired and I sincerely hope they win out the rest of the season. I have supported Coach Weis from day one until the time he is no longer the coach. But I think that time has come and he should not be kept after the end of the season. He has brought in more talent than the previous coaches but he has done less with that talent. When you consistently lose to teams that have inferior talent, its gotta be a coaching problem. ND hadnt lost to Navy in over 40 years and to lose to them twice in 3 years is ridiculous. I agree most of the blame falls on the defense this year but the offense has had its problems as well.

By: mrrandolph

mrrandolph — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:27:21 +0000

I do have specific sources. They said it in interviews. It is not heresay, it is admisable because there would be transcripts and archives on tape. Jarrett in a press conference right after the game 2006. And, Cushing on a report on the NFL Network. One of their Path to the Draft segments.
And, as far as Mike Garrett looking at Charlie’s resume laughing and tearing it up. Pete Carroll did not exactly have a sterling NFL or coaching resume either. I believe he was fired in favor of Bill Belicheat and his staff.

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:38:26 +0000

Oh, and Mr. Arnold, telling me that the only people using Weis’s own words against him are the ones calling for his head is, well, silly. Sorry to say it.
But it’s like telling me that “you always find things in the last place you look.” That’s because when you find it, you stop looking. The people who use Weis’s words against him are the ones paying attention to reality. The ones who ignore those words do so because they don’t want to be consistent in the application of logic to facts. They want to pretend that ND is going to contend for a national championship next year with NO running game, an inexperienced O-line, ONE decent player on defense (a freshman linebacker), and a coach who never changes, no matter the situation. Wishful thinking.
Weis said the words. And he was right, for once. 9-3 ISN’T good enough for the vast majority of Irish fans. If Weis hung a banner in the weight room that said 9-3 isn’t good enough, how is that any less meaningful than if he’d said it to a random sideline reporter in the heat of the moment post-game? It’s a distinction without a difference. He said it, and he meant it. He even had it printed up and hung it up in quasi-public. So it cuts against your argument.
Peeing on my leg and telling me it’s raining will not cause me to open up my umbrella, Mr. Arnold. Come on.

By: Paul P

Paul P — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:36:57 +0000

We should let Charlie go. Even if we lose some of the top recruits next year we’ll be better in the long run. Besides, what difference does it make getting 4 and 5 star recruits if we don’t maximize their abilities?
Don’t kid yourself, the Irish have been rated in the top 10-20 recruiting class (or better) over the past few years. At the very least we should be rated in the top 20 by the end of the past few years but we’re not! Inferior talent consistently beats us.
I too agree that we should be running more. Charlie jumps right into the shotgun with Clausen and doesn’t allow his ground game sufficient time to wear down the opponent. Playing behind center allows for much greater flexibily. We’re getting hammered in the red zone because we haven’t established the running game.
Bring in a younger energetic coach like Harbaugh or Brian Kelley and who can get the most out of the talent. The recruits will come.

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:46:25 +0000

Hey, Steve, you’re all right. And your mother named you well. Seriously, though, thanks for noticing that I do know a little about the Irish. I count myself as an ND fan, believe it or not. It’s just a larger concentric circle than the one I draw around my Trojans. I grew up watching the Irish and I think I know as much about them as any casual fan knows.
I don’t only root for my alma mater. I root for any player who appears to be trying his best, I root for any team that plays together, and I want to see skilled players play well (I can’t catch a 40 yard pass with one hand even if no one is covering me, much less do so while keeping myself inbounds, so I applaud superlative skills.).
Even if I didn’t know diddly squat, my opinion counts for as much as anyone’s. Should we only allow people to vote in elections if they prove they understand all the intricacies of the issues? Anyway, thanks for sticking up for me amidst all these rabid Domers.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:20:43 +0000

Stephen of Troy has some good points. We bash him for being a USC fan but let me ask you this ND fan. Do you know about any team other ND as well as he appears to know about ND? His opinion matters more then most people here. I bet some of these so called ND fans have only watched a game or two.

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:18:51 +0000

mrrandolph: hearsay is inadmissible unless an exception applies. None does here. Cushing (not Kushing) and Jarrett didn’t go to ND. Even if you could cite a source for the claims you make, it still doesn’t amount to anything. They went to USC, and helped the Trojans beat the Irish. We’re not playing what-if’s. I know that ND fans LOVE to play what-if’s, so that must be hard for you to take.
I would have been a basketball player if I was six inches taller and really good at basketball. Want to hear more about what might have been, if only X, Y, and Z were different? See how that works?

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:14:33 +0000

NDfan41, that’s a good point about being one injury away from being an average citizen. Well stated.
sharkey, children should be seen and not heard. So shut up while grown-ups are talking. Are you really so juvenile that you think only ND fans’ opinions count? No wonder your mediocre school thinks the world revolves around it. “How could George Bush have won? No one I know voted for him!” Get a clue.

By: Robert92

Robert92 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:27:32 +0000

The facts regarding CW’s lack of performance and how he compares to his immediate predecessors are well known at this point. All things being equal CW will be fired because the AD can’t afford to lose his own credibility so early in his own tenure! Keeping CW will send the wrong message that the AD is not interested in accountability or production when it comes to ND’s athletic programs! Keith, you are an eternal optimist when it comes to CW but his time has come and gone.
Also, my dark horse candidate, Mike Shanahan.

By: sharkey

sharkey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:47:17 +0000

Stephen, your opinions really don’t matter in this forum not being an ND fan. I personaly don’t bother reading them. But welcome anyhow.

By: mrrandolph

mrrandolph — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:33:33 +0000

After the last four years, the administration has to have considered a contingency plan for a new coach in case of another bad year.
Surely, if they are going to make a change, they have known it for quite awhile.
And, for those who think Ty Willingham is responsible for Brady Quinn arrival in South Bend and not the appeal of the tradition and draw of the Golden Dome. I encourage you to check out this article in the SI Vault on Si.com
Extreme Makeover-Under the critical eye of Charlie Weis
by Austin Murphy November 14, 2005
I also heard Dwayne Jarrett (USC) say after the 2005 or 06 game that he was coming to ND and Ty promised him a scholarship if he passed his SAT. He said he passed and never received an offer. But, I also,this spring, heard Brian Kushing (USC) say he was coming to ND until Ty Willingham was fired. It goes both ways!

By: NDFAN41

NDFAN41 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:37:42 +0000

STEPHENOFTROY, LOSING CLOSE GAMES IS NOT JUST AND INDICATION OF POOR COACHING IT IS AN INDICATION OF THE PLAYERS NOT EXECUTING. THERE IS AN OLD SAYING IN FOOTBALL AT ANY LEVEL WHEN YOU LEARN HOW TO WIN CLOSE GAMES YOUR TEAM HAS TURNED THE CORNER. NOTRE DAME IS NOT LOADED WITH BIG TIME PLAYMAKERS THEREFORE HAVE NOT REACHED THIS LEVEL. BUT NOT REACHING THAT LEVEL IS ONLY PARTIALLY DUE TO COACHING AND SOME OF THAT RESTS WITH THE PLAYERS. I DO NOT THINK URBAN MEYER IS THE ANSWER EITHER HE HAS AN ENTIRE PROGRAM THAT DOES HIS RECRUITING NOT JUST THE HEAD COACH AND THE LORE OF THE SCHOOL. NOTRE DAME IS MORE THAN JUST FOOTBALL, IT IS ACADEMICS, MATURITY AND BECOMING A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY. IN TODAY’S WORLD MOST OF THE ATHLETES ARE LOOKING FOR AN EASIER RIDE THAN BEING AT NOTRE DAME. THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PLAYERS IN THE COLLEGE RANKS NOW THAT WILL NOT SEE GRADUATION OR A DEGREE BECAUSE THEY ARE LURED TO THE NFL BY BIG MONEY, IT IS A SHAME THAT MOST OF THEM WIND UP FAILING AND HAVE NO DEGREE TO FALL BACK ON. MY COACH TOLD ME AND THE OTHER GUYS THAT I PLAYED WITH TO ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT WE WERE ONE INJURY AWAY FROM BEING AN AVERAGE CITIZEN.

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:35:52 +0000

Mr. Arnold, you can interpret my being here as a compliment for your fancy writing if it makes you feel better about the Irish’s predicament. Seriously, though, I do appreciate and applaud your enthusiasm for your team.
I don’t think I’m spreading myself too thin by being here. If I thought Pete Carroll needed to go (he doesn’t) or that he didn’t know what’s wrong with his squad (he does), I would spend more time writing about USC. A lot of you ND fans seem to have nothing substantive to say, so you give me some variant of “go back where you came from,’ which isn’t all that persuasive, frankly.
I think the SI article made a good point that you didn’t reference. Charlie Weis’s best two years, by far, were his first two years. Whose recruits did he play with then? Ty Willingham’s. Why doesn’t any ND fan who waxes poetic about what a master recruiter Weis is, and what an allegedly poor recruiter Willingham was, talk about that? Did Brady Quinn commit to ND because he predicted that Weis would come aboard?
Non-facetious question for you, Mr. Arnold: Do you REALLY think the ND athletic director is waiting until the end of the season to evaluate this coaching situation? I’d consider it the AD version of malpractice if that’s true. I would think he needs to be considering other coaching candidates NOW (whether new head coach possibilities or merely requiring Weis to change out several members of his staff). It will/may be too late by season’s end to get new talent. What if, for example, ND really does want Harbaugh, but in 10 days ESPN announces that Harbaugh re-upped with Stanford for big money? If you put feelers out to Harbaugh now, that may be enough to keep him available. Just asking.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, I grew up passionately following two college football programs: USC and ND. I think Lou Holtz is one of the best college coaches ever (along with Pete Carroll and Bobby Bowden [in his heyday]). So I’m not sure your view of my priority list is accurate. But I appreciate the civil attention you’d pay to a nobody like me. Keep up the good writing. (That’s not sarcasm, either.)

By: Keith Arnold

Keith Arnold — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:19:50 +0000

@StephenOfTroy:
You sure spend a lot of time over here for a USC fan. Can I take that as a compliment for my fancy writing? Seems you have enough to worry about with your squad that coming over here and calling for the head of a rival head coach shouldn’t be too high on your priority list.
“9-3 isn’t good enough” was a banner hanging in the weight room to motivate the 2006 team. It wasn’t an assessment to use on every Notre Dame squad. As much as Weis has given all of us some convenient sound-bytes to crucify him with, the only people that seem to use them are the ones calling for his head.
I’m just glad that Jack Swarbrick is taking the logical approach to this and evaluating things at the end of the season.
Thanks for reading though. (That’s not sarcasm, either.)
-Keith

By: ugetwutuask4

ugetwutuask4 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:16:32 +0000

TO MR WILL I AM ACTUALLY (WILLIAMNOT) YOUR LAME AND SO ARE YOUR OPINIONS…1ST OFF YOUR STUPID IF YOU ACTUALLY THINK ALL ND FANS ARE THE SAME JUST LIKE I’M SURE ALL UF**** FANS ARE NOT AS F***** UP AS I THINK THEY ARE…BARELY ESCAPING WITH VICTORIES OVER AR KANSAS AND MISSISSIPPI STATE WHERE UF***** UP COACHES PAY REFS TO GIVE YA’LL PHANTOM CALLS…AND TROJAN BOY NEEDS TO STOP TYPING ARTICLES THAT SOUND LIKE A COLIN COWHERD SKIT…STANFORD PROVED WHY HE NEEDS TO LOSE HIS RIGHT’S TO HIS OWN OPINION MAKING IT SEEM AS IF HE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE IRISH SHOVE THE BALL DOWN THEIR THROATS LIKE CARDINAL’S…SINCERELY EVEN IF WE DO LOSE TO UCONN AND STANFORD!
FIGHTN IRISH 4 EVER

By: StephenOfTroy

StephenOfTroy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:23:09 +0000

Sorry, Keith Arnold, but “those same tired facts” are relevant. In fact a good argument can be made that they’re dispositive. Weis himself said 9-3 isn’t good enough. Well then what is 3-9? What’s 7-5? This year you’ll be lucky to go 7-5. You’re not going to beat Stanford. And ND said that Willingham did all the right things Sunday to Friday, but he didn’t win enough on Saturday. WHY, then, should Weis get to stay if he doesn’t do any better than Willingham (despite having more time to win, and despite having allegedly superior talent? I say allegedly because Weis went 9-3 with Willingham’s players…)?
And Dennis, you said that no one could say the offense has been a problem. Sure they could. You don’t have a running game. Your senior O-line doesn’t pass-protect. Otherwise why does Clausen keep getting sacked in critical situations?
Telling us you lost 4 games by 19 points, or that the Irish are in close games is not a reason to tout Weis’s coaching. In fact, it cuts the other way. Losing close games is a sign of poor coaching. Look at WHY you lose and WHO you lose to. You shouldn’t be outscored so badly in the first 3 quarters. You outscore the other team in the 4th because they go to soft defenses designed to take away the downfield throw and give up underneath routes.
The Irish play down to the level of their competition when they play weaker teams, and they get outmatched against tough teams. Weis has NEVER beaten a team that finished with fewer than 4 losses. His record against winning teams, let alone ranked teams, is miserable.
And as for the defense… Well, if you bring in a defensive coordinator who insists on using the style and schemes he had with his former players, when the current players are unable to execute (e.g., calling multiple unsuccessful blitzes), shouldn’t the head coach tell the defensive coordinator to call a defensive game that is suited to the current players? And shouldn’t the defensive scheme be integrated with the offensive scheme? In other words, ND has a talented QB, two talented WR’s, a senior O-line, and a pretty good RB in Allen. If you ran the ball 20 – 25 times a game, defenses would have to respect the run, and would stop going all-out to stop the pass. Tate wouldn’t get double-covered, and Clausen would have time to find him. And if the defense, recognizing what kind of offensive firepower you have, played more conservatively, then teams would be forced to try to out-score Clausen and Tate over the entire 60 minutes, rather than building a big lead on ND through 3 quarters because ND’s blitzes come up short and the ND defense cannot get the other team’s offense off the field.
I respect the history at ND and I want something better for its loyal fans than what the AD has given them since Lou Holtz. I don’t think it does the program, the student-athletes, the student body, the alumni, or the fan base any good to keep Weis around and pretend that the losses aren’t his fault. They are. The buck stops somewhere, and that somewhere is the Head Coach’s desk. weis does NOT motivate his players to play their best for 60 minutes. Is that not part of the job description? Is it not the most important part that has to do with football (I know you will say that graduating players and keeping them out of the newspapers for alleged crimes is the most important, period…)?
Weis has done less with more than any other ND coach. Can you argue with that?

By: William

William — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:16:52 +0000

Notre Dame fans live in their own little fantasy world where
they think that their only school playing college football.Wake
up the echoes? WHAT A JOKE!!! If you want to watch REAL FOOTBALL
may I suggest you watch an SEC football game. Then you’ll find
out how football is supposed to be played. As for the idiot who
called Urban Meyer Urban Liar. Just remember he TURNED DOWN THE
NOTRE LAME JOB and has two soon to be three National Titles at
THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.

By: eric

eric — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:55:44 +0000

agreed NDFan…i dont think a head coaching change is needed as much as a defensive cordinator change is. If only he could get Romeo Crennel down there to run the D for him, woohoo..lol..Bob Stoops or Tony Dungy would be the only 2 guys i think that could get the job done, and be quality at it. Urban Liar can kiss my white Irish rear end….

By: NDFAN401

NDFAN401 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:27:13 +0000

I DO BELIEVE THAT CHARLIE WEIS IS A GOOD COACH AND HAS SHOWN THAT HE CAN RECRUIT TOP TALENT, GETTING THE TALENT TO PAY OFF ON THE FIELD HOWEVER HAS BEEN HIS DOWNFALL. I THINK THAT ONE OF HIS PROBLEMS IS THAT HE IS FOCUSING ONLY ON THE OFFENSE AND THIS MAY BE DIVIDING THE TEAM. THE DEFENSIVE COACH HE BROUGHT IN HAS NOT HAD THE SUCCESS THAT WAS EXPECTED AND BECAUSE OF THOSE 2 THINGS NOTRE DAME HAS BECOME A LAST QUARTER, LAST MINUTE WIN TEAM, YOU CAN ONLY EXPECT JIMMY TO PULL OUT SO MANY LAST MINUTE VICTORIES. I HATE TO SAY IT BUT IT LOOKS LIKE CHARLIE WEIS IS ON HIS WAY OUT, MY FEAR IS THAT THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANYONE TO HIRE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THE PROGRAM FORWARD AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CHARLIE WEIS HAS DONE.

By: eric

eric — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:02:13 +0000

Dennis, Awesome brother, just awesome. I couldnt say it any better myself. Well, you did leave one thing out..the graduation rate at ND for student athletes is number 2 in the country, second to only Navy! Thats a feat in itself. Then you see the recruiting level, which is astronomically better than Davie or Willingham ever came close to. Then you look at the passion, pride, and tradition he restored, which i also think wilted during Willinghams last 2 years.
The team has lost 4 games by a total of 19 points! Its not like ND got blown out, and embarassed (Navy’s QB just broke a single season TD record that stood since 1917, so lets give them a little credit), they just lost close games…games they all had a chance to win. Giving him one more year, save he loses the last 2 games that is, is the right thing to do not only by Weis for all he has done in his tenure as Coach..but for the players too. These guys dont want his firing on their shoulders, and it also sends them a message that we dont believe in them.
Heres some other consequences if Weis is fired:
Clausen likely is gone with Weis, along with Tate.
Depending on the new Coach, some players will likely leave, along with some really stand out incoming recruits (Chris Martin comes to mind). The program will not just turn itself around with a new coach, sorry it will take some time. Remember, Charlie runs a complex Pro style offense, much different than say Urban Liar, Brian Kelley, and some others mentioned. So there will be a learning period.
Why not let this Jr Class finish out their Sr season with the coach that recruited them, letting them finish what they started..thats my opinion…however any of the above is mute if the team doesnt show up and beat Uconn and be game for Stanford.

By: mrrandolph

mrrandolph — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:58:41 +0000

Just in case that Charlie is retained, here is food for thought on how fast things can turn around. This issome notable turnarounds in the last 10 Years.
Team Record
Oklahoma 1999 7-5
2000 Nat’l Champion
Ohio State 2001 7-5
2002 Nat’l Champion
LSU 2002 8-5
2003 Nat’l Champion
USC 2002 6-6
2003 11-2 (AP) Nat’l Champion
2004 Nat’l Champion
Florida 2007 9-4
2008 Nat’l Champion
Auburn 2003 8-5
2004 13-0 Should have
gotten a share of Nat’l Title

By: Noid

Noid — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:58:37 +0000

I don’t ever like to compare the stats of one coach to another. I have to look at the program as a whole package. I personally feel Weis just does not have it as a head coach. Yes he can bring in great talent, yes his offenses can show many shades of greatness, no we have not seen a solid defense – yet we have very talented players. As I see it, Weis cannot get the full potential from his very talented players. I can gaurantee you Jim Harbaugh at Stanford has no where near the talent that Weis has, but he is motivating his players and getting more out of them. Weis lacks the ability to motivate them to the next level where a USC, Florida, Ohio State, Alabama, etc is at. Notre Dame is just a sub-par mid-level division 1 team year after year under Weis. I would rank Notre Dame somewhere between 40-70 out of the 120 teams. He does not have a big win yet. And a win over Michigan does not count, because those two programs have been going 50/50, for the most part, no matter how good each others team may be. In conclusion, Weis just does not have “it”, and he needs to go. Notre Dame needs to choose their next coach carefully, making sure he continues bringing in the top recruits, and we absolutely need to see a definitive change in the attitude and motivation these players will showing in every game. Call it the “we will win” attitude, that will actually go along with winning 85% or better of all their games, including those at the top level.