Tag: Charlie Weis (Page 6 of 7)

      Are Notre Dame and Michigan back?

      September 11, 2009 /

      Like every other college football game on this weekend’s schedule, the Notre Dame-Michigan contest will take a back seat to the USC-Ohio State battle on Saturday night. But after convincing wins over Nevada and Western Michigan, respectively, some fans want to know whether or not the Irish and Wolverines are getting back to their winning ways.

      Scout.com’s Richard Cirminiello answers the very question:

      Hey, I was as impressed as anyone with the Wolverines’ opening day performance, but back? Not quite. As long as the two quarterbacks, Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson, are true freshmen, the program is going to be vulnerable to some un-Michigan-like performances, especially when the schedule toughens and the team ventures outside the campus. That said, it’s clear that Rich Rodriguez has his kids in a far better position to compete for a postseason game than he did in his debut season. And that’s still a reason to celebrate around Ann Arbor after last year’s implosion.

      Notre Dame is closer to being back than Michigan, largely because the coaching staff has been in place for longer and the quarterback is on the brink of a Brady Quinn-like ascent. I’m not interested that Jimmy Clausen’s last two monster games were against WAC defenses. The strikes he’s thrown would beat Big Ten defenses as well. Just go back and check the film. He’s always had the talent, but his confidence took a beating in 2007 and 2008. That’s no longer a problem. A third year with Charlie Weis and a dynamite ensemble of receivers could be just what the junior needs to get on the tarmac. Plus, if the effort from the young Irish defense in Saturday’s shutout of Nevada is a harbinger of things to come, the program has the potential to win double-digit games and bowl in January.

      I couldn’t agree more. While it was encouraging that they didn’t allow another MAC opponent to beat them on their home turf last Saturday, Michigan is still going to experience plenty of rocky moments this year. It’s just something a team deals with when its starting two freshmen under center. The Wolverines will be better, but as Cirminiello points out, they’re still going to have their bad moments this season.

      The key for Notre Dame this year is whether or not they can employ a consistent running game. With Clausen and Golden Tate, the passing game is going to be pretty good. But the offensive line has to make room for ND’s backs to have success or else Charlie Weis’ offense is going to be one-dimensional and even though the Irish defense is solid, it can win games on its own.

      College Football

      Urban Meyer continues to say Notre Dame is his dream job

      December 12, 2008 /

      Even though he’s in the midst of preparing his Florida Gators to do battle with the Oklahoma Sooners in the national championship game, Urban Meyer isn’t backing down from saying that his ultimate dream job is still to coach at Notre Dame.

      Urban MeyerFour years after spurning Notre Dame to take over the Florida Gators program, Coach Urban Meyer called the Fighting Irish “still my dream job; that hasn’t changed” on a South Florida radio show on Wednesday.

      “Once my kids are done, maybe some day I’ll go coach there,” Meyer told 560 WQAM. “I don’t know that. That’s way down the road. Being a father and being able to recruit the best athletes in America within a 5-hour radius of my home, that’s why I came to Florida. I thought we could have a great chance at success.”

      “It’s just that time in my life — to be the head football coach of Notre Dame, you’re on a plane recruiting because you recruit San Diego as hard as you recruit New York as hard as you recruit Florida, Texas, Ohio,” Meyer said on the radio. “It’s a national recruiting base. I recruited there for six years, and I spent every night in a hotel in an airport. I’m going to be a good father first.”

      Granted he’s not saying that he wants to coach at Notre Dame next year, or the year after or the year after that. But one would think that he would pass on those questions during a time when all of his attention should be on winning another national title.

      He shouldn’t be vilified for being completely honest, but I’m not sure it’s ever the right time to talk about another job that 1) doesn’t have a vacancy and 2) you’re getting ready for the biggest game of the year at your current job. The timing just seems a bit off, but that’s not to say this should be made into a big deal.

      College Football

      Charlie Weis to return to Notre Dame next season

      December 3, 2008 /

      Well that didn’t take long:

      Charlie WeisCharlie Weis will return for a fifth year as Notre Dame’s football coach despite posting his second straight disappointing season.

      A person familiar with the decision said the university will make the official announcement later Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been authorized for release.

      Weis has seven years left on a 10-year contract signed midway through his first season.
      Athletic director Jack Swarbrick said following Notre Dame’s 38-3 loss to USC on Saturday that he would evaluate Weis’ performance. Both men were out of town Wednesday.

      The decision to keep Weis was first reported by several media outlets Tuesday night.

      Weis will have another shot at trying to return Notre Dame to prominence after posting back-to-back seasons of 3-9 and 6-6. The 15 losses are the most by Notre Dame in a two-year span.


      I wrote on Tuesday       how I thought Weis would return for at least one more season because quarterback Jimmy Clausen would be a junior and thus, he would have two full years of starting experience in Weis’s offense.

      But make no mistake – next year is it for Weis. If he can’t turn around Notre Dame’s sinking ship than there won’t be anything to debate – he’ll be shown the door.

      College Football

      Will Notre Dame dump Charlie Weis?

      December 2, 2008 /

      One of the main debates in college football for the foreseeable future is whether or not Notre Dame will fire head coach Charlie Weis and start fresh in 2009.

      Charlie WeisWeis’ buyout was once reportedly $10 million, but recent estimates have claimed it to be closer to the $4 or $5 million mark. Either way, that’s an insane, insane amount of money for any college — let alone one with the financial necessities of a private school — to be paying just to be rid of a football coach. There’s a chance some anonymous donor could pony up the cash, but … well, it’s $5 million.

      People aren’t exactly lined around the block for the chance to pay Weis $5 million to go away.
      Perhaps Notre Dame is stuck with Weis. Maybe Weis’ the size of Weis’ buyout — by the way, who knew old Charlie had such financial foresight? — will keep him safe.

      Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s president sent out an email on Monday stressing that faculty, students and staff have to cut costs in light of the stress the sour economy is putting on the university. If this season turns out to be the low point of Weis’ tenure at Note Dame, the coach appears to have timed it well.

      Weis has gone 9-15 over the last two seasons, including 6-6 this year. But I think ND will give him at least one more season and the only reason is Jimmy Clausen. (Okay well, not the only reason. Four million might have something to do with it, too.)

      Weis’ star recruit will be a junior next year and would have two full seasons as a starter under his belt. If Weis can’t produce a winning record with a third-year starter at quarterback (not to mention a highly recruited third-year starter at quarterback), than he’ll likely be gone next year.

      Comment fodder: What’s your prediction – was this Weis’s last year in South Bend?

      College Football

      Tribune writer rips Charlie Weis

      November 11, 2008 /

      Charlie WeisMike Downey of the Chicago Tribune ripped Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis in one of his recent articles.

      In 2007 and 2008 alone, here is what the Frightening Irish of Charlie Weis have done:

      •Lost 13 of their last 21games. •Been shut out three times.

      •Took the worst beating in a season opener in 120 years of Notre Dame football.

      •Had a nine-loss season for the first time.

      •Were defeated by Navy, which it had sunk 43 times in a row.

      Accordingly, there are some who believe that Saturday’s game in Baltimore against the Midshipmen could be sink-or-swim time for ND’s coach. One more unfathomable defeat could turn out to be the last straw—No More Mr. Weis Guy.

      How desperate is this situation? SOS. Weis is dropping hints that he will become more actively involved in the Irish’s X’s and O’s, particularly in the wake of a pathetic play-calling effort at Boston College that resulted in another big fat “0” on the scoreboard.

      Pick your poison:

      Of his five successes this season, four have come against San Diego State (1-9), Washington (0-9), Michigan (3-7) and Purdue (3-7). The only three opponents Weis defeated last season were lowly Duke, four-win Stanford and a UCLA team that was missing its two top quarterbacks.

      The Irish are just 1-16 against ranked opponents under Weis. That’s brutal. And I know Weis and ND used the win over Michigan this year as a stepping stone for good things to come, but with how bad the Wolverines are this season, that win looks more trivial by the week.

      College Football

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