In one of the worst kept secrets of the Coaching Hot Seat Season (coincides with baseball’s Hot Stove), my forensic analysis of media reports and my intuition to tie it all together comes to only one conclusion:

"Charlie, if Notre Dame got the wrong guy to go 6-5, do you call yourself an improvement at 6-6?" YYYYEEEEAAAHHHH!

Charlie Weis is out as the head coach of Notre Dame by the end of November. A regular Lt Horatio Crane I am…

I know I am not breaking any new ground here – but let’s lay out the facts before dropping names of his successor:

• Charlie Weis record is very similar to the records of predecessors who were shown the door. Weis is 35-26. Tyrone Willingham 21-15. Bob Davie 35-25. That would be acceptable at UTEP or Baylor, not Notre Dame. And also recall, George O’Leary was 0-0.
• After the Pitt game, Coach cancelled the usual Sunday press conference due to “late travel arrival” According to local beat writer Scott Novak, Sunday pressers get postponed, but never cancelled.
• His conference Monday sound like a man resigned to his forced resignation.
• Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick lets Weis know that he should return home after the Stanford matchup, rather than his usually scheduled recruiting trip through the West. You know, just to talk about the season, and the future direction of the program. The $4-to-$18 million buyout.

So who is next to lead the Fighting Irish? BoDog put odds on that, so let’s see what the wisdom of crowds says: Read the rest of this entry →

Give it up for Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis (pictured, on crutches, thanks IconSMI)…

During the Fighting Irish’s 35-17 win over Michigan on Saturday, Weis got hit on the backside of his left leg…when one of his own players was blocked into him on a punt return. The Domers coach tore his ACL and MCL, but returned to the sideline in the second half.

Although in a lot of pain, give Weis credit for hanging in there. Of course, I could not notice how it seemed Weis was a little satisfied with his “injury”…he having not played college football. Kind of like “now. I’m one of the guys”.

Not the Mike Gundy “I’m a man…I’m forty” moment from last year…but one of those almost surreal coaching highlights.

Weis added to the “toughness factor” by postponing major knee reconstruction surgery…at least for the time being. I bet the Notre Dame players will now be a little hesitant to complain about their bumps and bruises…might get whacked by coach’s crutch Read the rest of this entry →