And So…The Fat Lady Sings

Charlie Weis’ stint at Notre Dame has come to an end. When someone gets fired, it is not a time for celebration. But I can assure you that Fighting Irish fans in South Bend and across the nation are happy that he is gone; the message boards and forums have been calling for Weis to be removed after their loss to Navy. And it became more emphatic to the nation that Charlie would be relieved of his duties once they lost to Stanford, with Toby Gerhart putting on another impressive performance. Weis did not make friends when he arrived in South Bend. He rode in like a desperado all clad in black but instead of brandishing a gold-plated six shooter it was his Super Bowl rings that he blinded us all with; he was often deemed indifferent and arrogant to Notre Dame-backers, boosters, and the media. Weis was the ultimate pro wrestling “heel” (bad guy): he was no different than the Iron Sheik or Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. However, in his last two years there was a softer Charlie, a man that was more comfortable with himself and goofy at times. We know how much he has meant to the New England Patriots and Tom Brady: former sixth round pick and eventual Hall of Famer. He helped developed Brady into a star quarterback for those hated New Englanders. So why wouldn’t Notre Dame go after the “sexy pick” after unsuccessful seasons with Bob Davie and Tryone Willingham? But what happened was something no one saw: 35-27 in his five year tenure. Davie ended up with two fewer losses than Weis, in a five year span, and Willingham, in his three years, ended with a 21-15 record. The biggest Achilles heel for the Fighting Irish has been their defense. The defense finished the year ranked 87th in the nation: surrendering, on average, 397.95 yards per game. On the flip side of this, they were ranked 10th in total offense, averaging 451.75 yards per game. It’s good to have an offense and Drew Brees can attest to that (sorry for the NFL reference), but if you cannot get the boys on defense to make crucial stops then you lose those close bittersweet games: they have lost the last six games by an average of 4.6 points. They are hardly a team that is getting creamed week in and week out. Notre Dame assumed that Weis would be the messiah that would bring back the storied tradition of coaches: Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz. However, it is unrealistic for them to put that kind of pressure on him or any coach. Those years of ten to eleven win seasons are long gone. And who is to say that those head coaches would have the same success that they had in the past today: the college game has evolved so much and so has the athlete. Yes, Notre Dame is steeped in tradition, but kids nowadays are not concerned with that and that has to do with our society as a whole. We want instant gratification. Look at the popularity of the SEC and Big 12. Kids would rather be on CBS or ESPN where they get more exposure than NBC which is the home of the Fighting Irish. One of the problems hindering this program is geographical location. Do you see kids wanting to go to Indiana over Texas, Florida, Alabama or USC? If I had a choice, I would pick any Southeastern team or West Coast team. I want to enjoy the nice weather and girls that are in shorts and sundresses instead of girls wearing over-sized sweatshirts and leg warmers. And the academic standards are not going to allow the university to get the athletes that you see at Florida or Texas. Its commendable that they have a high graduation percentage, but if you want to play in BCS bowl games and compete for national titles, something has to give, so what is it going to be? Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick is saying all the right things: “But I think I will say it is important to us to look first and foremost at people who have demonstrated an ability to build and sustain a Division I college football program.” For the Notre Dame fans, let’s hope that he sticks to his plan and make this a meticulous process. As of Sunday, word came out on ESPN that a decision could be made as early as today. I do not know if someone is spreading rumors but if this is true then what happened to the extensive research that he promised. There are 120 college football programs that have qualified personnel, forget about the NFL. Find a college coach that has a good staff and is adept at recruiting and find out his philosophies on the game and where he is planning to take your program. Why pick up a former NFL head coach or assistant that has no experience in recruiting and the college game?! Most importantly, expectations need to be tempered in South Bend, and once they realize that, success can happen. All successful people go through rocky moments in their lives, but one must persevere. And Notre Dame needs to understand that change comes in small chunks; it is not an overnight thing. They need to give whoever they choose as the head coach time to turn around this program: they should not expect nine to ten wins in the first two years. And with the recent departure of Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate to the NFL draft, it will take some time for that program to be potent on offense. Who knows maybe next season it will be the defense that carries this team or maybe not. My mother always told me that you must creep before you can walk, and once The Fighting Irish realize this then success can come their way.