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Dear Charlie,

It's not you, it's me.

Actually...it is you.

But this is something we need to do, and I hope we can do it amicably.

I want to start by saying, "Thank you."

You're a Notre Dame guy. You know what we've been through. And I, for one, will never compare your record to Bob Davie's or Tyrone Willingham's, similar though they may be.

You were different.

You'll leave our program in better condition than you found it. For five years, it appears you've done it the right way, without sanctions or scandal, and that's something that goes unnoticed far too often in college football.

With a tireless work ethic, you've managed to recruit the players Irish fans had given up on luring to South Bend, selling Notre Dame to Californians like Jimmy Clausen and even Hawaiians like Manti Te'o. As a result, your job is more desirable now than it was when you, and several of your predecessors, accepted it.

I do not resent you for your mistakes, nor the brash arrogance that soured so many of your would-be supporters. Who among us with ambition hasn't been guilty of overconfidence? It was why we wanted you in the first place. It was our error as much as yours. We let our need and your Super Bowl rings blind us.

In January of 2005, we needed someone to restore our self-belief as a football program. You've somehow managed to do that, without significantly altering the results on the field.

Which is exactly why it's now time for us to part ways. And as an alum, as someone who cares for the school, the program, and the players you've brought into it, let's find a way to do it productively.

Please step down.

For all the haughtiness that defined your arrival, you now have an opportunity to depart with a little humility.

In a sense, it's giving in. It's giving your detractors (both internally and externally) what they wanted all along. But it also gives them a chance to forgive you and move on.

And that will serve us all well.

You'll no doubt have immediate opportunities. Finding work won't be an issue. Whoever drafts Clausen next spring would be wise to make it a package deal.

And Notre Dame has an over-saturated field of candidates to choose from in its search for your successor. Help us handle that process better this time around by working with athletic director Jack Swarbrick on a strategic resignation.

Choose the timing that best fits the needs of the current team, the verbally committed class of 2010, and the wildly fortunate 29th head coach of the Fighting Irish.

I would suggest coming to terms now, behind the scenes. Then make your players aware of the decision in Palo Alto, in the locker room, before the season finale at Stanford. It will inspire them to play their hearts out for you one more time, and earn the "signature win" both you and they have undoubtedly earned.

Let that be your signature moment. Not your termination.

Unfortunately, I can't guarantee you'll be given the credit you deserve when Kelly or Gruden or Stoops or whoever's next takes the Irish back to the BCS in short order. The media won't rush to defend your honor the way they did Willingham's when you "won with his players."

But if you can help Notre Dame through this transition, as opposed to allowing the Irish to be dragged through the mud again, those of us who truly follow and support this program will always have an appreciation for the endless hours, miles, and effort you put in.

Please know you're welcome to join us any Saturday in South Bend.

Sincerely,

Trey

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