Come To Think Of It: Notre Dame's Charlie Weis Will Be Fired

Saturday's stunning loss to UConn has sealed the fate of Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis, who has likely coached his last home game for the Irish.

Despite a show of support for their coach by the seniors prior to the game, Weis will be gone following the season.

"It was an idea that myself and two other guys had," quarterback Jimmy Clausen said. "It was Senior Day, but coach Weis has gone through a lot, and we're behind him 110 percent. And that's what we were trying to do today."

Weis had nothing to gain by beating UConn, really. But by losing, for the third straight week and for the second consecutive year to a Big East team on Senior Day, he surrendered all chance of returning for a sixth season.

As ESPN.com has reported, Unlike previous difficult losses, athletic director Jack Swarbrick didn't come into the media room after the game to answer questions. There was no need. Swarbrick has insisted that he will evaluate Weis at the end of the season and won't make any announcements until after next week's season finale at Stanford.

But there is nothing left to evaluate. The announcement will be a mere formality.

Weis now has a lower winning percentage than predecessors Bob Davie and Ty Willingham. He is 16-20 in the last three years. The Irish will be heavy underdogs to Stanford, and a defeat will guarantee a third straight non-winning regular season.

As usual, Weis deflected any questions about his own status, saying only that he felt "absolutely miserable" for the seniors.

"Today's not the day for me to reflect on things like that," he said. "I'll worry about me tomorrow."

In a strange, convoluted way, as in how a train wreck is tragic yet you can't turn your eyes away, the end of the Weis era will be a sad moment for the program. For the total blame cannot be pinned on him.

Yes, despite outstanding performances by QB Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, and with several members of Weis's first full recruiting now fifth-year seniors, the Irish are losing again and that is simply not tolerable in their world. 

Touchdown Jesus would not approve, come to think of it.