Charlie Weis was hired as head coach of Notre Dame with the hopes of returning the Fighting Irish to glory. At first, it seemed as if Notre Dame may have found their savior. During the middle of his first season, the Irish signed Weis to a 10-year extension worth $30-40 million.
That year, Notre Dame qualified for the Fiesta Bowl, only to lose 34-20 to Ohio State.
During 2006, Weis’ quarterback, Brady Quinn, was regarded as a Heisman candidate and a possible No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Neither happened, though, and LSU embarrassed Notre Dame 41-14 in the Sugar Bowl.
This past season, Weis played quarterback roulette on the way to a 3-9 record. During the season, the Irish saw their 43-game winning streak against Navy snapped.
3) Tommy Bowden
Tommy Bowden, coach of the Clemson Tigers, came to the state of South Carolina after a brief, but successful, tenure at Tulane. Bowden led the Green Wave’s high-powered offense to an undefeated record, which culminated in a Liberty Bowl victory over BYU.
In nine seasons at Clemson, Tommy Bowden has yet to win the ACC or 10 games in a season. It’s not like the ACC has been full of powerhouses the past nine years. Only Florida State has played for a national title (1999 and 2000), and powers Virginia Tech and Miami didn’t join the ACC until 2004.
The Tigers are 3-5 in bowl games and have finished in the AP top 25 only four times during his tenure at Clemson.
At nearly $2 million per year, he has hardly been worth the money.
4) Bobby Bowden
Tommy’s father and most famous relative, Bobby, has long been the coach at Florida State. He has amassed over 300 victories, two national titles, and numerous bowl victories. His legacy will be remembered forever and rightfully so.
That legacy hasn’t done much for him lately.
Bowden’s run of top-5 finishes ended in 2001, and he hasn’t been back since. The past two seasons, his team has failed to finish anywhere in the AP poll for the first time since 1986.
He and his son, Tommy, share the same 3-5 record in their past eight bowl games. Bowden lost his grip on the national title race several years ago, and he’s losing his grip on the ACC.
It has long been speculated that Bobby Bowden has been serving more as a figure head of Seminole football, kind of like the Queen of England. Seminole players, especially recently, have been notorious for breaking the law. Last season, a couple dozen players were implicated in an academic cheating scandal and were suspended.
Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, hired away from LSU before the 2007 season, is supposed to succeed Bowden whenever he retires.
5) Phil Fulmer
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