Dear Mr. Swarbrick,
I do not envy you.
You're going to be under an intense national spotlight over the next several days as you decide whether or not to continue the contract of offensive genius Charlie Weis.
You're going to hear a lot of people imploring to cut your losses now, pay his ridiculous buyout, and move on to perhaps a "real" college coach.
But please, no matter how many stats you look at, or how many boosters threaten to pull funds—don't fire Charlie Weis.
This is the man who led Notre Dame back to glory. Remember? There's even a book about it.
Think of all the good times that Coach Weis has brought. Remember when he almost beat USC in 2005?
I know USC has outscored the Irish by 93 in the last three years, but like I said—remember the good times. The Irish earned all four first downs they made last night.
And who can forget the happy faces of the cadets last year when Navy snapped its 43-game losing streak to the Irish last year?
And while Coach Weis designed the 120th ranked offense in the country last year, this year, he used his decided schematic advantage to move the Irish all the way up to top no. 80 this year.
Forget his dismal record against teams with winning records. With the joke of a schedule the Irish play every year, that's hardly an obstacle to bowl eligibility.
The simple fact of the matter is that Notre Dame deserves a coach like Charlie Weis. He's brash, arrogant, and hasn't accomplished much of anything lately—just like the Irish.
I know he's failed to endear himself to several key university figures and alumni. I know he has yet to accomplish anything with his own players. I know the Irish lost to a nine-loss team this year for the first time in school history.
Simply put, Charlie Weis is the man to lead Notre Dame back to glory again. He's done it once, and now the program is worse off than it was before he was hired—he'll do it again.
And even if he doesn't, the rest of the country, including myself, will enjoy watching the failure every week on NBC. So please, when you're considering the overwhelming mountain of evidence that suggests Charlie Weis has no clue what he's doing, ignore it all.
In uncertain economic times such as these, this country needs all the sources of joy it can get. Watching the Irish embarrass themselves on national television week after week is certainly a good place to start.
Thanks for your time today and I look forward to watching more terrible Notre Dame teams in the future.
10 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Jeremy 7 months ago
Hilarious, good work,
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Jack Benton 7 months ago
Nice one!! Great reading!!
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mark scacewater 7 months ago
"You're going to be under an intense national spotlight over the next several days as you decide whether or not to renew the contract of offensive genius Charlie Weis."
He's under contract for 7 more years. His choices are do nothing or terminate. Renewing is not an option. You need to correct that.
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Jo-Ryan Salazar 7 months ago
So far, it's looking like Swarbrick's made a bad decision to extend Weis's contract that long. Seven years? He's gonna be there longer than Barack Obama not winning reelection. Horrible decision by the Notre Dame AD. Should have made it 3 or 4 years instead. Or less.
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Clashmore Mike 7 months ago
Swarbrick didn't have anything to do with Weis' contract. Weis was hired under former AD Kevin White. Swarbrick is in his first year as Athletic Director. He is a no-nonsense ND Alum, a former attorney with one of the largest law firms in the country, and formerly held positions with the Pan Am Games and the NCAA. He knows sports, he knows Notre Dame, he will know what has to be done and won't be afraid of doing it.
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Jo-Ryan Salazar 7 months ago
I stand corrected, Clashmore, thank you. In any case, Swarbrick knows that the honeymoon period is over. He'll have a lot of time to think.
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Ty Coon 7 months ago
Actually a pretty stupid letter. People that enjoy hating Notre Dame so much need to understand that at some point ND is not only going to be irrelevant but nowhere to be seen. Teams that are not good are rarely discussed or seen on TV. When is the last time Yale Football was on TV or discussed?
The Irish, if they do not pull it together ASAP are going to have problems scheduling (USC can not afford to have ND play this way...They need good W outside of conferance to help with there SOS) and lose there contract. Everyone that hates ND needs to think about this. College football needs its powerhouse teams with tradition and the Irish are the biggest in that sense with a national following.
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Kirk Dymbrowski 7 months ago
I have to agree with Ty. We wouldn't be scowling at the Yankees, Red Wings and Cowboys if they were not consistently good over a long period of time.
If ND, dissipates into MAC-like obscurity or DivII, the haters won't have much left to have fun with.
I by no means care for the Yankees, Red Wings or Cowboys, but they are so much more fun to dislike, when they are playing well.
All the same, the lack of Ws doesn't bother me so much as the seeming lack of spirit. It used to be that being in that unifrom made you feel bigger, faster, more proud, inspired, part of something greater than a $-eyed pro-hopeful dream. The program seems to lack: the respect for fierce competition--the pure love of the sport--and the grea great pride in wearing that hallowed uniform and being a student at that school. I've seen more fight, more spirit from Stanford and Northwestern these past few years, they don't let records and academic requirements dampen their fierce school pride.
Am I wrong, or is the wide-eyed sheer love of wearing that uniform....just not a big deal to this program?
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Kristian Davis 7 months ago
Good article, and the fact that it is targeted at the AD is poignant. The problem at ND is not necessarily the coach, moreover the caretaking of the icon.
Should Weis go, absolutely. For a number of reasons, but for more than just the obvious losses. In life, many of our successful individuals, whether in business, sports, or any public arena have great problem solving skills. With any problem we know that you must go to the root cause, and not just solve the symptoms.
Notre Dame's root cause is not necessarily the head coach, or the players, but deeper still. It lies with the caretakers of the program. Notre Dame is arguably the iconic program for college football, similar to the Yankees, and Cowboys. These latter two have remained competitive through the years due to their caretakers. Like them or not, they have the passion, and the understanding for what they have chosen to take care of. Notre Dame has lost their caretakers!
I was born and raised in South Bend in the late 50's, and grew up a mile away from Notre Dame. My uncle worked in maintenance there for 35 years, and I was privileged to see many games from the sidelines, and yes even through the Golic years, both of them. I have season tickets to this day. More than that, I meandered and frolicked about the campus as a kid, teenager, and young adult, even taking post graduate studies there. I have watched and been around practices, games, and even numerous social events, and continue to do so to this day. I can tell you that there is lacking that feeling of eliteness, and our position of who we are, and where we are, both in the landscape of sports, and the presentation of our values and pride. Yes, there is still the thought that "we are ND," but there is not that swagger we used to have, or that feeling that everybody else plays their Super Bowl against us. It was also our toughness, and representation of being in the heart of America, the little school from Indiana that played with defense, and grit, and determination that represented the best part of Americans. It's simply gone, and that has more to do with simple won & loss record, or the head coach.
Ever since Moose Krause, and Father Hesburgh left their duties to others, the program has been in steady decline. The spirit, commitment, and passion for their continued presence as the elite program in this portion of our society has not been the driving force for those in charge now. On the coaching front, and to the point, since Ara left we had the following:
• Dan Devine - A self-serving coach that really won the title with Ara's team, and perhaps the greatest quarterback ever in Joe Montana. He took this job to erase his failure at Missouri. However, he never had the passion or the backing of the program, players, or the fans.
• Gerry Faust - The great experiment that failed. Faust had the passion, and the understanding of what Notre Dame was, but going from High School to the elite program was too great a step. Many felt it was his reverence for the program, and his incredible "work-hard" mentality that endeared him to Krause and Hesburgh. Also, many folks forget that he had arguably the best High School program in the country, and had forgotten how formidable Cincinnati Moeller was. They had been compared to many small college teams, and his program was considered better than many colleges. Still, he should be the at minimum the measuring stick to understanding success in anything other than major college football is simply not enough.
• Lou - Even though Krause had stepped down by then, he had enormous input in this decision, both privately and publicly. After all, how could you not have the confidence in a proven college coach with a Notre Dame out clause in his contract. Lou would be the last connection to the "iconic" presence of the program. He understood ND, it's place in history, and it's place for the future. Is really a shame how he left, basically because of the caretakers lost. Lou is too big, and too good a person to elaborate on the snake pit that was at ND during the last years. Or, how he was left alone to argue their 12th National Title, yes they are the true 1993 National Title winners, not Florida state. In years past the ND machine would have easily secured that public opinion title, yet Lou was left out their to argue only of the head to head win over Florida State that year. This stick in my craw, as it does Lou's. Lou should have left ND with the reverence, acclaim, and comparison to only Knute Rockne. I think Lou still had one or two more titles in him at ND.
• Bob Davie - How could ND so easily forget their previous mistake of allowing a coach to handle this iconic program with no head coaching experience, especially when they were only one position removed from that experiment. Especially with someone who never lived up to his billing, as ND never got close defensively to what Texas A & M was considered to be. Perhaps that genius really lied in R.C Slocum? Furthermore, from a man who made many less than favorable comments about the man who brought him to ND. Of course, he had is ear to the lessen caretakers and the start of our path to the abyss of elite college football.
• George O'Leary - I actually think that this ill-fated attempt could have been a redemption for the caretakers, but it only strengthens my argument. Look at it this way - here is Notre Dame, a religious university of the largest religious sect in the world, and they totally missed the boat in this. Religion is solely based on the premise of forgiveness, and redemption, yet the caretakers could not forgive what really boiled down to a simple mistake in the grand scheme of things. Had they any type of leadership it would have been an easy strategy to utilize that religious side of the university to stand behind their choice. After all, George was a proven college commodity, such as Lou, winning at places with less resource. However, it showed again the lack of presence in the caretakers.
• Ty Willingham - We all know of the arrogance we showed to our 1st choice, and poor Ty was the result of yet another poor decision by our inept, and careless caretakers. Ty never had a chance here, yes because the caretakers chose him more as a symbol to cover their own mistakes, but more because he never had that tough, defense oriented, Midwest mentality.
• Charlie Weis - This is the biggest travesty of all, yes even more than Gerry Faust. Why you say? We obviously forget the first kick, and the second kick of the mule in Faust and Davie (w/ no college head coaching experience) aside from the fact he had only 1 year as a High School head coach, we are seeing the "buddy" system at it's worst in that the "alumni" status had impetus in his hiring. Yes, Charlie was successful as a coordinator, but it's interesting how well the Patriots are doing since his departure. In fact, the Pat's supposedly lost both their Offensive and Defensive genius’s, or did they? Perhaps the real genius still presides in New England!. ND is as lost as a program as I have ever seen them. With the supposed great classes they continue to not only lose, but lose in a totally inept way. They lose in a complete manner, from poor time management to poor fundamentals, ultimate predictability. Their tackling is as bad as I have ever seen it. You have to admit, there is something about there scheme that makes it very simple for other teams to key on, as top tier teams seem to know what they are doing on almost every play. You can say this is the second coming of both Faust and Davie, because he has arguably less credentials than either of them. Just like Faust, you need more than the love for this university to coach here, you need to have understood major college football, and shown the proven ability to succeed before given the keys to this great machine. Charlie is not the guy, and simply for allowing his team to perform and represent the iconic program the way they have, even in their wins!
Charlie Weis's hiring definitely has everything to do with the loss of caretakers for our beloved icon. Their lack of foresight, and moreover their lack of hindsight. The real question is, do we have real caretakers there now, and I mean even from the one above the AD. Will they both recognize what they are tasked to do, and the significance it holds to our history, our present, and our future. Let's hope so!
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Kristian Davis 7 months ago
Nice article, and poignant that it's direct at the AD.
Should Weis go, absolutely. For a number of reasons, but for more than just the obvious losses. In life, many of our successful individuals, whether in business, sports, or any public arena have great problem solving skills. With any problem we know that you must go to the root cause, and not just solve the symptoms.
Notre Dame's root cause is not necessarily the head coach, or the players, but deeper still. It lies with the caretakers of the program. Notre Dame is arguably the iconic program for college football, similar to the Yankees, and Cowboys. These latter two have remained competitive through the years due to their caretakers. Like them or not, they have the passion, and the understanding for what they have chosen to take care of. Notre Dame has lost their caretakers!
I was born and raised in South Bend in the late 50's, and grew up a mile away from Notre Dame. My uncle worked in maintenance there for 35 years, and I was privileged to see many games from the sidelines, and yes even through the Golic years, both of them. I have season tickets to this day. More than that, I meandered and frolicked about the campus as a kid, teenager, and young adult, even taking post graduate studies there. I have watched and been around practices, games, and even numerous social events, and continue to do so to this day. I can tell you that there is lacking that feeling of eliteness, and our position of who we are, and where we are, both in the landscape of sports, and the presentation of our values and pride. Yes, there is still the thought that "we are ND," but there is not that swagger we used to have, or that feeling that everybody else plays their Super Bowl against us. It was also our toughness, and representation of being in the heart of America, the little school from Indiana that played with defense, and grit, and determination that represented the best part of Americans. It's simply gone, and that has more to do with simple won & loss record, or the head coach.
Ever since Moose Krause, and Father Hesburgh left their duties to others, the program has been in steady decline. The spirit, commitment, and passion for their continued presence as the elite program in this portion of our society has not been the driving force for those in charge now. On the coaching front, and to the point, since Ara left we had the following:
• Dan Devine - A self-serving coach that really won the title with Ara's team, and perhaps the greatest quarterback ever in Joe Montana. He took this job to erase his failure at Missouri. However, he never had the passion or the backing of the program, players, or the fans.
• Gerry Faust - The great experiment that failed. Faust had the passion, and the understanding of what Notre Dame was, but going from High School to the elite program was too great a step. Many felt it was his reverence for the program, and his incredible "work-hard" mentality that endeared him to Krause and Hesburgh. Also, many folks forget that he had arguably the best High School program in the country, and had forgotten how formidable Cincinnati Moeller was. They had been compared to many small college teams, and his program was considered better than many colleges. Still, he should be the at minimum the measuring stick to understanding success in anything other than major college football is simply not enough.
• Lou - Even though Krause had stepped down by then, he had enormous input in this decision, both privately and publicly. After all, how could you not have the confidence in a proven college coach with a Notre Dame out clause in his contract. Lou would be the last connection to the "iconic" presence of the program. He understood ND, it's place in history, and it's place for the future. Is really a shame how he left, basically because of the caretakers lost. Lou is too big, and too good a person to elaborate on the snake pit that was at ND during the last years. Or, how he was left alone to argue their 12th National Title, yes they are the true 1993 National Title winners, not Florida state. In years past the ND machine would have easily secured that public opinion title, yet Lou was left out their to argue only of the head to head win over Florida State that year. This stick in my craw, as it does Lou's. Lou should have left ND with the reverence, acclaim, and comparison to only Knute Rockne. I think Lou still had one or two more titles in him at ND.
• Bob Davie - How could ND so easily forget their previous mistake of allowing a coach to handle this iconic program with no head coaching experience, especially when they were only one position removed from that experiment. Especially with someone who never lived up to his billing, as ND never got close defensively to what Texas A & M was considered to be. Perhaps that genius really lied in R.C Slocum? Furthermore, from a man who made many less than favorable comments about the man who brought him to ND. Of course, he had is ear to the lessen caretakers and the start of our path to the abyss of elite college football.
• George O'Leary - I actually think that this ill-fated attempt could have been a redemption for the caretakers, but it only strengthens my argument. Look at it this way - here is Notre Dame, a religious university of the largest religious sect in the world, and they totally missed the boat in this. Religion is solely based on the premise of forgiveness, and redemption, yet the caretakers could not forgive what really boiled down to a simple mistake in the grand scheme of things. Had they any type of leadership it would have been an easy strategy to utilize that religious side of the university to stand behind their choice. After all, George was a proven college commodity, such as Lou, winning at places with less resource. However, it showed again the lack of presence in the caretakers.
• Ty Willingham - We all know of the arrogance we showed to our 1st choice, and poor Ty was the result of yet another poor decision by our inept, and careless caretakers. Ty never had a chance here, yes because the caretakers chose him more as a symbol to cover their own mistakes, but more because he never had that tough, defense oriented, Midwest mentality.
• Charlie Weis - This is the biggest travesty of all, yes even more than Gerry Faust. Why you say? We obviously forget the first kick, and the second kick of the mule in Faust and Davie (w/ no college head coaching experience) aside from the fact he had only 1 year as a High School head coach, we are seeing the "buddy" system at it's worst in that the "alumni" status had impetus in his hiring. Yes, Charlie was successful as a coordinator, but it's interesting how well the Patriots are doing since his departure. In fact, the Pat's supposedly lost both their Offensive and Defensive genius’s, or did they? Perhaps the real genius still presides in New England!. ND is as lost as a program as I have ever seen them. With the supposed great classes they continue to not only lose, but lose in a totally inept way. They lose in a complete manner, from poor time management to poor fundamentals, ultimate predictability. Their tackling is as bad as I have ever seen it. You have to admit, there is something about there scheme that makes it very simple for other teams to key on, as top tier teams seem to know what they are doing on almost every play. You can say this is the second coming of both Faust and Davie, because he has arguably less credentials than either of them. Just like Faust, you need more than the love for this university to coach here, you need to have understood major college football, and shown the proven ability to succeed before given the keys to this great machine. Charlie is not the guy, and simply for allowing his team to perform and represent the way they have, even in their wins!
Charlie Weis's hiring definitely has everything to do with the loss of caretakers for our beloved icon. Their lack of foresight, and moreover their lack of hindsight. The real question is, do we have real caretakers there now, and I mean even from the one above the AD. Will they both recognize what they are tasked to do, and the significance it holds to our history, our present, and our future. Let's hope so!
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