With the completion of the 2008 campaign, it's time for this program to turn its sights ahead to the new year and focus our energies on a successful 2009.

With that in mind, here are some New Year's resolutions for the coaching staff, the players, and us, the fans.

Coaching Resolutions

1. Run the damn ball.

Under Weis, I am resigned to this being a pass-first offense, and if we are as effective through the air as we were against Hawaii, I have no problem with that approach.

That said, a strong running game is necessary to create a threat that opens up the passing game. Keeping the safeties near the line of scrimmage opens more opportunities for Tate, Floyd, and Rudolph down the field.

Also, we need to have confidence in our ability to pick up first downs on the ground in third and fourth and short.

With Haywood moving on to Miami (OH), we will need to find a new running backs coach, and this presents an opportunity to find a top-notch running backs coach that can really fire up our deep stable of backs.

2. Shut up the critics.

I've been very critical of Weis this year, as I felt that the team we saw against Hawaii should have been the team we saw all season long (or at least down the stretch, as the young players developed).

Weis has been given a vote of confidence for at least one more season on the Notre Dame sidelines, having survived an onslaught of criticism from all fronts.

Now is the time for him to bring back the swagger of his first season at the helm, where the Irish excited the fanbase and media.

Winning heals everything, and I hope that the coaching staff has found their groove and can translate this bowl win into the swagger that the Irish should have every time they take the field.

3. Have some fun.

I know that coaching at Notre Dame is a high stress position, and that the constant barrage of criticisms can wear down a coach. You never get enough credit when you win and take too much blame when you lose.

But Weis is a Notre Dame guy, and I know he takes great pride in the performance of our football team. While Weis may never be the buddy-buddy kind of coach that the Poodle over at U$C is, his players clearly perform better when they are loose and having fun.

So, I'd like to see the coaching staff have a positive and fun attitude throughout the offseason and into next year. The young talent on this team is like a group of sled dogs, just tearing at the reins. Keeping them in check and focused on business I think is smart for the development of discipline.

But now that they've shown what they can do, it's time to loosen the reins and let them run.

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