Charlie Weis: An NFL Coach In College

In spite of all the ups and downs, I have always maintained that I like and believe in Charlie Weis. I believe he is good for Notre Dame and will build the program up. Last Saturday I was reminded of one of the reasons I like him. The way he runs his offense is not like any other program in college, but rather it is like an NFL offense.

When Weis first took over in South Bend a few years ago, I immediately was reminded of the New England Patriots. The quarterback was named Brady and under the tutelage of Weis he looked a lot like the other quarterback named Brady. The offense in general was really a spitting image of the Patriots.

After Saturday, it is clear that Weis still thinks like an NFL coach. His offensive formations still look exactly like that of the Patriots and other pro offenses. Maybe Weis knows that being an offensive coordinator is what he did best so maybe he wants to get back to that to some degree.

Although the Wildcat really started at Arkansas, it really took off in the NFL last year. The Miami Dolphins started the trend but other teams soon followed. Then what do we see last Saturday in South Bend? That is right. There were a handful of plays that were run in the Wildcat formation with Armando Allen and Golden Tate.

I still absolutely love this. The reason is that the best recruits each year will notice this. The reality is that playing at Notre Dame may be a lifelong memory, but it is not their ultimate goal. The ultimate goal for them is wearing an NFL uniform and getting paid to play.

Recruits do factor in which programs will best prepare them for the NFL. That is why USC dominates in recruiting. Pete Carroll has an NFL background as well and has seen many players go on to the next level.

For that reason, I think Jack Swarbrick did the right thing to bring Weis back. With his background, Notre Dame has to try and make it work. Hopefully, last Saturday was just a building block to bigger things for the Irish.

If Notre Dame has the type of year it is capable of with all the talent and our favorite son (Brady Quinn) has a big year with the Browns, the Irish could have one of the best recruiting classes ever when it is over.

For all those reasons, I love having an NFL minded coach in South Bend.