It is very brave and quite magnanimous for The Great Weis Hope to throw his offensive coordinator under the bus by publicly announcing his decision to reclaim leadership of the Notre Dame offense with defensive powerhouses Navy and Syracuse on the Irish schedule.
Too often, I waste column inches blasting Charlie Weis, Notre Dame and the lifetime contract awarded to an unproven blowhard. I never take the time to point out the good side of "Pear Bryant."
Well, that changes today.
I cannot deny the courageousness and nobility of Weis embarrassing offensive coordinator Mike Haywood following Notre Dame's 17-0 loss to Boston College over the weekend.
Look, most college coaches of reasonable character and integrity would've stripped Haywood of his control of Notre Dame's offense privately. A low-key, moderate-ego coach would've kept the behind-the-scenes maneuvering behind the scenes.
But Weis has virtually no ego. He is arguably the most ego-less coach working today.
That's why he made it crystal clear to anyone who would listen that he will be responsible for any offensive success the Irish have when they face defensive juggernauts Navy and Syracuse.
The undersized Middies are giving up just 27 points per game to Division I opponents. The 2-7 Orangemen are nearly as stingy, surrendering just 37 points per outing.
As you can see, a week after battling the nation's 10th-best defense (Boston College), it's extremely noble for Weis to alert the media of his plans to fix Notre Dame's offense.
I'm sure the same media members who championed Weis' lifetime contract will once again sing his praises when the Irish show remarkable improvement and climb to 7-4 before getting waxed by USC.
Again, Notre Dame's progress and Pear Bryant's greatness can best be seen by analyzing Washington's failure under Tyrone Willingham. You must remember that Tyrone Willingham's recruiting is what destroyed Notre Dame football, and as long as Tyrone is recruiting — no matter the school — Notre Dame won't be any good.
That has to be the explanation. I realize The Great Weis Hope is in his fourth season and has a roster flush with mature talent he recruited. And I realize that Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski made a point to remind his players that none of them was good enough to be recruited by Pear Bryant. (I must admit I stole the Pear Bryant nickname from an e-mailer.)
You would think that superior talent and the decided schematic advantage that Weis promised upon his coronation as Notre Dame messiah would allow the Irish to at least kick a field goal against Boston College. That's naive thinking. You don't understand the damage being caused in South Bend by Willingham's recruiting in Seattle.
And if you can't understand that, then you surely can't grasp the self-serving motive of Weis retaking over his offense with two weak opponents on the schedule.
It's no secret. I dislike Charlie Weis and despise the free pass he was given by the media when he was handed a huge contract extension for doing less than Willingham.
Weis is a bully and a coward, and his well-timed announcement that he would abandon this "head coach stuff" so he could bail out his offense proves my contentions.
He's planning on the Irish averaging 35 points the next two weeks and selling his impatient fan base on the myth that he's making real progress. He's hoping the media will assist him in selling this lie.
Weis is an average college head coach with horrendous people skills. That's not a good combination. Bobby Knight had poor people skills, a brilliant mind and a superior work ethic. Nick Saban is a football Bobby Knight.
Weis might be a reverse of Pete Carroll, who bombed in the pros and excelled in the collegiate game. Coaching in the NFL is easier. Everyone is on more equal footing. There are fewer variables. You can hire someone else to evaluate talent. College coaches have already developed the talent.
Weis is in over his head coaching the college game.
There are rumors that Notre Dame might pull the plug on The Great Weis Hope if he loses to Navy.
I'll be rooting for Notre Dame this weekend. I want Charlie Weis at Notre Dame as long as I'm a columnist. His failures and the rationalizations offered up by Notre Dame fans are worth two to three columns a year.
Hell, I've written two this month and could easily get a third if Navy pulls an upset. Stay tuned.
You can e-mail Jason Whitlock at Ballstate68@aol.com.
This article originally published on FOXSports.com.
Click here for more of Jason's columns.
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about 1 month ago
I'm laughing too hard at "Pear Bryant" to make much of a response. I actually kind of hope he stays at ND longer, so he can be stripped of any excuses and maybe, just maybe, some humility might set in. I thought he had shown some humility with the changes he made this off-season, but old habits die hard.
about 1 month ago
Jason,
I thought you criticized Ron Prince for humiliating and driving off his assistant coaches by making them run stadium steps. Is Weis taking over the play-calling from Haywood this week worse or even as bad?
You further neglected pointing out that Haywood will be gone much of this week for a family funeral and that Weis has not committed to calling plays beyond this week.
Weis: "If we had won by 40, I'd still be running the offense this week. So it wouldn't have made a difference. I'd still be doing the same thing based off of what we're dealing with this week." (Haywood family death)
As for your "Pear Bryant" description, you really shouldn't use weight as a dispersion. Stick to blowhard, messiah, Great Weis Hope, average with horrendous people skills, self-serving, bully and coward.
14 days ago
From Rivals' Dec 23rd article talking with Haywood after he's been chosen head coach at Miami (O):
"People have a misunderstanding of Coach Weis," said Haywood, who will be announced as the next RedHawks head coach on Tuesday, Dec. 30. "I don't think he's been given the respect that he deserves as an offensive coordinator, as a head coach, and as a man.
"He's one of the finest men in college football. He's one of the true family men in college football, and he does a tremendous job of balancing football with his family.
"Notre Dame is on the rise, and I think Notre Dame will have a great season next year under the tutelage and direction of Coach Weis. I couldn't ask for a better guy as a mentor. He has been an unbelievable mentor for me over the last four years and has been instrumental in me getting this job today."
Haywood, who lost play-calling duties prior to the third-to-last regular season game, said there was no rift between him and Weis. Haywood said after his second cousin died, prompting his return home to Houston during Navy week, his first cousin died three weeks later.
While dealing with the family tragedies, Haywood was interviewing for the Washington, Syracuse and Miami jobs—in that order.
"Some may have thought there (was) some animosity between Coach Weis and I, and everybody was totally wrong," Haywood said. "(Our relationship) couldn't have been any better."
Next time, try interviewing Haywood first, Jason.
from 14 days ago
Source: "Haywood: Weis Has Been Disrespeted." http://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=893074
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