Stop being a Weis guy Charlie and get back to business.
Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis shocked the Irish faithful on Friday, stating that for the first time since he arrived at Notre Dame in 2005, he would not be calling the offensive plays.
Weis said that he will abandon the offensive play-calling duties in the 2008 season and hand them over to offensive coordinator Mike Haywood. Weis also announced that Jon Tenuta will coach the linebackers, which moves defensive coordinator Corwin Brown back to work with the defensive secondary.
What on earth is going on? Charlie Weis built his resume on his offensive coordination. Under Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, he developed one of the most innovative offensives in the NFL en route to a Super Bowl championship. Weis is a genius play caller not only because of his knowledge of how to attack opposing defenses, but also due to his intrinsic talent for calling the perfect play at the perfect time. This latter characteristic of Weis’ football mind is what defines him, and in addition to being at his alma mater and having a Super Bowl ring, is what extended his Notre Dame contract to ten years and $40 million.
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Now Weis said that even though he will not be calling every play, he still reserves the right to interject his opinion when he sees fit, just as every head coach’s jurisdiction covers all of his assistants.
However, is Charlie Weis stepping away from what he does best the action this struggling Notre Dame team needs?
The Fighting Irish, the most storied and prestigious college football team in the country and winner of 11 National Championships, define college football. But in the 2007 season, you couldn’t tell them apart from a Mid-American or WAC conference contender. Notre Dame hit a historic low posting a 3-9 record last season, including an 0-5 start, and losses in nine of its first ten games.
The most puzzling aspect of Weis’ decision is the confidence he places in two coaches that are lacking in experience. Mike Haywood has never called plays at the college football level and this is Jon Tenuta’s first stint with a group of defensive linebackers. Having two young and inexperienced coordinators on the same staff has the very real potential to be problematic.
In 2008, the Irish will look to put 2007 behind them and move forward. There will still be youth at many of their offensive skill positions, but there will also be more experience. The offensive line is returning four starters which will protect a more matured and healthier Jimmy Clausen. The defense should be improved as well, adjusting to their new 3-4 scheme. Finally, the most favorable factor seems to be a much more manageable schedule, especially when compared to the ones from years past.
On national signing day, Weis impressed the critics with a top-ten recruiting class, including the second-ranked quarterback in the country in Dayne Crist, and some more defensive help.
However, the question still remains. Has Weis made a decision that will negatively impact the 2008 football season? Only time will tell if Weis is better off focusing on his quarterbacks, relegating Haywood to the play-calling duties. But the uncertainty of the situation has to leave the Notre Dame faithful open to question about whether or not the luck of the Irish has run out.
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9 months ago
Excellent article Dennis. As a Notre Dame alum myself, I couldn't agree more about the perplexities of this move by Coach Weis. The program was heading in the right direction in 2005 and 2006 with 9-3 and then 10-3 records, but boy, what a huge step back we took last year. And now Weis, the main coordinator of this offense, is turning over the play-calling duties? MAKES NO SENSE! Anyways, we'll see...great closing line, i really do hope the luck of our irish has not run out HAHAHA
9 months ago
It makes perfect sense. Weis' play calling last season was miserable. His friends at New England saw the problem and gave him good advise. Turn the offense and defense over to his coordinators and Weis stick to what he is best at, recruiting.
9 months ago
Weis finally may become college football coach
February 12, 2008
BY MIKE HUTTON Post-Tribune staff writer
Charlie Weis is finally joining the ranks of college coaches.
He will no longer be an NFL coach masquerading as the head coach at one of the most storied football programs in the nation.
Three years after Weis was introduced as the Irish coach, Weis has promised an overdue personality adjustment.
He's going to let offensive coordinator Mike Haywood call the plays so he can spend more time coaching in the games.
He has promised to be more accessible and more concerned about his players.
He has promised to attend the 6 a.m. work-outs his kids are enduring.
He has handed the keys to the special teams to Brian Polian after those duties were split up last year among the assistants.
(He hasn't, however, promised not to say "because that's the only way I know how to do it" in reference to his days as an assistant under Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. )
It's amazing how a 3-9 season at Notre Dame can impact the way you approach your job.
Perhaps the changes would have come if Notre Dame finished 9-3 instead of 3-9 though I don't remember Weis making these kinds of adjustments after his first two seasons.
I'm happy that Weis apparently is listening some of the criticism that was piling up. That criticism consisted of being overinvolved and domineering to the point where he wasn't always as effective as a coach.
I reserve the right to be skeptical about how well this is going to work out for the Irish and their football program in the long run.
Weis' less corporate-like approach to coaching the team this year proves one thing: He wasn't a ready made college coach. Not in the way that Pete Carroll, a failure as a professional coach, is perfect for the college game. Carroll is effusive, hyper and charismatic. He really wants to connect with the kids. And despite what Weis might tell us, college football is an adrenaline driven game. Kids feed off a coach's passion and enthusiasm.
Weis has never exhibited that kind of enthusiasm -- at least to outsiders.
I certainly don't blame him for having a different personality type than most coaches in college. Not everyone can be Pete Carroll. Weis' dogmatic approach to what-worked-in-the-NFL must work in the college game has always bothered me. Clearly, that's not always the case. It didn't always seem so clear to Weis.
Can a guy who acts like a professional coach, talks like a professional coach and who seems comfortable as a professional coach really change?
It's a pertinent point because from this point on, no one can blame Ty Willingham's recruits for ND's losses. Weis bought himself time from this disaster-of-a-season because most people still blame Willingham's poor recruiting for last season getting out of control and because he has recruited well.
They can't, however, blame Willingham for five players transferring from the sophomore class.
Or for Weis' inability to make the Irish appreciably better last season.
We'll find out soon enough if the new Charlie Weis is more effective than the old one.
Until then, welcome to the world of college coaching Charlie. I hope it works out for you.
Contact Mike Hutton at 648-3139 or mhutton@post-trib.com
9 months ago
"I reserve the right to be skeptical about how well this is going to work out for the Irish and their football program in the long run." Weis' playcalling worked out brilliantly in the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the Irish went 9-3 and 10-3 respectively, so that clearly is his strong suit, and definitely NOT the problem. I do not believe that this is the right move for the Irish. Developing the recruited talent is.
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