You can say the buzzards are really circling Charlie Weis now, as Notre Dame suffers yet another defeat, a 27-22 loss to Pittsburgh that leaves the Irish at 6-4. So it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion amongst many media circles that Charlie will be saying sayonara to South Bend at season’s end.
However, letting Weis go is not just a matter of a simple “Sorry, Charlie,” as he’s pushed out the door. Such a move would actually be very costly for Notre Dame.
Matt Hayes of SPORTING NEWS points out that if Weis is canned, ND would owe Charlie $18 million for the remaining six years on his contract, plus another $1 million for the guaranteed contracts of his assistant coaches. That can buy a lot of gold paint for the helmets.
However, you can argue that keeping Weis around could also cost the school millions. If he continues with a mediocre on-field product, fans won’t be in a such a rush to buy tickets (and the accompanying concessions & merchandise) - and NBC & its advertisers won’t be so pleased as ratings for Irish home games continue to fall.
And let’s not forget the bonanza of big bowl revenue:
Notre Dame has two games remaining this season: home next week versus Connecticut and the season finale Nov. 28 at Stanford. With a win in one of those two games, the Irish likely will play in the Gator Bowl. Two wins could mean a game in the Cotton Bowl, and two losses likely means a spot in the PapaJohns.com Bowl.
From BCS glory to garlic dipping sauce? That’s not good.
ND athletic director Jack Swarbrick said that economics wouldn’t be a factor in whether to fire or keep Weis. More empty seats, less t-shirts sold & smaller overnight numbers should change all that.
2:12 pm on November 15th, 2009
I’d take Harbaugh off that list, ND’s just a negotiating point for his contract extention. Stanford can bring him up to $3.5-4M easily now, and ND has to gag on offering another long term high $$$ contract.
2:57 pm on November 15th, 2009
I think the should keep Charlie. If they fire him Golden and Jimmy are more likely to leave for the NFL. Bringing them back next year should be more important than who the coach is.
3:13 pm on November 15th, 2009
hello urban meyer
3:43 pm on November 15th, 2009
Keep Charlie and keep losing games and $. Not that many ND jerseys being sold these days. Serves the powers that be at ND for giving him a contract for that many years. He was a coordinator in NFL under Belichick for crying out loud, he was never a head coach and will never be on again after this. I love it when ND loses.
3:44 pm on November 15th, 2009
Would anyone really care if ND goes to a bowl? I can think of 2 dozen teams I would rather see than the dysfunctional Irish.
10:16 pm on November 15th, 2009
Next ND Coach ?
Harbaugh - Big Blue alum no way he coaches at ND
Gruden - wants to coach the NFL, maybe Raiders again?
Meyer -only leaves UF for NFL, otherwise no reason to leave.
Kelly - Think Cincy wants to stay big time so they will cough up the $$$$
Fitzgerald - Northwestern alum, see Jim Harbaugh
Schiano - waiting for Joe Pa to kick it
Dark horse candidates - Charlie Strong UF Def. Cord , Skip Holtz - imagine it and Mark Pederson from Boise St.
11:55 pm on November 15th, 2009
I like the call of Chris Petersen of Boise State…. mainline to the BCS for him, and a good reason for Clausen and Tate to stay around, too.
Gruden would be an okay candidiate, but he doesn’t seem to have any idea what he really wants to do - never going back to the Raiders as long as Al’s heart still beats, tho’.
1:40 am on November 16th, 2009
Drew:
Harbaugh isn’t on the best of terms with his alma mater. Check out the comments he made about Michigan when he was hired at Stanford:
http://sportsbybrooks.com/jim-harbaugh-cheap-shots-michigan-football-program-over-academics-12954
So taking the ND job would be the ultimate stick-it to his old school. But the last time ND hired a Stanford coach, it was Tyrone Willingham. So draw your own conclusions.
Petersen would be an intriguing choice in South Bend.
7:55 am on November 16th, 2009
Personally I like the guy from Boise. The spread offense has become the equailizer in college football for the smal schools. Look at Utah, TCU and Boise it allows them to play with the big boys, which if ND doesnt relax admission standards, they will stay a mid-major.
Gruden intriques me becuase in the right place he would work, ( Pete Carrol @ USC ) He likes to coach and teach but I think he is digging the MNF gig.
Harbaugh made those comment becuase they passed him over , without an interview,for Rich Rod. If he ever wants to coach at UM he won’t take the ND job
Peterson is the choice but will he bolt like Dan Hawkins did and flop on the big stage? I say no..
9:53 am on November 17th, 2009
The $18 M number is way too high. Apparently, Hayes got a little “bait and switch” from the athletic department. I don’t know what the numbers are, but I’ve heard from a few people now that $18 isn’t right, that it’s substantially lower.
Plus, Swarbrick has said that the money doesn’t matter.