Why I Love Coach Weis

[irishranger]

He may be loud and he may be big, but even Charlie Weis can be inconspicuous. On the night that Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn did not win the Heisman Trophy, the Fighting Irish coach stood behind a pillar at the far end of the lobby outside the Nokia Theater. If you came down the stairs into the lobby and craned your neck to the left, you might have seen Weis, which is how he liked it.

When public figures like Weis are in a public setting -- that is, one they don't control, complete with civilians -- they lurk on the edge of it. To dive in would be to surrender their time and their shield. Speaking of which, I can remember being in South Bend some years ago for a banquet at which then-coach Lou Holtz would speak. He stood in the second-floor lobby of the athletic building, self-pinned against a trophy case, sipping a diet Coke and girding himself to go on stage.

So Weis is off to one side, and I walk up and re-introduce myself and congratulate him on going 10-2. And here, from memory, is what he said:

"Listen, it's a polite thing to say, and politically correct, but if I'm happy with a 10-2 record, I'm going to get fired," Weis said. "The two losses were not close. We're not where we want to be. But I'm telling you, with the players we have coming in, including a couple of recruits that nobody knows are going to commit to us, we're going to be a lot better. A couple of years from now, you are going to remember that we had this conversation tonight."

"All right," I said. "I'll remind you. No, you remind me."

"I won't have to," Weis said. "We'll just look at each other, and you'll know."

You can't hear tone of voice online. On the screen, Weis might sound arrogant in that exchange. He didn't in person. He is fixed on a prize, and he intends to claim it.

One other thing: that's why journalists love unscripted moments.

That's the real Charlie Weis.

Thats a football coach

 

[Satans Little Helper]

He may be loud and he may be big, but even Charlie Weis can be inconspicuous. On the night that Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn did not win the Heisman Trophy, the Fighting Irish coach stood behind a pillar at the far end of the lobby outside the Nokia Theater. If you came down the stairs into the lobby and craned your neck to the left, you might have seen Weis, which is how he liked it.

When public figures like Weis are in a public setting -- that is, one they don't control, complete with civilians -- they lurk on the edge of it. To dive in would be to surrender their time and their shield. Speaking of which, I can remember being in South Bend some years ago for a banquet at which then-coach Lou Holtz would speak. He stood in the second-floor lobby of the athletic building, self-pinned against a trophy case, sipping a diet Coke and girding himself to go on stage.

So Weis is off to one side, and I walk up and re-introduce myself and congratulate him on going 10-2. And here, from memory, is what he said:

"Listen, it's a polite thing to say, and politically correct, but if I'm happy with a 10-2 record, I'm going to get fired," Weis said. "The two losses were not close. We're not where we want to be. But I'm telling you, with the players we have coming in, including a couple of recruits that nobody knows are going to commit to us, we're going to be a lot better. A couple of years from now, you are going to remember that we had this conversation tonight."

"All right," I said. "I'll remind you. No, you remind me."

"I won't have to," Weis said. "We'll just look at each other, and you'll know."

You can't hear tone of voice online. On the screen, Weis might sound arrogant in that exchange. He didn't in person. He is fixed on a prize, and he intends to claim it.

One other thing: that's why journalists love unscripted moments.

That's the real Charlie Weis.

Thats a football coach

Just keep in mind that this is the same Ivan Maisel that shat on ND all year long with his psuedo-journalistic droolings.

 

[irishranger]

He may be, but I like the confidence that it displays

 

[GoshenGipper]

But I'm telling you, with the players we have coming in, including a couple of recruits that nobody knows are going to commit to us, we're going to be a lot better.

Please be Chris Donald!

 

[irishranger]

Yes, Chris Donald would be nice!

 

[solo]

He may be loud and he may be big, but even Charlie Weis can be inconspicuous. On the night that Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn did not win the Heisman Trophy, the Fighting Irish coach stood behind a pillar at the far end of the lobby outside the Nokia Theater. If you came down the stairs into the lobby and craned your neck to the left, you might have seen Weis, which is how he liked it.

When public figures like Weis are in a public setting -- that is, one they don't control, complete with civilians -- they lurk on the edge of it. To dive in would be to surrender their time and their shield. Speaking of which, I can remember being in South Bend some years ago for a banquet at which then-coach Lou Holtz would speak. He stood in the second-floor lobby of the athletic building, self-pinned against a trophy case, sipping a diet Coke and girding himself to go on stage.

So Weis is off to one side, and I walk up and re-introduce myself and congratulate him on going 10-2. And here, from memory, is what he said:

"Listen, it's a polite thing to say, and politically correct, but if I'm happy with a 10-2 record, I'm going to get fired," Weis said. "The two losses were not close. We're not where we want to be. But I'm telling you, with the players we have coming in, including a couple of recruits that nobody knows are going to commit to us, we're going to be a lot better. A couple of years from now, you are going to remember that we had this conversation tonight."

"All right," I said. "I'll remind you. No, you remind me."

"I won't have to," Weis said. "We'll just look at each other, and you'll know."

You can't hear tone of voice online. On the screen, Weis might sound arrogant in that exchange. He didn't in person. He is fixed on a prize, and he intends to claim it.

One other thing: that's why journalists love unscripted moments.

That's the real Charlie Weis.

Thats a football coach

1. I like the fact that Weis tells it like it is. He would read the criticisms on this baord and agree. He would be very factual about it. He wouldn't be all defensive.

2. I think this exchange reflects what many people are already saying: 2007 might be rough, but watch out for 2008 and beyond.

 

[Fighting_Irish9]

1. I like the fact that Weis tells it like it is. He would read the criticisms on this baord and agree. He would be very factual about it. He wouldn't be all defensive.

2. I think this exchange reflects what many people are already saying: 2007 might be rough, but watch out for 2008 and beyond.

Well he wouldn't agree with the criticism about speed and talent....

Weis readily acknowledges LSU's speed, but he doesn't believe the Irish have been shortchanged athletically.

AND

"They might have some speed. But if you go ask the draft gurus what they think of our team right now, there are a lot of guys who would rattle off close to 10 guys they think have a chance to play on Sundays," Weis said. "So I can't use (a lack of team speed) as an excuse. '

Weis's Words, so he doesn't agree with the board when discussing talent at ND..

 

[jiggafini19]

If this is the case, then, this is an indictment of coaching resulting in the last three losses they've incurred. Maybe more so on one side of the ball than the other. Wink wink.

Penn State, a team Notre Dame destroyed this season, played Ohio State and Michigan tougher than ND did. And UCLA, another team Notre Dame defeated this year, allowed 9 points to USC and BEAT them. Their defense was always in position and made SC's offense look as bad as it has been in five years.

So if the draft gurus are to be considered, does this mean that maybe these guys are out of position and giving up big pass plays because of who is wearing the headset?

Right now, I think that is the case.

 

[Satans Little Helper]

Well he wouldn't agree with the criticism about speed and talent....

Weis readily acknowledges LSU's speed, but he doesn't believe the Irish have been shortchanged athletically.

AND

"They might have some speed. But if you go ask the draft gurus what they think of our team right now, there are a lot of guys who would rattle off close to 10 guys they think have a chance to play on Sundays," Weis said. "So I can't use (a lack of team speed) as an excuse. '

Weis's Words, so he doesn't agree with the board when discussing talent at ND..

Cardfan you are reading too much into that. Let it go. The talent level on this team is not where it needs to be due to poor recruiting classes from 2003-2005.

 

[Satans Little Helper]

If this is the case, then, this is an indictment of coaching resulting in the last three losses they've incurred. Maybe more so on one side of the ball than the other. Wink wink.

Penn State, a team Notre Dame destroyed this season, played Ohio State and Michigan tougher than ND did. And UCLA, another team Notre Dame defeated this year, allowed 9 points to USC and BEAT them. Their defense was always in position and made SC's offense look as bad as it has been in five years.

So if the draft gurus are to be considered, does this mean that maybe these guys are out of position and giving up big pass plays because of who is wearing the headset?

Right now, I think that is the case.

I agree that bend but dont break does not work against very fast teams. There are too many holes to fill on the field. I do still think that our defense is makeshift with all of the secondary being recruited as offensive players (Wooden, Zibby, Duke, TT etc..) and that true defensive personnell will help tremendously next year. Also an upgrade on the D-line will make huge improvements to the coverage ability for the secondary.

 

[irish4ever]

Please be Chris Donald!

And Everson Griffen
And Lorenzo Edwards
And Harrison Smith
And Will Blackwell
And Joe McKnight
And ......

 

[jiggafini19]

Cardfan you are reading too much into that. Let it go. The talent level on this team is not where it needs to be due to poor recruiting classes from 2003-2005.

Reps.

 

[solo]

Well he wouldn't agree with the criticism about speed and talent....

Weis readily acknowledges LSU's speed, but he doesn't believe the Irish have been shortchanged athletically.

AND

"They might have some speed. But if you go ask the draft gurus what they think of our team right now, there are a lot of guys who would rattle off close to 10 guys they think have a chance to play on Sundays," Weis said. "So I can't use (a lack of team speed) as an excuse. '

Weis's Words, so he doesn't agree with the board when discussing talent at ND..

1. You need to learn "coach speak" when you hear it. How many coaches are going to throw their team under the bus? How many coaches are going to say that they don't have talent? Much of ratings and the buzz around teams is perception. So Weis can't feed the perception that we don't have talent. even if he believed that we were outmanned, you wouldn't ever hear him say it.

2. 10 guys that might have a chance to play on Sundays? So he is basically saying that in his upperclassmen exist 10 players that will either be drafted or stand a chance of walking into an NFL camp and maybe make the cut. Now. consider that USC had 16 plsyers drafted the last 2 years, Ohio State had 12, Oklahoma had 17, LSU had 10. And that's not counting the players that didn't get drafted butwalked on to NFL rosters. So him saying that we have 10 that might stand a chance to play on Sundays is not neccesarily a testament to having a lot of talent. As you can see by the drafts, many of the elite teams had more than that. Heck, Butch Davis had Miami lso loaded with talent that they were getting 5 and 6 guys taken in the first round every tear. We don't have that kind of talent.

So even if Weis won't admit it, you can see that we aren't playing with the same talent level as the other big named programs. If we are, then Weis is failing at his job because we aren't competitng with them on the field.

 

[Satans Little Helper]

1. You need to learn "coach speak" when you hear it. How many coaches are going to throw their team under the bus? How many coaches are going to say that they don't have talent? Much of ratings and the buzz around teams is perception. So Weis can't feed the perception that we don't have talent. even if he believed that we were outmanned, you wouldn't ever hear him say it.

2. 10 guys that might have a chance to play on Sundays? So he is basically saying that in his upperclassmen exist 10 players that will either be drafted or stand a chance of walking into an NFL camp and maybe make the cut. Now. consider that USC had 16 plsyers drafted the last 2 years, Ohio State had 12, Oklahoma had 17, LSU had 10. And that's not counting the players that didn't get drafted butwalked on to NFL rosters. So him saying that we have 10 that might stand a chance to play on Sundays is not neccesarily a testament to having a lot of talent. As you can see by the drafts, many of the elite teams had more than that. Heck, Butch Davis had Miami lso loaded with talent that they were getting 5 and 6 guys taken in the first round every tear. We don't have that kind of talent.

So even if Weis won't admit it, you can see that we aren't playing with the same talent level as the other big named programs. If we are, then Weis is failing at his job because we aren't competitng with them on the field.

Thats okay, FI9 still thinks Willinghams trips to the golf courses helped in the recruiting process and his gameplanning.

 

[Pete]

Please, for the love of God, DO NOT bring the espn board FI9 Ty bashing over here.

 

[cfbf]

1. You need to learn "coach speak" when you hear it. How many coaches are going to throw their team under the bus? How many coaches are going to say that they don't have talent? QUOTE]


Hmmm, Ty did it all the time.

 

[jiggafini19]

I will give the man credit for restoring some pride at ND, off the field anyway.

Those Davie years were putrid. The friggin guy Freudian slipped Aggies in place of Irish about a dozen times while he was coach. He didn't give a crap about Notre Dame, the tradition or what it stood for.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

Brady Quinn
Jeff Samardija
Rhema McKnight
Ryan Harris
Victor Abiamiri
Tom Zibakowski

5 of those 6 have been mentioned as 1st or 2nd rounders this year. I am sure there are 3-4 more who could go later in the draft or walk on somewhere. And some who will go next year as well.

#1. When it comes to determining who has the talent to play on Sundays, every single person on this board who thinks they know better than the guy with 4 Super Bowl rings needs to get their arrogant heads out of their ass.

#2 Don't put words in other people's mouths. CW NEVER said anything about having the same or more talent as the so-called elite teams or Miami teams from a decade ago. He said he can't use the lack of speed as an excuse as to why they lost to LSU.

 

[solo]

Brady Quinn
Jeff Samardija
Rhema McKnight
Ryan Harris
Victor Abiamiri
Tom Zibakowski

5 of those 6 have been mentioned as 1st or 2nd rounders this year. I am sure there are 3-4 more who could go later in the draft or walk on somewhere. And some who will go next year as well.

#1. When it comes to determining who has the talent to play on Sundays, every single person on this board who thinks they know better than the guy with 4 Super Bowl rings needs to get their arrogant heads out of their ass.

#2 Don't put words in other people's mouths. CW NEVER said anything about having the same or more talent as the so-called elite teams or Miami teams from a decade ago. He said he can't use the lack of speed as an excuse as to why they lost to LSU.

I don't think that anyone on this board thinks that they know more than Weis. You simply need to realize that Weis isn't in a position to tell it like it is. No coach with integrity is going to throw his team under the bus and admit that they aren't as talented.

And shortly after the bowl matchups were announced, the first thing that Weis mentioned to the media about LSU is that he was concerned about their team speed. So trust me, it's an issue. He can downplay it all he wants now to the media, but he is the one that put it out there and it's definitely an issue.

Again, you can't always take a coaches word at face value. They must manipulate the media, sell the school, sell the game, protect our image. Even if he thought that LSU had too much speed, do you really think he'd say it? Personally, I feel like he did say it and is now backtracking.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

"You simply need to realize that Weis isn't in a position to tell it like it is."

1. I like the fact that Weis tells it like it is.

Your words....not mine.

 

[solo]

"You simply need to realize that Weis isn't in a position to tell it like it is."



Your words....not mine.

By that, I mean that Weis is a straight shooter, not a BSer. I like that about him. But that doesn't mean that he can always speak frankly.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

By that, I mean that Weis is a straight shooter, not a BSer. I like that about him. But that doesn't mean that he can always speak frankly.

I was just busting your chops, I knew what you meant. I never actually disagreed with you about that point. Most coaches wouldn't throw their team under the bus. Holtz, however, would always say his team had no chance of beating the incredible opponent they were about to face when everyone knew ND was going to win.

 

[solo]

I was just busting your chops, I knew what you meant. I never actually disagreed with you about that point. Most coaches wouldn't throw their team under the bus. Holtz, however, would always say his team had no chance of beating the incredible opponent they were about to face when everyone knew ND was going to win.

LOL...you did get me

 

[Satans Little Helper]

I don't think that anyone on this board thinks that they know more than Weis. You simply need to realize that Weis isn't in a position to tell it like it is. No coach with integrity is going to throw his team under the bus and admit that they aren't as talented.

And shortly after the bowl matchups were announced, the first thing that Weis mentioned to the media about LSU is that he was concerned about their team speed. So trust me, it's an issue. He can downplay it all he wants now to the media, but he is the one that put it out there and it's definitely an issue.

Again, you can't always take a coaches word at face value. They must manipulate the media, sell the school, sell the game, protect our image. Even if he thought that LSU had too much speed, do you really think he'd say it? Personally, I feel like he did say it and is now backtracking.

Also after getting burned by OSU with their speed, i think that was the mantra heading into spring practice and the conversion of TT to LB? I could be wrong but there it is. It is definitely an issue,. he is not going to make excuses and i like that. I listen to him like i listen to Bill Parcels when referring to TO. Theres a lot more there than what is being said.

 

[connor_in]

I tend to agree with you with only a slight qualification...

I think Weis is a straight shooter with everyone up to the point that he'll tell them what they need to know and nothing beyond. In watching him since he came here, in all settings you can tell he is the ultimate in compartmentalizing things. So, if he is talking to a particular person or group, he will tell them exactly what he thinks or knows up to the point that it does not concern them or that they do not need to know.

However, because the need to know portion for the press is pretty small, they have not necessarily been all sweetness and light with him. We'll see if this kind of thing eventually could hurt ND as far as rankings go in the future based on their somewhat political nature.

 

[Satans Little Helper]

I tend to agree with you with only a slight qualification...

I think Weis is a straight shooter with everyone up to the point that he'll tell them what they need to know and nothing beyond. In watching him since he came here, in all settings you can tell he is the ultimate in compartmentalizing things. So, if he is talking to a particular person or group, he will tell them exactly what he thinks or knows up to the point that it does not concern them or that they do not need to know.

However, because the need to know portion for the press is pretty small, they have not necessarily been all sweetness and light with him. We'll see if this kind of thing eventually could hurt ND as far as rankings go in the future based on their somewhat political nature.

with all the other things the media hangs over our heads, it s amazing we are ranked at all.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

At the end of the day, who cares about the media. Go undefeated and ND is in the NC 99/100.

 

[Satans Little Helper]

At the end of the day, who cares about the media. Go undefeated and ND is in the NC 99/100.

I agree but we have to have a decent schedule to do that, and it appears that it is not going that way i nthe next few years. I understand that we have the games scheduled prior to this season and it is no way to predict how a team will do, i just hope we have a better sos in the next few years.