Notre Dame Fires Charlie Weis after 5 Seasons

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- Charlie Weis, the portly, foul-mouthed coach from Jersey who arrived beneath the Golden Dome with pride and promise, is out at Notre Dame. The supposed offensive guru who made his bones with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, finished the last three seasons with 21 losses -- the most ever during any three-year span in South Bend.

The Fighting Irish, now 21 long years since their last national championship title in 1988, need yet another replacement at head football coach. Since the popular Lou Holtz left in 1996, the school has fired Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham as well.



For a school that probably oozes more tradition and lore than any other college football program in America, the Irish have spent 15 years looking for the right individual who can handle a job that comes with intense pressure and lofty expectations.

But Notre Dame's ties with Weis are hardly broken. The Irish are on the hook for six more years of a lucrative 10-year contract extension that Weis signed after only seven games into his first season.

Weis went 35-27 in five years as Irish head coach. He leaves with one of the worst winning percentages of any Fighting Irish coach: Only four of Notre Dame's previous 27 coaches won at a lower percentage.

Among the people considered possible candidates:

-- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops
-- Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly
-- TCU coach Gary Patterson
-- Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh

Opposing Views suggestions:
-- Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy
-- Former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan

Photo courtesy of NBC