Notre Dame Athletics ousts Charlie Weis as head football coach

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Charlie Weis arrived at Notre Dame flashing Super Bowls rings and talking about out-scheming opponents. He leaves one of college football’s most prestigious programs without even matching the record of the two men who were fired before him.

Athletics director Jack Swarbrick announced the decision to fire Weis on Monday.

“The decision was harder than you might have thought, principally because of the man it involved,” Swarbrick said.

Swarbrick said there was a huge gulf between the coach’s brash image and personal style. But he still recommended to the Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, on Sunday night that Weis be let go with six years left on his contract. Weis finishes with a 35-27 record in five seasons, among the worst of any Fighting Irish coach.

“He will go on to have great success. He’ll add some Super Bowl rings to the ones he already has as a successful coordinator in the NFL and we will miss him,” Swarbrick said. “But for us it’s time to move forward.”

Assistant head coach Rob Ianello will step in for Weis until a new coach is hired.

Following a 6-2 start this season, Notre Dame began a winless November with the second upset by Navy in three years. Then came losses to Pittsburgh and to Connecticut in South Bend. By the time the Irish lost their season-finale to Stanford on Saturday, it seemed inevitable Weis would be gone.

“There were a lot of expectations he didn’t live up to. He admitted to that,” said former Notre Dame wide receiver David Grimes, who played four seasons for Weis. “But it’s sad to see.”

The now-former coach appeared to know his firing was imminent, saying a day after the loss to Connecticut on Nov. 21 that he would have a hard time arguing against his dismissal “because 6-5 is not good enough” – an echo of his words when he took the job.

Whoever replaces Weis will be charged with ending the longest title drought in school history.