Matt Hayes gives a reason why Notre Dame dismissing Charlie Weis, even if he loses another game this season, isn’t exactly a slam dunk.
Actually, he gives lots of reasons.
… If ND fires Weis after this season, it owes him $18 million. It’s cut and dried; don’t believe anything else you hear.
That doesn’t mean the university won’t take that step in stressful economic times, but you better believe it has to be part of the discussion. Firing Weis is a minimum $33 million-to-$43 million investment, including the Weis buyout and the hiring of a new coach. It will cost at least $3 million a year to get Brian Kelly or Paul Johnson (on typical five-year deals), and maybe as much as $5 million a year for the pipe dream of getting Urban Meyer from Florida.
It'll cost this much money to hire a new coach for the Irish.
That’s a staggering chunk of change, but if there’s a school that can afford it, even in these times, it’s Notre Dame. Still, you almost hope it’s enough to make the school stand pat. Notre Dame and Charlie Weis deserve each other. If you’re a Notre Dame hater, it’s your basic win-win proposition.
One other thing – if Hayes is right and Weis’ downfall has been the defense, how good an idea is it to replace him with a Brian Kelly or a Paul Johnson? If Notre Dame can’t get an Urban Meyer, wouldn’t somebody like Gary Patterson make more sense?
Get The Picture 
Charlie Strong for ND DC!
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If they can’t have Urban, maybe they can get his trusty sidekick.
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You have to admit, Weiss is a whale of a coach.
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It would take waaay more than $5M to get Urban. Try $8-9M. He would need to become the richest coach in all of sports. That’s a nice tagline, btw. Can I get that on my resume’?
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Staff members would also need to be contractually obligated to refer to him as “The Greatest Coach of Our Era.”
One thing’s for sure, I don’t think that Notre Dame will go the NFL route again. Because that decided schematic advantage hasn’t worked out so well.
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Which is why I’m highly amused by the number of Irish faithful who are jonesing for Jon Gruden to come to South Bend.
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I don’t understand the Gruden love fest from anyone. He won with a team that was put together for him, and then ran it straight into the ground with gross mismanagement of personnel. On second thought, he would fit the mold in South Bend.
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Hell, given ND’s recent hiring history, if you put that on your resume right now they’ll probably give you the job.
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As you pointed out, all the coaches in question, including “Corch Myers” are all offensive specialists. Florida’s defense is the handiwork of one Charley Strong. I think the chances of Johnson or Meyer going there are remote. Kelly? They could get him, but they’ll have to pay. And I wonder if Kelly wouldn’t be another RichRod, who’s struggled after getting in with the big boys.
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“If ND fires Weis after this season, it owes him $18 million.”
Wow… That supersized golden parachute makes Tub’s $5M and Fulmer’s $6M, or vice versa, for being runnoft to spend more time with family seem like small french fried potatoes.
If I’m Weis, not only am I the happiest plus sized guy in the world whose about to win Biggest Loser without even being on the show and having to go through all the PT and crying, I’m letting my agent help me to get roundabout covert word to whoever is in charge of Touchdown Jesus that it’s okay, go ahead, fire me…please…do it…do it now!
Watch as Charlie’s agent (short guy) and Charlie (the Cuban – not to scale) talk about it…
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I keep wondering what happened to John Tenuta at ND? I don’t follow them that closely, but he was a pretty good D Cordinator. Did he just forget how to coach?
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Rumor from South Bend is that Tenuta has a bad case of the Willie’s this year same as he had when he was at Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
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Charlie and ND blow! they live in fantasy land!
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