“To the caller who said he didn’t realize Charlie Weis had a helmet and shoulder pads on: By your logic, Ty Willingham should still be coaching at Notre Dame.” - September 24, 2008
Forget the helmet and shoulder pads. Maybe Ty Willingham should still be coaching at Notre Dame.
Let’s compare the two “living legends.”
Year #1
2002 - Ty Willingham wows Irish fans by starting the season 8-0. Later, he becomes the first coach in Notre Dame history to lead the Irish to a 10-win season as Notre Dame finishes 2002 with a 10-3 record
2005 - Feeding off some quality Willingham recruits, (I think Brady Quinn is still married to A.J. Hawk’s sister, by the way.) Charlie Weis wows Irish fans by starting the season 5-2. He wows the ND administration so much that they offer him new 10-year deal worth $30-$40 million. Weis finishes the season 9-3.
Year #2
2003 - Ty Willingham leads the Irish through a difficult and disappointing 5-7 season. Still, the Irish can hang their hat on defeating #9 Washington State.
2006 - Charlie Weis continues his success, taking Notre Dame to a 10-3 record, their best win coming against #24 Penn State.
Year #3
2004 - Ty Willingham takes Notre Dame to a 6-6 record before being fired following a loss to USC. Kent Baer coaches Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl in late December. Enter Charlie Weis.
2007 - Charlie Weis coaches one of the worst teams in Division I football. The Irish go 3-9, including their first loss to Navy in 43 games. Still, Notre Dame fans continue to be excited by Weis’s “great recruiting classes.”
Year #4
2008 - Things don’t seem to have improved much for Weis and his Golden Domers. After a home scare against San Diego State and a 2nd win against a very weak Michigan team, the Irish drop a game to Michigan State. Through their first three games, Notre Dame again seems to have one of the weaker offenses in the nation.
Ty Willingham
Charlie Weis
Ty Willingham vs. Charlie Weis. You make the call. We’ll get to see them go head-to-head next month!
2 Comments»
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26. September 2008 | 10:15 hFrom the September 26, 2008 Fan Line: “Charlie Weis was very successful when he inherited four-year starters. Since he had to put in his own system with his own players, he has failed. So much for the big genius.”
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13. November 2008 | 14:26 hFrom the November 13, 2008 Fan Line: “While at Notre Dame, Tyrone Willingham’s recordagainst Top 25 teams was 7-7. Charlie Weis’ record is 4-9 and is soon to go to 4-10 when USC is done with them. Tyrone Willingham was fired, but I don’t think Charlie Weis is going anywhere because his buyout is reported to be $21 million. Looks like you’re stuck with him, Irish fans.”