FOOTBALL Weis Given Contract Extension
Not even a full season after being hired by Notre Dame, head football coach Charlie Weis received a ten year contract extension today. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear... a TEN-YEAR extension! Now I don't mean to play the devil's advocate, but I'm going to. As this is Weis' first season as coach, he's competing-basically-with Tyrone Willingham's players. Additionally, Willingham went 10-3 in his first season with Notre Dame in 2002. He did it with Bob Davie's players, but he didn't even get a hint of a contract extension. In fact, I believe he's the only coach in Irish history to not be allowed to coach out his first coaching contract. This is not to take anything away from Coach Weis... who I think is brilliant and is bringing the old "glory" back to the Notre Dame program. But to give a coach a TEN YEAR extension after only 7 games? (going 5-2?)... I don't know. Especially considering that the program has no idea how well Weis will recruit! Now I've been checking online and Weis already has a commitment from 5-star RB James Aldridge, who would be the first 5-star recruit since 2002 (WR Rhema McKnight and DT Derek Landri). So maybe Weis IS the guy... maybe he CAN recruit, he CAN coach, he CAN motivate, he IS the right man for the Notre Dame job... but where is the proof? And why does Weis get a 10-year commitment from ND when Willingham did not? I hate to say it, but signs do certainly point towards racism. Granted I DO think Weis is the right man for the job (a Notre Dame alum; Super Bowl winning coach), and I DID NOT think Willingham was (he's struggling up there in Washington--going 1-6 so far this season), but how can one avoid the fact that the African American coach didn't get to coach out his contract, even though he went 10-3 his first year (21-15 overall)... and Weis, the white alum, coaches 7 games and gets a ten year extension? Again, this is just me playing devil's advocate... as I love Coach Weis and ND has gone from a .500 team the past two years to having people talk about ND in a BCS game. The echoes have been awoken under Coach Weis... so congratulations to him on the huge contract extension.