Stoopid Idea

We seem to hear this a lot over the last few years with Charlie needing to hand over the keys to the chocolate factory. But one of the few times I have heard this name pop up. Bobby Stoops -- Yes, Stoops is Irish. Yes, Stoops is Catholic. Yes, Stoops could recruit the heck out of the Ohio and Pennsylvania hotbeds that have long fed the Notre Dame talent pool. But can Stoopid really turn this team back into the days of Ara, Uncle Lou and Knute -- doubtful! He is pulling the same card as Charles Not in Charge -- not winning big games..


But I am one of many ND fans who don't like the idea, I have said over and over Notre Dame needs to go after a coach who has taken mediocre players and turned them into a great program. Go after other coaches with those proven records..

From the Chicago Sun Times: “As much as Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis wanted to make this game about his team, the 27-22 loss to No. 8 Pittsburgh will serve as more evidence for those who want Weis’ tenure as Irish coach to end.

“If athletic director Jack Swarbrick decides Weis’ Notre Dame career is over after his fifth season, a source said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz will be in the mix to replace him. The source said Stoops has told confidants he would be interested in talking to the Irish.

“Weis wasn’t asked directly about his future after the game, but he said he was focused on his players.

"They just lost a tough game to a good team,’’ he said. ‘’Right now, I’m more worried about getting them out of the tank [mentally]."

And this from the Chicago Tribune: “It’s not like you don’t evaluate during the year; you evaluate all year,” Swarbrick said. “But my practice is to make sure I’ve got the full season’s worth of information and then conclude the evaluation.”

“There will be much to discuss. The latest deflation saddled Weis with the same overall record as Bob Davie (35-25) and made Notre Dame 0-for-its-last-8 against top 10 teams under Weis’ watch.

“Were change afoot or not, it would seem to behoove administrators to work quickly and decisively. But Swarbrick currently doesn’t see reason to veer much from last year’s timeline, when he met with Weis on the Tuesday after a season-ending evisceration at USC.

“I thought from a perspective of timing and communication, last year’s process worked well,” Swarbrick said.

Another element that won’t change: The irrelevance of Weis’ buyout. It wasn’t an issue as the Irish stumbled to a 6-6 regular season in 2008. The latest report pegs the buyout at $18 million, but regardless it’s “not a factor” again in 2009, according to Swarbrick.”