Fire Him

[DScottND]

Anyone that wants to keep pointing to improvement needs to understand the desire to want to see improvement and actually seeing improvement. When I look back I do see improvement, but that is improvement from a 3-9 team and that is an unacceptable measuring stick for ND that only occured because of Charlie. You can give me all the Ty talk you want and I would say to you I would have understood a 6-6 team. This year we still can not run the ball to save our lives and we only have an improved record because the schedule softened. The loss to Syracuse was worse than the loss to Navy last year. I drove 13 hours and sat in 10 degree weather to only feel embarrassed and sad when I left the stadium. And it wasn't for myself it was for the 18-22 year old kids who have not been given a chance to win. Everyone wants to blame Latina and Heywood - they are to blame, but so is Charlie. His teams are soft - the offensive scheme which is his - is not good and we don't spend enough practice time on developing the run. So everyone is worried about recruiting - I ask this would you rather loose some in this years class or next years?

[Guest irishcop]

I was embarassed as well,,i was angry,,but with that being said there is so much talent on this team that next year I think we will be even better than expected,,,pisses me off when I see someone like Mark May smiling and laughing at ND! Even though I was embarassed I still hold the honor and tradition of ND so high that there is no way I could way I couold turn my back on this team. Charlie if you listening you better fix this mess!!!

[IrishGuy]

Sadly, I was more embarrassed by the fans at the stadium than by the performance of our team.

 

After being there in person, and actually "feeling" the energy of this game, I can honestly say that our team had no fire. When Syracuse was down by 13, they still had more energy than we did.

 

I am no longer on the CW needs to stay side of the fence. I WANT him to be the guy that gets us back on top, but unless he makes a LOT of changes, I do not believe it is possible.

 

We all know (and have said numerous times) that some coaches definitely need to go. However, I also believe the CW needs to find that "it" that he always talks about that made him the offensive genius he was when he got here. I know a lot about football, so I will use my girlfriends comment from the game......She asked me if it was "just her" or could everyone predict the plays that were about to be run. She knows very little about football, and she made this comment about 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter.

 

CW used to be famous for calling a game. He would attack a team weakness, and never let up. Now, he wants to "pound the ball" against everyone. He talks about JC taking what the defense gives him......but CW needs to get back to doing the same thing. He also needs to get back to being able to call the same play for 3 or 4 different formations.

 

Our lines are bad. Our play calling is bad ("could be related"). Our team has NO FIRE. CW needs to make a LOT of changes......or this is as good as we are EVER going to be.

 

Here's to losing by 50 in 5 days.

[irishwavend]

Anyone that wants to keep pointing to improvement needs to understand the desire to want to see improvement and actually seeing improvement. When I look back I do see improvement, but that is improvement from a 3-9 team and that is an unacceptable measuring stick for ND that only occured because of Charlie. You can give me all the Ty talk you want and I would say to you I would have understood a 6-6 team. This year we still can not run the ball to save our lives and we only have an improved record because the schedule softened. The loss to Syracuse was worse than the loss to Navy last year. I drove 13 hours and sat in 10 degree weather to only feel embarrassed and sad when I left the stadium. And it wasn't for myself it was for the 18-22 year old kids who have not been given a chance to win. Everyone wants to blame Latina and Heywood - they are to blame, but so is Charlie. His teams are soft - the offensive scheme which is his - is not good and we don't spend enough practice time on developing the run. So everyone is worried about recruiting - I ask this would you rather loose some in this years class or next years?

j

 

I want to know what you do, so I can give superficial treatment to your job and create a post saying fire you. I mean, seriously, would I know your job enough to know whether I should fire you or not? Do I know the ins and outs of whatever you do that I could say you are or aren't doing your job? Yeah, the results are panning out, yet, but give it another year. That's why we have multi-year contracts, not one-year contracts. So people can't be fickle... Hell, the banks are doing a worse job than Charlie is, but they get a bailout. Maybe ND fans need to rally, get positive, and give some constructive criticism. Give a Notre Dame bailout by getting rid of the negativity and dealing with the situation constructively. Let the AD do his job and YOU just sit back and support the team. When you talk about "loosing" recruits, we wouldn't be losing recruits as easily if the ND family would be positive. It's not your job to figure out if the guy needs to be fired or not. His boss will do that. It's your job to be on board with this team through thick and thin, because we still have a future to think about. If the fans are acting like a$$holes, you hurt our future, because recruits see that. Minimize the impact: be constructive and be positive. We don't need anymore of the NDNation wannabe "Fire Charlie, because I think I could coach the team better" crap.

[ndmike88]

Mark May hit the nail on the head when he said "Weis would be gone today if it wasn't for his $21.5 million buy out."

[IrishGuy]

I am a Security Consultant. If I did my job so that 50% of the attacks against a company were unsuccessful, I would be mopping floors in a week.

 

You do not need to know the "in-and-outs" of a job in order to see when someone is not doing it well....or to see when someone is doing it very well.

 

I am not saying "fire him" I am just saying that it is very easy to see that there is a LOT of room for improvement. There are changes the MUST be made. CW needs to make those changes.....if he does not make those changes THIS YEAR, then he needs to be a part of those changes next year.

[DScottND]

I never said I could coach the team better so don't put words in my mouth. I will stick with the football team through thick or thin, but that does not mean I have to support the leadership when it is not producing. I do differentiate between student athletes and a coach who is getting paid millions of dollars a year. And as for my job I assure you that if I put in the worst performance in the history of my job (see 2007 season) and followed it up by a less than mediocre performance (see 2008 season) I would be fired and so would you. As a fan of the University I will always support the team and the players, but understand when you get payed millions of dollars a year you are accountable and open to criticism.

[irishwavend]

And, that helps recruiting how? If you were given half the tools to complete your job, you'd probably have a tough time doing it. I agree supporting staff needs to be canned, but this fire Charlie stuff needs to quit for the big picture of recruiting. I'm just asking that people remember the big picture, getting talent into the school. Fans are doing everything they can to screw that up right now with the criticism.

[Irishman Part Deaux]

And, that helps recruiting how? If you were given half the tools to complete your job, you'd probably have a tough time doing it. I agree supporting staff needs to be canned, but this fire Charlie stuff needs to quit for the big picture of recruiting. I'm just asking that people remember the big picture, getting talent into the school. Fans are doing everything they can to screw that up right now with the criticism.

 

Most of the talent comes here despite charlie. I say fire him for the following statement trying to justify and extremely poorly coached team.

 

"So now we’re sitting here at 6-5, you sit there and look at the five losses. In three of the five losses you had double-digit leads. North Carolina, Pittsburgh and yesterday you had double-digit leads, as a matter of fact in none of the games were you non-competitive. There wasn’t one game where you didn’t have a chance to win the game, unlike last year when there were multiple games where the games were over early and just put away."

 

This all points to coaching charlie. Whether we beat Fusc or NOT, should not matter. anyone who thinks these kids have gotten the coaching from the top down is absolutely lost.

Players are getting ruined on a daily basis by the coaching staff. Charlie must step down and do it right after next weeks loss. He is a great person, but not a good coach. He would do much better up in the box calling plays for paid athletes.

[Guest SirJohn]

I have to disagree some Deaux. Ty sat back and expected because we are ND talent would flow. It did not will not happen without hard recruiting.

[irishwavend]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! That statement is perfectly fine. There is improvement. You're blind if you can't see it. It's slow, but it's there. Young kids are going to be inconsistent and find ways to lose. I've seen it over and over again. You have to learn to win on the field yourself. Nobody on the field has taught the youngsters how to win. They're learning.

 

Second, to address recruiting: These kids WILL NOT come to despite Charlie. Need I give you a simple reminder that we had Ty and they refused to come. Charlie is a great recruiter, but keep up the negativity and you make his job harder and harder.

 

Talk crap when he gets fired. Cut the crap, otherwise. Constructive criticism is the best of both worlds. Find a way to talk about the need for improvement without the negativity.

[DScottND]

Charlie is a great recruiter - and I take nothing away from his work ethic. I love that he is an ND guy - I just wish he was a better coach. He for the most part is Ron Zook. Now on to this hurting recruiting stuff - I agree it does and hate that, but if I and other fans and supporters of the program believe that a change is necessary I ask you this would it be better for the program to do it this year or wait until next. If you follow recruiting the way you do - you should say this year - as next year's class is much deeper and will have a much larger impact on recruiting. So I believe he is not the answer so hurting recruiting is going to happen wether we like it or not - I just prefer this year to next.

[IrishGuy]

And, that helps recruiting how? If you were given half the tools to complete your job, you'd probably have a tough time doing it. I agree supporting staff needs to be canned, but this fire Charlie stuff needs to quit for the big picture of recruiting. I'm just asking that people remember the big picture, getting talent into the school. Fans are doing everything they can to screw that up right now with the criticism.

 

CW needs to replace some of his position coaches. "If" he is unwilling to do so, then he will end up be the one that needs replaced. I love CW, but if he is unable to see how poorly coached some of our positions are, then he is obviously not right for a HC position.

 

I love CW. I want him to succeed. I am just getting tired of watching our players get pushed around and beaten up.

[Guest SirJohn]

I can't fault that post.

[Batch]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! That statement is perfectly fine. There is improvement. You're blind if you can't see it. It's slow, but it's there. Young kids are going to be inconsistent and find ways to lose. I've seen it over and over again. You have to learn to win on the field yourself. Nobody on the field has taught the youngsters how to win. They're learning.

 

Second, to address recruiting: These kids WILL NOT come to despite Charlie. Need I give you a simple reminder that we had Ty and they refused to come. Charlie is a great recruiter, but keep up the negativity and you make his job harder and harder.

 

Talk crap when he gets fired. Cut the crap, otherwise. Constructive criticism is the best of both worlds. Find a way to talk about the need for improvement without the negativity.

 

Irishwavend...agreed on all counts...

 

For most of the rest of you..."Hold me, I'm Irish"

[irishwavend]

He is selling something the recruits like. We are way in on next years class. So, Charlie being fired this year won't be a problem. We could lose a recruit or two due to the negativity, though.

[mudskipper]

There's about three position coaches that probably should move on to other opportunities. The two most obvious needs for this team is, a balanced attack( a running game to complement the passing,and the infusion of some much needed emotion and motivation. In the BC game their coaches were hands on, in your face with their players, and I've seen that with other teams we've played. The youth arguement carries less weight with each passing game. I'm perfectly willing to give Charlie one more year, but it's got to show on the field no more small incremental improvements. It's like having dental work say a crown that you've spent hundreds of dollars on only to find that it's cracked or worse a root canal must be done, next year we'll find out if painful oral surgery is required.

[kgd1001]

first of all let's all pray that mike haywood takes the washington job. secondly, weis deserves 2009 to see what he can do with some real talent....i know these are still all his recruits but we are still playing with mostly freshman and sophomores at our skill positions. if he still cant do anything next year, which im afraid will happen if you look back at our big games in 2006 when we had plenty of talent....we will be a good team, but probably not a great team....and that is not acceptable at a national championship calibur school....

 

charlie is a wonderful recruiter but doesnt look like he is the guy to put us over the top and into the promise land.

[Irishman Part Deaux]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! That statement is perfectly fine. There is improvement. You're blind if you can't see it. It's slow, but it's there. Young kids are going to be inconsistent and find ways to lose. I've seen it over and over again. You have to learn to win on the field yourself. Nobody on the field has taught the youngsters how to win. They're learning.

 

Second, to address recruiting: These kids WILL NOT come to despite Charlie. Need I give you a simple reminder that we had Ty and they refused to come. Charlie is a great recruiter, but keep up the negativity and you make his job harder and harder.

 

Talk crap when he gets fired. Cut the crap, otherwise. Constructive criticism is the best of both worlds. Find a way to talk about the need for improvement without the negativity.

 

 

What constructive criticism....

Fight on charlie

Keep up the good work Charlie

Charlie you are great

 

How is that? OUr negative comments do not make a kid decide whether to come to ND. I want a winner more than anyone. I just don't see the glass half full with the talent we have. It is empty and running out the bottom.

 

I will stop talking crap WHEN charlie gets fired.

[crouchingjedi]

Jedi Plan:

 

Coach, we really appreciate what you've done here. What you've done with recruiting is nothing short of remarkable. However, like you said back in December of 2004, you didn't come here to be a .500 football team, and I'm afraid after four years, you are what you are.

 

More importantly the expectation was that after last year's mulligan you come in here, get us 8 wins and improving enough at the end of the year that we all feel good about moving on to next year. I can tell you that our fans, alumni and administration thought a snowball had a better chance in hell than for our program to lose its 2nd to last game this season to a 2-8 Syracuse team. Pardon the pun on that last analogy.

 

So, we want to let you know we are putting you on notice. We are looking. We are looking for someone who can take this program back to an elite status. We are not firing you right now. If you wish to stay until we find our next coach, then you are welcome to. You are also welcome to have your agent contact your friends in the NFL to see what the market is for someone buying out the remaining $14 million on your contract for a new gig on Sundays. If you find a suitor, then please talk to us as we can probably come to an agreeable settlement.

 

We are happy to have you here as the interim coach for as long as that process takes. It might take a month; yet it might take two years to bring in the candidate we want. We will be settling for nothing less than a proven, experienced college football coach who can recruit nationally and win at the top level.

 

One other thing that we are putting on the table for you. If, you go out there to LA. . . pound those SOBs and come back with a victory. . .

 

And if then go out to El Paso and end this meaningless bowl losing streak that everyone likes to throw in our faces. . .

 

And if throughout next year we haven't found our next coach and suddenly you finish 2009 with a 11-2 record and a BCS bowl win or more. . .

 

we will sit down, rip up your contract and renegotiate. Now we won't give you a new 5 yrs, but we will give you another 2 year contract through 2011 in which we will not look for another coach.

 

But coach, the bottom line is that you have fallen short of what you promised us. We know your mantra of "if you're looking, we're looking". Well, we're looking.