The Golden Touch?
Notre Dame Coach Weis Enters His Third Season in South Bend With Tempered Expectations

By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 19, 2007

SOUTH BEND, Ind. The third season often has proved a pivotal one for the head football coach at Notre Dame. Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine and Lou Holtz won national championships in their third season. Tyrone Willingham, on the other hand, was fired after concluding his third autumn at Notre Dame.

After leading the Fighting Irish to consecutive BCS bowl appearances, Charlie Weis is a long shot to win a national title or get fired in his third season at his alma mater. But Weis, 51, is eager to confront what should be his stiffest challenge to date as head coach.

"I know the indecision or the question marks that come into it," Weis said at his introductory news conference before the start of fall camp. "I'm not oblivious to that. I'm not ignorant. I understand that a bunch of guys are gone. But to me, that makes you even more driven and provides even greater challenges."

The Fighting Irish are not considered a top 25-caliber team after losing all of their recognizable faces on offense, most notably quarterback Brady Quinn, who was drafted by his home-state Cleveland Browns. Wide receivers Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight and running back Darius Walker also have departed, and Weis must replace three starting offensive linemen.

Replacing the 6-foot-5 Samardzija and the 6-2 McKnight are more diminutive receivers: 5-8 George West and 5-10 David Grimes. As Weis put it, "Now we have the Smurfs."

Regardless, Weis refuses to contemplate, let alone utter, the "R-word" -- rebuilding -- going so far as to tell reporters, "May God strike me dead if I use that word." Rather than focus on playing younger players to build for the future, Weis believes he has an ethical obligation to the nine seniors who came back for a fifth year.

The schedule, however, is unforgiving as usual. Four of the first six games are on the road. The first eight opponents won nearly two-thirds of their games last season, and all but Michigan State made a bowl game. What's more, the Fighting Irish are the nation's only team that will play all schools from BCS conferences over its first eight games.

"A lot of people, as usual, are saying that we are going to win one game out of our first eight," safety Tom Zbikowski said. "But that's old news, and they've said that the past three years."

Speed, particularly on defense, remains an issue.

First-year defensive coordinator Corwin Brown will implement a 3-4 scheme. Change was needed after the unit was 65th in the nation last year in yards given up (340 yards per game).

Despite the revamped roster and numerous concerns, scores of reporters from local and national media outlets flocked to South Bend for the start of camp.

Notre Dame remains relevant this season for two reasons: The program claims 11 national championships and seven Heisman trophy winners, and it features a certain California-bred freshman. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the 19-year-old who has been called the LeBron James of high school football, is competing with junior Evan Sharpley and sophomore Demetrius Jones for Notre Dame's starting position.

In recent days, Notre Dame followers have dissected every throw the quarterbacks make, every stretching session they engage in, but relevant information on the competition is closely guarded. Clausen won't speak to reporters until freshman media day on Friday. Weis might not name a starter until Sept. 1, when the Fighting Irish host Georgia Tech in the season opener.

During the offseason, Weis promoted Ron Powlus, who had been the director of personnel development, to quarterbacks coach. There might not exist a better authority on dealing with super-size hype than Powlus, the former Notre Dame quarterback who, in the eyes of some, fell two Heisman trophies short of living up to expectations.

"The Notre Dame nation, university and family were very fortunate for the quarterback who just left here," Powlus said. "But Brady is not here, and we have guys that are competing for this job. It's fun to watch them gain confidence. It is fun to watch things click in their minds. It's fun to watch them . . . get it. And it's fun to help them get there."

Weis already has delivered a message to players: "Fellas, people perceive you a certain way and you are going to have to be the ones to change that perception because let's be very practical here: We had a large changeover in personnel, a lot of front-line players have moved on to the NFL. Why shouldn't they have their doubts or reservations? You guys are going to be the ones to change it."

After Tyrone Willingham was fired in 2004 with a 21-15 record at Notre Dame, Athletic Director Kevin White offered the now famous rationale that Willingham exceeded expectations on every day but Saturdays. Weis is 19-6 through two seasons, but his team's most memorable moment during that period came in a narrow defeat to Southern California at home two years ago.

Almost unparalleled pressure and scrutiny are inherent to coaching at Notre Dame, but Weis remains unfazed entering Year Three.

"I really believe that this is where I am going to retire," Weis said. "And the reason I believe it is, the pressure that you feel that comes with this, I don't feel."