WEIS CONSIDERED QUITTING NOTRE DAME COACHING JOB AFTER LAST SEASON

Notre Dame quickly ended the speculation about head coach Charlie Weis’ coaching future, announcing a few days after a 38-3 loss to USC to end their season that he’d return for another year.  Weis, however, had his own reservations about his performance:  the Chicago Tribune spoke to the coach who confirmed that he had considered quitting and returning to the NFL as an offensive coordinator.

The newspaper reported on Sunday that Weis, who has a 29-21 record in four years at the Irish helm, had given serious thought to ‘waving the white flag’ in South Bend before Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick confirmed that he’d be returning.  On Wednesday, Weis tried to mitigate the mess by saying that he had talked with his family about the scenario, but that he’s happy with how things worked out:

"Like anyone who has a situation that is uncertain, as any husband and father would do, you address it with your wife and you address it with your kids. And you talk about the what if. But does that mean that at any time that I thought that I wasn't going to be here? I mean you just have to deal with ... When you're around a long time in this business, what you learn is you have to deal with the negatives. You just have to have a plan just in case they end up happening."

"Did I expect that I was leaving? No. But did I have a conversation with my family about whether or not there's a possibility? Well, yeah. But you think about it. If you're a husband and you're a dad, if you don't do that then I think you're being negligent in your responsibilities. That's about as far as it goes. Did I think I was going to quit and walk out the door? That's not what I came here for."

The other relevant parties within the Notre Dame Football hierarchy and in the administration declined comment, but clearly they can’t be happy with the situation.  The revelation that the head coach wasn’t sure that he wanted to come back is not exactly a great way to start the chemistry on this year’s Irish squad.   Weis is now being forced to do a little deft PR work—he doesn’t want to lie and say that it didn’t happen, but at the same time he has to not give the impression that he would rather be working on Sundays in the NFL.

Weis concluded his comments on Wednesday with some finality that he hopes will put the story to rest.  He said that he wanted to remain at Notre Dame for the same reason he wanted the job in the first place:

"We came here to get Notre Dame back to the top of the heap. That's what we intend on doing.”

If he wants the chance to do that beyond the 2009 season, he’ll have to start the Irish headed in that direction quickly.