There now is little doubt that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is in danger of losing his job. Back-to-back losses to Navy and Pitt have cranked the dial on his hot seat from simmer to boil. The end of his tenure seems inevitable.
So who replaces Weis? Irish fans will clamor for a big name. They will implore the Notre Dame athletics department to pony up the cash and lure a big-time coach like Mack Brown or Les Miles to bring the program back to glory.
The problem with that logic is Notre Dame is not what it used to be. The Irish haven’t won a BCS bowl game (Fiesta, Orange, Sugar, Rose) since before the BCS existed. They no longer hang with top teams in power conferences. These are not your father’s Fighting Irish. Pete Carroll is not leaving USC — and his palace in Southern California — to coach in South Bend, Ind.
Instead, Notre Dame should focus its attention on Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly, who won two national titles at Division II Grand Valley State, nurtured Cheers & Jeers favorite Dan LeFevour at Central Michigan, and is piloting Cincinnati to its second BCS bowl in two years.
Notre Dame has a big decision to make. Remember, in 2004 the Irish attempted to lure another rising star (Urban Meyer) and were beaten out by Florida. If the Irish fire Weis, expect them to make a move to wrestle Kelly away from Cincinnati. And expect that it will happen quickly, perhaps even before the Bearcats play their bowl game.
