Charlie Weis

Charlie Weis

Charlie Weis (born March 30, 1956 in Trenton, New Jersey) is the current head coach of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.

Early career

After graduating from Middlesex (N.J.) High School, Weis decided to attend the University of Notre Dame. This is where he earned his bachelor's degree in speech and drama in 1978. While coaching football at South Carolina, he earned his master's degree in education in 1989.

Weis began his coaching career in 1979 at Boonton High School in New Jersey, then spent the next five seasons at Morristown (N.J.) High School as a football assistant. In 1985, he was hired by head coach Joe Morrison at the University of South Carolina, where he served four seasons on the Gamecock staff before returning to New Jersey as the head coach at Franklin Township High in 1989. That year, he directed Franklin Township to the New Jersey state championship while also assisting in the New York Giants' pro personnel department.

Parcells disciple

In 1990, he launched his professional coaching career with the Giants when he was named defensive assistant and assistant special teams coach under Giants head coach Bill Parcells. The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl that season, edging the Buffalo Bills in 20-19. After Ray Handley took over as head coach in 1991, Weis stayed on as the running backs coach for two seasons, developing RB Rodney Hampton into a 1,000 yard rusher and Pro Bowl player.

Weis then began a four-year stint with the New England Patriots, where he once again served under Parcells. For the first two years, Weis served as tight ends coach (1993-94), developing Ben Coates into a Pro Bowl selection in 1994. The next year Weis served as running backs coach (1995), where he lobbied to draft RB Curtis Martin and promptly developed the rookie sensation, coaching Martin to the 1995 Pro Bowl and a 1,400 yard rushing season. Martin was also named Rookie of the Year. In 1996, Weis served as receivers coach, where he continued his trend of successful development of players, developing WR Terry Glenn into a 1,100 yard receiver as a rookie.

When Parcells left New England following the 1996 season, Weis once again followed his mentor to the New York Jets. In New York, Weis served his first year as wide receivers coach ('97), where he developed Keyshawn Johnson. Under Weis' coaching, Johnson became a back-to-back Pro-Bowler in 1998 and 1999. In 1997, Weis became the offensive coordinator of the Jets, in addition to being the primary receivers coach. In his second year as Offensive coordinator, the New York Jets finished fourth in the National Football League in offense. Weis served as the team's offensive coordinator from 1997 to 1999.

Patriots offensive coordinator

Weis returned to New England Patriots following Parcells' announced retirement after the 1999 season. When Weis returned to New England he was announced the team's offensive coordinator under head coach Bill Belichick, this was a position Weis held from 2000 through 2004. While with the Patriots, he helped install the Erhardt - Perkins offensive system used by the Patriots today.

During this stint, the Patriots won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX). As offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Weis has been credited for helping develop Tom Brady. Tom Brady was elected to the 2001 Pro Bowl, and named Super Bowl MVP of Super Bowl's XXXVI and XXXVIII.

The Patriots' Super Bowl runs may have prevented him from accepting one of several head coaching jobs with which he was linked. NFL assistants can't formally accept head coaching positions until their team's season ends.

Notre Dame head coach

On November 30 2004, Notre Dame released its head football coach, Tyrone Willingham. After preliminary overtures to University of Utah head coach Urban Meyer, Notre Dame narrowed their list down to Weis and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator and former Notre Dame star quarterback Tom Clements. The University ultimately decided to hire Weis. On December 12 2004, Weis was named the 28th head football coach in Notre Dame history, agreeing to a six-year contract worth a reported $2 million per year.

Weis is the first Notre Dame graduate to hold the football head coaching position at his alma mater since Hugh Devore (a 1934 graduate) served as interim coach in 1945 and 1963 and the first to serve as the Irish football coach on a full-fledged basis since Joe Kuharich (a 1938 Notre Dame graduate who coached at Notre Dame from 1959 through 1962).

In his first season as the head coach of the Fighting Irish, the Notre Dame football program improved greatly. The team's play, particularly that of junior quarterback Brady Quinn, improved over the 2005 season. Weis has also discovered other hidden talent in his existing roster. Notably, junior wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, previously a little-used wide receiver, became Quinn's favorite target and a frequent game-breaker, and set school records for most touchdown receptions in a season (15), most receiving yardage in a season (1249), and most consecutive games with a touchdown reception (8). His team played then #1 ranked and then undefeated, USC but ND lost the close game.

With a record of 9-2, his team finished the regular season ranked sixth in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings, even though they failed to beat a team that finished the season ranked in the top 25. This granted them a berth in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, on January 2 2006 which they lost to Ohio State University Buckeyes by a score of 34-20. The Irish finished #9 in the final AP Poll and #11 in the Coaches Poll. His team's success on the field helped make Weis winner of the 2005 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

On October 29 2005, only halfway through the first year of a six-year contract, Weis signed a contract extension with Notre Dame. The new 10-year deal, worth a reported $30 million to $40 million[1], will keep Weis at Notre Dame through 2015. This signing was controversial because of the disparate treatment that Weis and Ty Willingham received after similar first season records.[2] [3] After signing the contract extension, Weis commented that he would only leave Notre Dame upon being fired or death. However with the potential opening as New York Giants head coach, where Weis once worked, some questioned the validity of that statement.[4] Despite media overtures calling for Weis to head for the NFL, however, Weis has repeatedly stated that he intends to stay at Notre Dame until his son, Charlie Jr., graduates from Notre Dame, which his 10 year contract will allow.

During the 2006-2007 season, Coach Weis led the Fighting Irish to a 10-2 regular season record, and a second straight Bowl Championship Series berth, this time losing 41-14 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl to the Louisiana State University Tigers. This loss was the second straight bowl loss under Weis and the ninth straight bowl loss for the Irish. The Irish finished #17 in the final AP poll, #19 in the final Coaches Poll. While this season could be considered a disappointment based on Notre Dame's #2 pre-season ranking, Weis led the Irish to its second straight season of nine wins or more, something not achieved since the 1992 and 1993 seasons under Coach Lou Holtz. Also for the 2nd straight year in a row Charlie Weis has put together a top 10 recruiting class, including national player of the year Jimmy Clausen. Even though it is thought by many fans of Notre Dame that Charlie endured great success during his second season, leading them to consecutvie BCS bowl games for the first time in the school's history, his Notre Dame team still could only muster one win against a top 25 quality opponent.

Personal

Charlie and wife Maura have two children, Charles Joseph and Hannah Margaret. In 2003, Weis and his wife Maura established the Hannah & Friends Foundation, dedicated to children affected by developmental disorders and named after his daughter. In the spring of 2004, the first annual Hannah & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic was held to benefit the foundation.

Weis said his father died at age 56 after a second heart attack and he feared he would suffer a similar fate if he didn't take drastic action to reduce his weight.

He was a roommate of Terry Eurick while at Notre Dame. Terry was a player on the Notre Dame football team.

Charlie, born in Trenton, New Jersey, has one older sister and three younger brothers, one of whom attended West Point.

Problems with Weight

Currently Weis is seeking unspecified damages due to complications developed during gastric bypass surgery he had in June 2002 to combat his obesity (he was 350 lbs. at one point).[5] Weis has lost 90 pounds since the surgery but is still considered to be overweight by most people outside of the Notre Dame community.[6] The trial is set to begin deliberations August 6.

External links

• Biography at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish official site
• Biography at the New England Patriots official site