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Charlie Weis: an $18 million question PITTSBURGH — Somebody better come up with a boatload of cash. If this truly was the last chance for Charlie Weis to save his job at Notre Dame, if the inevitable has finally become reality after Saturday’s 27-22 loss to No. 8 Pittsburgh, the Notre Dame administration is ready to spend what it takes to find another coach.
 
Asked if economics would play a role in the decision to retain or fire Weis, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick firmly told Sporting News, “No.”
 
Should Notre Dame fire Weis, it will owe him $18 million for the remaining six years on his contract, sources told SN, and more than $1 million for the guaranteed contracts of his assistant coaches.
 
When asked where his program goes from here — after two consecutive losses and three in the past five games; from BCS hopes to minor bowl reality — Weis said, “That’s too big picture right now. I’m trying to get this team focused on the next game.”
 
If a change is made, it won’t happen until after the season.
 

Jack Swarbrick: “I evaluate programs.”
“I evaluate programs at the end of the season,” Swarbrick said. “I don’t evaluate coaches, I evaluate programs.”
 
The question that remains: Where exactly is this Irish program headed? Notre Dame is 35-25 overall under Weis, who has the same winning percentage as his predecessors Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie. Willingham’s teams were woefully unprepared; Davie’s teams couldn’t score points.
 
And Weis’ teams? Defense has been the biggest issue. The defense’s sporadic play has defined this team this …

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