By Brian HamiltonSOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick took great pains today to praise the man he had dismissed as his football coach, saying the decision to part ways with Charlie Weis was not the foregone conclusion everyone assumed it to be based on Weis the man.
But that did not overrule the fact that Weis the coach did not meet expectations, which is why Notre Dame is now in search of a new leader for its football program.
"We will miss him," Swarbrick said. "But for us it's time to move forward. It's time to move forward because it's critical to this program and to its place in the university and college football that we compete at the highest level. That we compete for national championships. As we go out now and begin our search, that is our focus."
Photo: Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick talks to reporters Monday. (Joe Raymond/AP)
Swarbrick conceded that before the season finale at Stanford last
Saturday, Weis knew the recommendation Swarbrick was going to make to
school president Fr. John Jenkins on Sunday night.
That said, Swarbrick said any potential replacements had "absolutely not" been contacted before Weis' official dismissal, though the process to find a replacement is already underway. Swarbrick said Notre Dame has to play better defense, but that is not a "limiter" to who the new coach will be.
As for getting rid of the old coach, there was no tipping point, Swarbrick said, just a season-long malaise that he didn't see going away under Weis' stewardship.
"As I looked at the entire course of the season, it led me to the conclusion that I couldn't have enough confidence that a jump-up was imminent, that I would know with sufficient certainty that next year's results would be significantly different," Swarbrick said.
That said, Swarbrick said any potential replacements had "absolutely not" been contacted before Weis' official dismissal, though the process to find a replacement is already underway. Swarbrick said Notre Dame has to play better defense, but that is not a "limiter" to who the new coach will be.
As for getting rid of the old coach, there was no tipping point, Swarbrick said, just a season-long malaise that he didn't see going away under Weis' stewardship.
"As I looked at the entire course of the season, it led me to the conclusion that I couldn't have enough confidence that a jump-up was imminent, that I would know with sufficient certainty that next year's results would be significantly different," Swarbrick said.
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