Maybe Weis Hasn’t Lost the Student Body
Last week Beano Cook was on an ESPN podcast stating that Charlie Weis has lost the student body at Notre Dame. Then on Sunday, the LA Times ran an article with quotes from senior class president Joey Brown stating that Weis did indeed lose the student body.
“When he came here our freshman year, with all of our blissful Notre Dame pride, we loved Charlie Weis,” said Joey Brown, Notre Dame senior class president. “But now I’d say he’s lost us.”
WNDU, however, asked students at the LaFortune Student Center what they felt about Weis and according to their report, the students were supportive of Weis and though he should get another year.
“I feel they’re a little too focused on the instant gratification of wins, wins and wins, you know what I mean,” said student Patrick Kelly. “I feel that Notre Dame still has to deal with the high standards and with that you’re going to have to deal with not being the most successful every year, you know like SC can be and Florida can be.”
It’s not surprising that like all of the stories surrounding Weis’s buyout, there are conflicting reports here. There’s going to be a lot of conflicting reports on a number of issues until there is some sort of definitive statement from the University regarding the future of Weis.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
As the AD has indicated, the primary focus will be any coach’s influence on the student-athletes, which is a small percentage of the student body. The students will support a winner, first, and a nice guy, second. Any thoughtful observer of college football can see that academic and social politics are important to any major university coach, but the truth is that the students are a captive audience who will turn out for a coach who makes them look good on national t.v., makes them feel good about going to games, and gives them a positive distraction from the drudgery of study and work. It’s time for the FOOTBALL men in the university and alumni leadership to MAN UP and SPEAK UP and hire a real FOOTBALL COACH. That generally precludes someone who is a Mr. Nice Guy with the students.
From published graduation statistics seems like your comments are lacking….
Most undergrads have a delusion about how lofty the standards are of their particular institution. If Jimmy could get in to ND then there is not a huge problem getting any athlete .