I find myself surprisingly calm in the midst of this agonizing, torturous season. To put it succinctly I am on the same page as JO'Co as he expressed in another topic. Here is an excerpt from a column written by one of Blue&gold.com's assistant editors which mirrors my feelings about what should happen going forward...................
Great article, Sid. I agree with the writer 100%. You know what this reminds me of? Pitching. Every time I was on the mound, there was always some whining, panty-waste, thumbsucker in my dugout yelling "Come on, Jimmy! Throw strikes!" As if I hadn't just walked that last gorilla on purpose. As if he could hit me if he played on the other team! Hell, he didn't even play for our team! That was why he was on the bench when I was pitching. But somehow...by watching me...he had become an expert on pitching. "Bend your back Jimmy!" "Follow through, Jimmy" Bullsh!t. There's a lot of experts out there. If they'd ever had a crotch-rocket break their cup, they'd give less advice and work on their own game. I think Charlie is doing fine... ............JO'Co
OK a serious reply. I am disappointed, I am not sure Charlie will succeed but I do think he needs to be given the next 2 years. I do think he should have had a better season even given the jr/sr talent. I fervently hope that Charlie does a lot of deep thinking about what went wrong this year and makes the corrections that are necessary to change the direction this year has us going. I don't know what those corrections are going to be, staff changes, simpler offense. Charlie not only has to look deep at the structure of the program but he needs to take a long look in the mirror. That tough guy arrogant NJ personna needs to be tweaked and he needs to stop talking to the press so much, he needs to figure out the best way to motivate college kids this team has come out flat for so many big games it has to be the approach he's taken. I'm talking about every big game after the 2005 USC game. Maybe that NE Patriot offensive playbook needs to have some pages torn out of it, he's not in Foxboro anymore he doesn't have the same number of hours to work with the players as he did in the NFL. Whatever happens this off season is critical for Charlie and for Notre Dame. He's going to still have a young team next year, but over 60 of those guys will be guys that he recruited, not guys he inherited from TW and Davie. Sure there will be a few left but not many and he'll be in his 4th year, more than enough time to have installed his systems and have things running pretty solid. Terry
While I don't agree with conclusion the author comes to about Notre Dame going to Div II or permanent 1-9, I do agree that based on his first two years Charlie deserves at least two more years. Personally I think he learns from this season, and with the talent he is accumulating will do fine in the future. If not then Notre Dame makes a move.
ok <t>I am behind Charlie all the way here.<br/> <br/> Here is my point about this season. Charlie CLEARLY had some learning to do about being a head coach..<br/> <br/> Adversity does not build character, it reveals it. At the same time, it provides the greatest upside to the learning curve.<br/> <br/> Charlie has made mistakes this year, but he has also shown in the past an ability to learn from his mistakes and make improvements. If Charlie becomes a better coach and learns from this....as does his staff.. Then I would rather sit thru a 1 win season this year, rather than have a 6 win season in which he doesn't gain as much positive learning experience. I just don't want to see the mistakes repeated. I have faith that I won't.<br/> <br/> I've learned so much about coaching because I never miss the chance to pick someone's brain (even now) who is in the life. There is always more to learn. At the same time, and this isn't fluff, I learned as much if not more from my father in the few years we coached together than I ever did picking the brain of some of baseball, basketball and football's best. BTW-coaching is coaching. A real head coach knows how to lead, but more important, how to build.<br/> <br/> My father taught me how to build with youth, while letting the experienced (if any) players feel a part of it...but not throwing them under the bus. He taught me how to allow them their 'senior moments to shine' all the while keeping the real inner-focus of the dynamic on the building for tomorrow. I didn't agree with him at the time, but I always paid attention to 'what and why.' <br/> <br/> IMHO, Charlie didn't know how to do this and he whiffed in his design for the season. His hubris kept him from 'throwing the seniors under the bus' out of the gate, when the reality is... that is where they were headed 3 years ago..There are many things that should have been done differently. He knows it, we know it. I think he will right the ship.<br/> <br/> But he is loading up talent, and hopefully he will take the lessons learned this year and apply them to build a better, and more physical product on the field next season.<br/> <br/> I do believe.</t>
1-9 would become the rule, rather than the exception. The fans asking that Notre Dame join the Ivy League or drop down to Division II would probably end up getting their wish. It would be over. For good. Now thats terrible :!: :!:
Charlie has written the book on poor coaching this year, from his ham-handed way of handling his QBs to his stoic, unemotional style on the sidelines. Watching him stare blankly at his computer generated game plan while his kid stands next to him with headphones on also makes me wonder where his head is at. His team quit on him games ago, at least the seniors have. There are still enough people out there, three years later, willing to blame all of this on Ty so there is a glimmer of hope that CW will emerge from his coma and learn the college game. You have to give him at least another year. Who else is there?
Of.. <t>The real ND fans on this board who has advocated him not getting at least two years? I must haver missed it somewhere and I agree at least two more. That is not even a point IMO. I just want to see some sign in the teams play that we have a shot at being respectable next year. Not possible for this team to play any worse. That is what eats at me.</t>