Charlie Weis announced on Friday that he will be the offensive coordinator for Notre Dame in 2009.
First of all, I’m going to be the offensive coordinator. I’m obviously the head coach, but I’m going to be the offensive coordinator with Michael leaving to go on to Miami of Ohio. I thought the best chance for us to win this year would be to make me the offensive coordinator.
After hiring Tony Alford and Frank Verducci this off-season without naming either offensive coordinator it seemed pretty obvious that the offensive coordinator in 2009 would either be Weis or Rob Ianello. There was some thought that Weis might promote Ianello to offensive coordinator on top of his wide receiver duties, but in the end Weis decided to make himself the offensive coordinator.
I think he made the right move too.
Weis’s seat was on fire in early December, and while it may have cooled down considerably since then, he knows that he is another 2008 season away from being out of a job. With that kind of pressure on him in 2009, he likely realized that Notre Dame’s best chance of winning big next year would be if he ran the offense the players have spent the last few years learning. Had Weis brought in a new offensive coordinaotr there would have no doubt been a learning curve and such a learning curve is a luxury Weis can’t afford in 2009 after a combined 10-15 record the past two seasons.
Weis’s other option would have been to promote Ianello to OC, but that move would have meant the Irish heading into 2009 with a first time offensive coordinator. Again, that’s something Weis couldn’t really afford after the past two years.
Weis is an x’s and o’s guy – and a very good one. He was essentially the offensive coordinator in those first two years and should have no problem assuming that role once again. He made his name as a player caller and offensive guru so with his job very likely on the line in 2009, he’ll be in complete control of his offense once again.
