http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/sport ... 30weis.htm
Only concern I have is whether we're jumping the gun, as we did in giving Davie an extension. It definitely feels like that's not the case. But as a lifelong Notre Dame fan, I've seen more than my fair share of heartache over the last 25 years, and that's produced a natural pessimistic streak.It's First-and-10 Years for Weis in New Contract
By PETE THAMEL
Published: October 30, 2005
One overlooked element in Notre Dame's return to the college football elite this fall is the break that led to Charlie Weis's ending up as the coach of the Irish.
Last December, as Notre Dame officials scrambled around the country in search of a head coach, Weis was considered a second-tier candidate and perhaps the university's seventh choice.
But only seven games into his career as Notre Dame's head coach, the university's officials have decided that they want Weis around for a long time. He signed a new 10-year contract yesterday that begins at the start of the 2006 season and will run through the 2015 campaign.
"One of my primary goals was to be able to see this job through to the time my son, Charlie, would graduate from the University of Notre Dame and to stay in this position until I retire," Weis said in a statement. "By restructuring this contract, adding an additional five years, this allows me to accomplish that goal."
The contract extension comes after a week of speculation in the news media about the possibility of National Football League teams courting Weis at the end of the season. Weis spent nearly his entire career in the N.F.L. and was the Patriots' offensive coordinator for their three recent Super Bowl victories.
Kevin White, Notre Dame's athletic director, said in a telephone interview yesterday that university officials had been speaking with Weis for a few weeks.
"We feel that our new 10-year agreement solidifies the future of Irish football," White said.
Weis's offensive acumen has made the transition from the N.F.L. to Notre Dame, where his system has helped transform quarterback Brady Quinn from an inconsistent player as a sophomore to a leading Heisman Trophy candidate as a junior.
Weis has the Irish at 5-2, with victories at Pittsburgh, Michigan and Purdue and a last-second loss at home to top-ranked Southern California.
Much of the change in the Irish's fortunes has come on the offensive side of the ball, where the team labored under the former coach Tyrone Willingham. Under Weis, the Irish rank No. 8 nationally with 492.7 yards a game. Last season under Willingham, the Irish offense ranked No. 81, with 345.5 yards a game.
Along with the offensive improvements, Weis's blustery personality has emboldened the team. It's a personality the program now intends to keep until 2015.
"Nothing has changed from Charlie's opening press conference when he said he wanted to be here long-term," White said yesterday. "For both entities, we've just contractually solidified things."