ventilpena.com

Loss to Navy puts Irish coach in hot seat – again

0 Comments | The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA, Nov 9, 2009 | by TOM COYNE

By Tom Coyne

The Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind.

After his first season as Notre Dame coach, Charlie Weis hung a buy generic phentermine banner in the weight room that read: “9-3 is not good enough.”

Those words might prove prophetic.

That record is the best the Fighting Irish (6-3) can finish the regular season following their stunning 23-21 loss Saturday to Navy , and critics of Weis, who has six years left on his 10-year contract, are out in full throat. Fan message boards are rife with those calling for his firing – with some saying he should be let go immediately.

South Bend Tribune columnist Al Lesar wrote the defeat could be a “deal-breaker,” saying the loss to Michigan had already faded and the loss to USC had been excused. But the loss to Navy is different, he wrote, it won’t go away.

“It’s one that will be on the top of the pile come review time,” Lesar wrote.

Irish players showed frustration, too. Jimmy Clausen, hobbled by toe turf toe and needing to be helped off the field in the third quarter when he was hit hard and fumbled at the goal line, was called for a late hit for pushing back a Navy lineman after an interception.

After the game, Notre Dame nose guard Ian Williams said Navy “out- schemed us and I think they just played harder.”

That drew a response Sunday from Weis, who pointed out safety Kyle McCarthy said after the game that Navy’s success had nothing to do with the scheme.

“There’s a reason why one guy’s a captain and one guy’s not,” Weis said.

But even McCarthy said the Irish defensively “just tried to do the same stuff as we did last year.” That’s what Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said he was counting on.

The loss Saturday was reminiscent of last season when it seemed Weis had done just enough to get off the proverbial hot seat when the Irish inexplicably blew a double-digit lead to Syracuse, the first time in its storied history Notre Dame was beaten by an eight- loss team.

Until the loss Saturday, the Irish were aiming for a Bowl Championship Series berth and the talk about Weis had generally subsided