Charlie Weis presser at 2:00 EST

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:hyper:

Watch it live at www.und.com.

[fricker66]

So, since there has only been 1 view of this post, I guess I'm not pulling a lot of you into the Weis web.:wigglypea:

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Here is a link to the text of the press conference, if anyone gives a damn.

http://und.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/032106aaj.html

[mcbokonon]

I think the lack of responses is a testament to the notion that once Charlie Weis speaks, there's nothing left to say. :console:

[fricker66]

I think the lack of responses is a testament to the notion that once Charlie Weis speaks, there's nothing left to say. :console:

The only disappointment is the lack of response from Swerski.:headscratch:

[fricker66]

Weis v. Willingham -- actual quotes from ND press conferences





Q. From a busy standpoint, how busy you are, a understand from the importance of the visits in the whole recruiting process standpoint.

COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM: Let me give you my perspective a little bit on that.

My getting out into the home is really determined about the needs of the young man. And that's where we have to do a great job of identifying of where he's at in the recruiting process, exactly where the head coach's visit fits in and the timing of that. Some will be early, some will hopefully come later in January, depending on that young man's timetable and how you place him within our Notre Dame structure.

You are extremely busy at that time because, one, you're hopefully wrapping up a season. Two, there is hopefully a Bowl game in line. Then, three, you're still trying to prepare and maintain continuity within your own team structure. So it does become a very busy period. Trying to get into all the homes takes a little organization.

COACH CHARLIE WEIS: We start practice tomorrow, the spring game is on April 22.

Just so you know, as far as recruiting goes, I am hitting the road on the 23rd (of April). What we did last year is we went on the road a week later. We're ready to go on the road the day after the spring game. So I know I am personally hitting the road the night after the spring game. You get four weeks to use and we're using from that Monday, the 24th of April, through Saturday, the 20th of May, so if you are looking for me don't look real hard because you probably won't find me. If I am in town I will probably watch my kid play baseball or doing some honey do list for Maura (Weis) so if you want to know just go ask Maura, she will have a better idea of what I am doing.

The game has changed in recruiting, and it's a much earlier game. You better be on them early and make as few mistakes as you possibly can, because everyone will make them, but you better get on them early and you better get them on board.


Q. Why was he (Pete Carrol) able to build a national title in three years where you're at 6-4 right now?

COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM: I think Pete has done a great job of bringing a very talented group of athletes to being a team. I felt like when I was at other places, playing SC, the talent was there in abundance, but they weren't functioning as a team. I thought the strongest thing he's done is bring them together as team.

Now, to be able to parallel those our paths could be totally different. It could be that my path is the fourth year, could be the fifth. I don't know.

COACH CHARLIE WEIS:Can this guy help us win a National Championship. Not can this guy play at Notre Dame. Can this guy help us win a National Championship? Because, to me, that should be the goal. If you are the head coach at Notre Dame, that should ultimately be your goal.



Q. You used the word "inconsistent." We played at times, quite a few times throughout the season, very, very well, which means, as I see it, the talent is there. Why is the inconsistency, in your opinion? Is it a fair question?

COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM: No, every question I think is fair, okay? I don't think you hear me ever say, "That's not a fair question."

But I would imagine, and I hate to be so general to talk about human nature, but I also believe in it, but I also believe that most of us that have been parents, good parents, that we teach our kids certain things. But why do kids do something other than what we teach them? So we all pause for that answer, is that right?

Q. That's right.

COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM: It's the same thing. We hopefully instruct our guys well and try to bring them to do all the things you want to do. But things happen. They don't respond. I don't think, if I'm correct, even as we look at the No. 1 team in the country, that every play that they've run has been a great play for them. They've made some mistakes also. So it happens.

But the better teams are more consistent than other teams, and that's why they win, and that's why they're successful.

COACH CHARLIE WEIS:See, last year I really felt it took me half the spring just to get them to turn my way of thinking. That doesn't mean anyone else's way of thinking was wrong. It's just that I am the head coach so it's going to be my way of thinking. Well this year, that's not I mean, there's like last year, we had a whole mass exodus of players, and didn't faze me in the least. It wasn't like I was worrying about it at all. I think now most people understand me. I understand them, and we can just move forward. And hopefully we're well past those stages.

Q. How much further into the play book are you compared to last year?.

COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM: The whole key is how you execute each individual play. To be very honest with you, I would love it if we only had one play in our system. That sounds strange, that you only want one play in your system. But if we had perfect execution of that play and our opponent could not stop it, I'd be very happy with that.

COACH CHARLIE WEIS: Well, we always start from scratch when we're putting in the system. You never assume that everyone has retention of everything you are doing. It's just the speed of which you put things in picks up because it's the second time around so I think we will be playing a little catch-up but what we have done, we have really narrowed a lot of the stuff down that we weren't very good at last year, so at least now with what they're being coached at, are the things that we know we're going to end up doing.

The stuff that didn't stick got thrown out.

There's a number of things you can do mentally in football that makes the game a lot easier. For the coach it makes it easier because I can stand on the sideline and tell you what is going to happen before the ball is snapped but it doesn't do any good because if I am the one that knows and the quarterback doesn't know.....

Q. Some of the players suggested you really don't want them to talk about last season...?

COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM: I don't think there's any problem about talking about last year. I think last year speaks for itself. It was a good year.

COACH CHARLIE WEIS: I think out of all of the objectives that we have for the spring, the number one objective of this football team is to raise their own expectations. I know a lot has been said; some of you have popped in the weight room and seen my subliminal message that isn't so hidden when you walk through there, but I think that last year the football team just didn't know at this point whether they were going to be any good or not, and I am hoping that they are not satisfied with the season they had last year. I know that I am not satisfied with the season that we had last year. And I am hoping this time around that raising the expectations should be a rather simple task.

Q. There's been a lot of discussion about the schedule maybe being too tough and academics maybe being too tough here for Notre Dame to be an elite program. I wonder what your feelings are?

COACH TYRONE WILLINGHAM: COACH WILLINGHAM: Is September is traditionally better than October, yes, it is. Any time you have a chance to play at home most coaches will tell you that you have to play extremely well. You have an advantage when you're at home because there are so many disadvantages when you hit the road. You've got to travel, you've got different hotels, you've got different food preparation. There are a lot of things you encounter on the road that shouldn't be distractions at home. Hopefully being at home, having that kind of success, catapults you to a very good position as you get into the November part of the season

COACH CHARLIE WEIS: Well, let's start with the schedule issue first of all. They schedule them and we play them. That's the way it is. If they are on road, you have to go win on the road. If they are at home, you have to win at home. And I think that the people complain about those things are looking for excuses. The schedule is what it is. I don't make the schedule. I just play it. That's what I do. If I answered that any other way, what I would be doing is letting the players have a reason for or have an excuse for failure.

So I can't complain about the schedule. I don't make the schedule. All I do is play the game. That's what we do. Doesn't make any difference, whatever night or day they schedule them, we play them and that includes being able to win on the road and it goes back to having that toughness and playing smart and playing disciplined and being nasty and going in there with an arrogant attitude. Doesn't make any difference where you go, you intend on beating them.

[torridjoe]

So Willingham is a thoughtful, nuanced person who understands the larger picture. Weis is your typical rah-rah, blunt object who doesn't give a shit about Notre Dame except that the football team wins. Got it.

[fricker66]

So Willingham is a thoughtful, nuanced person who understands the larger picture. Weis is your typical rah-rah, blunt object who doesn't give a shit about Notre Dame except that the football team wins. Got it.

This is one of your funnier ones.:hyper:

Also, did you see who collegefootballnews.com picked as the most overrated coach in the PAC-10?:hyper:

[TK]

This is one of your funnier ones.:hyper:

Also, did you see who collegefootballnews.com picked as the most overrated coach in the PAC-10?:hyper:

Charlie Weis? :hyper: