Allen Wallace - Superprep Recruiting
"It's a great opportunity...Now you can get a crack at going into Notre Dame when it's not loaded with talent necessarily, you're not going to have to line up behind people." On other schools: "they're totally aware that they can be losing to Notre Dame very quickly."
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Tom Brady - New England Patriots
"He's always been the guy that I go back to. He's always the guy that I have so much trust in because he always seems to be right."
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Troy Brown - New England Patriots
"If you want to win, go to Notre Dame"
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Dan Pompei - Sporting News
"Notre Dame will be better off with Charlie Weis as it head coach than it would have been with Urban Meyer. Based on his work in New England, Weis should have one of the most prominent offenses in college football with the talent he'll get at Notre Dame. And he will get talent. In my dealings with Weis, I've found him to be a natural salesman. His charm will serve hime well in recruiting. His toughness will serve him well in motivating. This is an excellent hire."
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The Chicago Sun-Times
An NFL personnel boss - "The guy is the best offensive coordinator in football, No. 1 at any level. Who wouldn't want to learn how to play in the NFL?''
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Chris Landry - NFL Scout
"I think he is an absolutely brilliant football mind and will give Notre Dame a game week preparation and game day coaching edge that it has not had in a very long time. If there is 6 win talent, he will win 7 or 8. He needs to upgrade the talent level so he can compete at a national championship level. He understands and embraces the program and what it�s expectations and has already begun to assemble a nice staff."
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IrishEyes
It�s common knowledge that the vast majority of great football coaches are in the NFL. It�s also common knowledge that the best and most innovative minds are twisting X�s and O�s during the week in NFL film rooms.
But one man stands above all on offense--that man is Charlie Weis.
This isn�t some coach hanging 50 points on WAC teams. Weis isn�t some flash in the pan coach who is the flavor of the month or the year. This is a guy who consistently and overwhelmingly beats the best defensive minds in the NFL.
Weis beats the best minds in the best league (NFL) to the tune of 27 out of his last 29 games. That stat is mind-boggling and no college or professional coach in the country can claim that, period.
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Chris Mortenson - ESPN NFL Analyst:
He called Weis the best offensive mind in the NFL and stated that he would lead ND back to greatness and wrote "Belichick and Weis rank as one of the smartest head coach/offensive coordinator duos in NFL history."
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Sean Salisbury - ESPN NFL Analyst
Weis takes a back seat to no one. Salisbury said that right now he'd rather have Weis than Shanahan as a college Head Coach and that Weis is a very hot property right now, even hotter than Meyer in his opinion. He also gave a call out to all top High School quarterbacks and offensive players, that with Weis at ND they ought to reconsider their college choice and go to Notre Dame. Continued that ND has never seen an offensive scheme like the one Weis will bring.
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Steve Greenburg - College Football Report
"...he'll be off to an A-plus start at the University of Notre Dame-Foxboro as soon as the hiring of David Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator becomes official. Cutcliffe did bang-up work with Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss. You don't think he will make Brady Quinn a new man? Weis, who has done a ton with Tom Brady... and Cutcliffe will unloose an offensive powerhouse in South Bend by 2006; you just watch"
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Michael Irvin - ESPN NFL Analyst
Said if you believe that Notre Dame has no talent, consider that Weis is winning in the NFL with less talented players (Brady, Givens, etc.) and he wins because of his play calling. He said that ND will be back on top very soon. He also said every high school player in the country wants to go to the NFL and thatt Weis coaching the Patriots to the Super Bowl is the best recruiting he can do. He says Brady should help to for all he has done for Tom. "Michigan didn't make him millions of dollars, Charlie Weiss did." BTW, for those who did not know Weis was the #2 choice for the South Carolina job when it opened up. He tore Dan Patrick apart when Patrick said he won't be there to recruit at ND; Irvin interupted him saying High School kids want to play in the NFL, "You think this guy doesn't know how to get you to the NFL?" He continued that recruits will be looking at the Patriots saying "I want to play in that offense". Thinks ND will be back on top quickly. Recruiting tip. He said put Brady on the phone with any high school QB you want and let TOM BRADY sing his praises. what kid wouldn't be wowed by that?
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Bill Polian - Colts GM
"Charlie has proven to be one of the outstanding offensive minds in football. His teams are exceptional in their use of personnel, exceptional in the way they attack defenses, exceptional in the concepts they use. You've hired a guy who clearly is on the cutting edge of offensive football."
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Peter King, Sports Illustrated
"Charlie Weis, you did one heck of job last night. If I was a stud high school quarterback, had an 1150 on my SAT and wanted to learn multiple offensive schemes, I'd have Notre Dame at the top of my list."
"There's no question Weis's creativity and game-planning have been big factors in New England winning two of the last three Super Bowls. Just consider this: The Patriots rank fourth in the league in scoring, yet none of the 20 offensive players who dressed on Sunday were first-round draft picks."
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Joe Theismann - ESPN Analyst
�He understands throwing the football. That�s what this era of college football is today � the ability to put the ball in the air. He�s been a student at Notre Dame so he knows the culture of the University. He�s worked on a big stage, having been part of World Championships two of the last three years with the Patriots. He�s very inventive � his offenses have included defensive ends at fullback and linebackers at tight end. He�s inventive as well as creative.�
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Tom Lemming - Recruiting Analyst
"I always felt three things were holding back Notre Dame in recruiting. The first problem was facilities. The new Guglielmino Family Athletics Center, which is scheduled to open next year, should take care of the that problem.
The second thing was kids wanted a chance to play in the pros. Weis' r�sum� should take care of that. And lastly, they wanted to play in a high-powered, pro-style offense. Weis is a guy who probably has got the greatest reputation in the entire NFL as an offensive-minded guy."
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Chris Redman - ????er Louisville Quarterback
"It's really fascinating to watch how they run their offense... They're so efficient, so professional... they're so successful with what they do"
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Chicago Tribune
"Weis is widely considered an offensive mastermind who excels in player development, a man who trans????ed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a lightly regarded sixth-round pick out of Michigan, into a two-time Super Bowl MVP."
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New York Times
Weis, at age 48, has forged a career that has earned him a reputation as one of the most respected and innovative offensive coordinators in the National Football League. He has won two Super Bowls as the Patriots' play caller under Coach Bill Belichick.
Brash and confident, Weis finds the question of whether he can return Notre Dame to glory an insult. "I think that's a rhetorical question," he said sternly in a telephone interview last week.
When Weis leads Notre Dame in its opening game at Pittsburgh in September, he will have completed a remarkable journey, having willed his way to the top of his profession. That comes as a surprise only to those who have not crossed his path.
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Sports Illustrated � Dr. Z
Patriots offensive guru Charlie Weis will change up his style in a heartbeat
I've watched this team for a number of years, I've become increasingly fascinated with the workings of their attack, an aspect of their operation that's been overshadowed by the complexities of the defense. I've tried to guess along with it, with Weis, actually. Which is a kind of silly thing to do, since, as Miami middle linebacker Zach Thomas says, "Don't even try to type him. It's a waste of time. He'll never repeat tendencies."
The cerebral nature of the Patriots' offense usually takes second billing to their defense, but it's a very high-toned affair, very high indeed, and you get the feeling it can operate any phase of the game if it chooses to. Make that, if Weis chooses. And this is what I think -- if the Patriots are going to be beaten, it will be because their defense is starting to show cracks.
"There are two mentalities involved in working against pressure," he explained. "You can throw quick, throw hot, or block 'em up and throw deep. Pick your poison. Against the Bills we did a little of both, but we had our best success going deep."
Block 'em up means maximum protection, the old max-protect game. Seven people to block, or what's really the max, eight players. Max protecting with eight means you can only send two receivers out on their patterns, into a mob -- usually into double coverage -- but your quarterback won't be touched.
"Well, we were protecting with eight when we hit that crossing route to David Patten (43 yards)," Weis says. "You shouldn't be able to complete a pass into double coverage, but fortunately they were in an all-out blitz. We used all our protection schemes in that game. From empty in the backfield to five-protect, up to eight.
"We try not to tip our hand as to what it's gonna be. Sometimes you want to bait 'em, let them think it it's gonna be one thing, then give them something else."
Here's another thing about Weis' system. You never know who the featured receiver will be, which package will be presented. Against the Colts, Deion Branch and tight end Daniel Graham were featured, and they led the team with seven catches apiece. David Givens was the top catcher against the Cards, Patten against Buffalo, although the other tight end, Christian Fauria, who had hardly been used in the first two games, came through with two clutch catches. It would be impossible to name a go-to receiver for Brady.
"Scott Pioli and the personnel department and coach Belichick give you the players," Weis says, "and our job is to figure out how to use them. Whoever you have, whether its your sixth receiver or your third tight end, you know he's going to be a player and he's going to help you some time along the way."
The common strain that runs through the Patriot linemen -- intelligence. You won't see many scheme screw-ups along that unit, or unblocked pass rushers pouring in.
"Intelligence in the offensive line is greatly underrated," Weis says. "A smart lineman can compensate for a lot of things. It starts with the center and works its way out. And we're lucky to have a quarterback who works very well with them."
Well, we don't really know at this point how many records the Patriots will set, or how long they'll stay unbeaten. But right now the offense is a fascinating production, every bit as cerebral as the vaunted defense, equally unpredictable. I wonder how history will ????uate it.
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Boston Globe � Tom Brady/Mike Vrabel/Christian Fauria/Kevin Faulk
Weis's departure is no small development for the Patriots. He has been a fixture in Foxborough for nine seasons, fine-tuning his trickery with an ever-changing cast of talent. Talk to Curtis Martin, Terry Glenn, or Tom Brady, and each will tell you that Weis's imprint is on their offensive resume. Brady, in particular, was shepherded through his maiden years by Weis. The offensive coordinator refrained from asking Brady to do too much. He helped nurture Boston's most popular sports figure into a superstar with equal parts encouragement and tough love.
"He is as hard-working and as diligent as any coach I've been around," Brady said yesterday.
Weis's innovative schemes have provided fans with plays that have been entertaining, risky, (mostly) successful, and occasionally head-scratching. One thing you can count on when you go against a Weis offense: Expect the unexpected.
"I've heard [Miami linebacker] Zach Thomas say that numerous times," said New England linebacker Mike Vrabel. "Zach watches a lot of film. He's one of those guys who is at it until 9 o'clock every night, hoping to get an edge.
"He's told me countless times he can't do that with a Charlie Weis offense. He knows whatever he's watching is something he won't see again."
He's a big personality on our offense," Brady said. "Probably the biggest."
That personality was fully evident yesterday. There was a third-quarter Brady handoff to Dillon that quickly turned into a pitchback to Brady, and then a key 9-yard reception to tight end Christian Fauria that eventually led to the touchdown that put the Patriots comfortably in front, 35-14. Just in case you might have thought Fauria was out of favor or out of the rotation, he caught three passes for 33 yards in the absence of the injured Daniel Graham.
"Charlie is just a great play-caller," Fauria said. "In his own special way, he makes sense. When Bill [Belichick] says something, he backs it up with in????ation. Charlie is similar. It's never the same cookie-cutter offense. He's always challenging us."
"He's been a great help to me," said running back Kevin Faulk, who also found his way into the end zone yesterday. "He's helped me grow up in this offense. It's unbelievable the time and effort he puts into this football team."
"The thing with Charlie is you have to keep your mind open," said offensive lineman Stephen Neal. "You never know what can happen -- but it's usually good."
Weis, the rumor without confirmation, will do his best to fulfill his duties with New England as he begins recruiting for Notre Dame. The possibilities are endless. Why not put Brady on the line with a quarterback recruit? Can't you hear Weis now talking to that coveted offensive lineman? "Hi there, Bubba, I'm calling from the locker room of the Super Bowl champion Patriots . . . "
He deserves this opportunity. He's earned the right to pack up his trickery and move on to bigger -- and better? -- things.
The players aren't allowed to say it, but we surely can: Charlie, we miss you already.
