On Nov. 21, the seniors will play their last football game at Notre Dame Stadium. A lot will be made of it, and hopefully they will bounce back from the last couple of weeks and win their last home game.
But Saturday is also likely the last game at Notre Dame Stadium for another person: Coach Weis. During the last five years, Coach Weis has worked tirelessly at his job, but for whatever reason, he never reached the goals set; not only by the students, alumni and administration, but by himself. After five years, it is time to make a change in leadership of the football team.
However, his failure in reaching these goals was not for want of trying. Davie and Willingham may have had the same winning percentage as Coach Weis, but they left the program in shambles. When Coach Weis came on board, he had to completely rebuild the program. Coach Weis has done much to fix those problems, and once again proved that you can recruit elite football players to Notre Dame.
But more than that, Coach Weis has shown what it is to be a Notre Dame alumnus. From "Pass Right" in 2005, to walking to the USC locker room with his son to offer congratulations after a heartbreaking loss, to establishing Hannah and Friends in South Bend, to befriending a Boston College player suffering from cancer, Coach Weis has shown the rest of us how to act as Notre Dame men and women.
At the game on Saturday — for some of you, your last as students — let us remember how much Coach Weis cared about the players, the students and the University. Let us remember how tirelessly he worked at his dream job. And let us remember he did things the right way.
Saturday is not a day to vilify or boo Coach Weis; his time is likely up regardless of the outcome. Let's sing the Alma Mater one last time with our Coach and wish him the best.
James Liebscher
law student
off campus
Nov. 3
