By SCOTT NOVAK
Dowagiac Daily News

Notre Dame’s firing of Charlie Weis on Monday met with little surprise around southwest lower Michigan.

“”Like almost everybody, I’m not surprised,” Brandywine Superintendent John Jarpe said. “There are high expectations for football success at Notre Dame, and after five years, the Head Coach did not meet those expectations. Hindsight is always 20-20 and  when they extended his contract after that first successful season, they wanted to keep Coach Weis around for a long time.”

Long-time Notre Dame fan Bryan Wild blames former athletic director Kevin White.
“The former AD, Kevin White was the MAJOR problem. He had five head coaches in his tenure – Davie,O’Leary,Willingham, Kent Baer (bowl game) and Weis. He paid Weis for almost beating USC. White then knew this was going to get ugly and bolted for Duke!”

Former Dowagiac assistant football coach Mike Behnke said he was given plenty of time.
“I have always said that a college football coach needs to be given at least five years to recruit his own players and, thus, show what he can do,” he said. “Weis got five years and his teams got worse. I give the man credit for graduating his players but as far as being a head coach and getting results – he failed!”

Former college quarterback and coach Greg Younger added, “The program has made progress in many areas in terms of recruiting, facilities and early entry into school under Charlie Weis however that did not translate into wins on the field and I think a change needed to be made.”