Weis fired as Notre Dame coach

Notre Dame fired coach Charlie Weis today after a string of disappointing seasons that was capped by an agonizing four-game losing streak. Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick announced the decision, saying in a news release: “We have great expectations for our football program, and we have not been able to meet those expectations.” Swarbrick said he recommended to university president the Rev. John Jenkins on Sunday night that Weis be let go with six years left on his contract. Weis leaves his alma mater with a 35-27 record in five seasons, among the worst of any Fighting Irish coach. Assistant head coach Rob Ianello will step in for Weis until a new coach is hired. Speculation about possible replacements for Weis has been rampant for weeks. Among the top names, Florida’s Urban Meyer and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops already have said they plan to stay where they are. Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly has also been mentioned, along with Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh and TCU’s Gary Patterson. A brash offensive coordinator with the NFL champion New England Patriots when he was hired, Weis raised Irish expectations with back-to-back appearances in BCS bowl games in his first two seasons, including a 41-14 loss to LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Since then, though, one of the nation’s most storied football programs has gone 16-21—the most losses ever by the Irish in a three-year span.