This afternoon Kansas announced that they would introduce Charlie Weis as the head football coach at the University of Kansas on Friday. The instant reaction doesn't seem to be in favor of a Charlie Weis hire at Kansas or from a National perspective.
Among the Kansas fanbase the feelings are mixed. Some view the failure at Notre Dame as an indication that he can't get things done at the college level, while others view Weis as someone who provides instant credibility to a program on a downswing.
Gauging national reaction it seems that no one believes that Weis can improve on his tenure at Notre Dame. But when you step away from the instant reaction and the Charlie Weis bashing, you have a coach with a resume that is really second to none when evaluating the options for Kansas.
Weis has been to multiple Super Bowls, won at the highest level and coached two first round NFL quarterbacks. As an offensive mind he's one of the best in the business and that's what makes this a huge risk, huge reward type of hire.
Weis had his opportunity at the college level once before. He took his so called dream job and one of the real pressure cookers in college sports at Notre Dame. He went to a BCS bowl, won more games than he lost, but he didn't get it done at the level that is expected in South Bend. But then again, who was the last coach to do well for the Irish?
If Charlie Weis can take what he learned from his time at Notre Dame, bring with him a solid coaching staff and capitalize on what appears to be a new level of support at the University of Kansas, then this could be a homerun for Kansas in the long run.
Now there is certainly the prospect of failure, or the potential for Weis to turn and run for the next high profile job that comes his way. But Kansas football is coming off of a 2-10 season and just four years removed from an Orange Bowl the Jayhawks are at the bottom of the college football world.
This is a big swing by Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger and a big swing that will inspire conversation and discussion among the Kansas fanbase throughout the offseason. There will be support, there will be excitement, but there will also be some skepticism based on his past. Either way Kansas has a new coach and the book can officially close on a very poor Turner Gill era.