Nebraska fired Callahan.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3125379

Former Packers coach, Mike Sherman, is in at Texas A&M

Georgia Tech just axed Chan Gailey

Bo Pellini interviewed for the Nebraska gig. Turner Gill got permission to interview. It's between those two, and I think Pellini is a done deal with Gill as his OC.

My uncle is a huge Penn St honk. Lived just outside State College for 40 years and recently moved to Fort Myers where there is apparently a nice Penn St sportsbar (a big reason he chose to move there).

He's been as big of a JoePa supporter that I've ever seen, and even he thinks it's finally time.

Report: Lubick negotiating departure from CSU after 15 years

Associated Press

DENVER -- Sonny Lubick, the winningest coach in Colorado State University history and a man known for his graciousnous win or lose, began negotiating his departure as Rams football coach on Saturday, according to a published report.

This is like a final scene from a Godfather movie, you know, where everyone is getting whacked.

Yeah, Joe Pa is holding Penn State back right now. It's funny, because I thought Ferentz was a lock for that job one day. I believe he is from Pennsylvania. But right now, it looks like it may be Schiano's job to lose. They haven't done it yet, but I'm thinking Joe has one more year, and that is it. No way would Penn State want to be looking for coaches with some of the other jobs that are open right now.

This is like a final scene from a Godfather movie, you know, where everyone is getting whacked.

It's straight out of Hamlet, or The Departed.

Mike Sherman to Texas A&M. Not just a pro coach, a middling pro coach. Don't expect much out of the Aggies for another five years.

Sources: Roof fired at Duke following 1-11 season
ESPN.com news services

Updated: November 26, 2007, 12:06 PM ET

Duke fired football coach Ted Roof on Monday, multiple sources close to the situation told ESPN's Joe Schad.

Sources: Bower won't return for 18th season at Southern Miss
By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com
Updated: November 26, 2007, 12:44 PM ET

After leading Southern Mississippi to 14 consecutive winning seasons and a bowl game in nine of the last 10 seasons, Jeff Bower won't return as football coach next year, sources close to the situation confirmed Monday morning.

The bodies are piling up.

Rumblings about Weiss, and a possible Brian Kelly inquiry by the powers in South Bend...

Also: Murmurs of a certain recently retired head coach of a school in Ann Arbor doing some fact finding at GVSU about Brian Kelly...

Also: Murmurs of a certain recently retired head coach of a school in Ann Arbor doing some fact finding at GVSU about Brian Kelly...


Grand Valley State AD: No contact from Michigan

by John Heuser | Ann Arbor News Monday November 26, 2007, 12:02 PM


On the Michigan football coaching front, one item making the Internet rounds over the weekend pegged soon-to-be-retired coach Lloyd Carr reaching out to the Grand Valley State athletic director Tim Selgo to talk about Brian Kelly.
Not so, Selgo said when reached by Grand Rapids Press sports reporter Howie Beardsley on Sunday.
"They have not contacted me. This is a total rumor. We hae not heard one thing," Selgo said.
Kelly, who's currently the Cincinnati coach, started his head coaching career at Division II Grand Valley State, where he won two national titles.

Is Ferentz really a character fit for Michigan?

by Jim Carty | The Ann Arbor News Monday November 26, 2007, 12:43 PM


Jim Carty | The Ann Arbor News
Before folks get too carried away with rumors that Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has already been offered the chance to succeed Lloyd Carr as University of Michigan football coach (http://www.hawkeyelounge.com/showthread.php?t=17099), it should at least be pointed out that Ferentz might not measure up to Carr's own hope that the next coach, "continue to abide by the values established by Bo Schembechler, and the men who preceded him."
And, no, that's not because he's only one game over .500 in the past three years and couldn't beat Western Michigan at home in Iowa's season finale, although one would hope those things are a bit of a concern.
Would Bo Schembechler, for instance, be comfortable with the fact that - as the Des Moines Register pointed out earlier this year - 10 percent of the current Iowa football team has run afoul of the law? Columnist Sean Keeler documented some of the off-field troubles surrounding Ferentz's program, as well as how it's embarrassed Iowa's fans and administration (http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/SPORTS05/711160405):
.... parents have to explain to their kids why as many as 11 Iowa football players have allegedly broken the law. In seven months. "It doesn't really send a positive image about the athletic program when you have that kind of stuff happening," says Lew Montgomery, a former Hawkeye running back and Waterloo native who lettered at Iowa between 1989-92. "I think coach (Kirk) Ferentz has done a very good job of suspending players, he's kicked players off the team - it's just not the character of the kind of program that he's (built). You do get a little tired of hearing about it."
Iowa fans are tired of reading about it. Athletic director Gary Barta and Ferentz -- especially Ferentz -- are getting tired of having to answer questions about it.
But it's not going away anytime soon, either.
Unless, of course, you know ... Ferentz goes away.
Then there's an older issue, one linked directly to Ferentz's own family, and essentially stealing money from the poor. That sounds crazy, right? Well, as the Register and ESPN's Outside the Lines (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2237493) and NPR (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3611733) all reported in 2004, Iowa players - including Ferentz's son, Brian - lived dirt cheap subsidized Federal housing intended for the poor.
The original Register story by Lee Hood is no longer available on the web, but here's a key excerpt from Nexis:
Iowa City, Ia. - University of Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, who earned $1,950,000 last year, lives in a $946,000 house -one advantage of being the state government's highest-paid employee. Ferentz's son, Brian, a football player for the Hawkeyes, lived dirt-cheap this past school year in an apartment complex that was built for the poor - an advantage of being a college student with little or no income in the eyes of the federal government.
But as a full-scholarship athlete, Brian Ferentz receives free tuition, and the university also pays him $406 a month for housing and $298 a month for food and other college expenses.
Ferentz is not the only student to avail himself of taxpayer-subsidized housing.
Roughly 200 U of I students, including dozens of athletes, lived this past school year in apartments in Iowa City that are intended for needy families, elderly people and people with disabilities.
Ferentz essentially refused to speak to the Register for the story, saying that it was his understanding many students were taking advantage of a loophole in Federal regulations (a loophole that was changed as a result of the Register's coverage) and living in subsidized housing.
Hey, everybody's doing it!
Is that the kind of leadership Schembechler would have been proud of?
The folks who try to help real poor people find housing were not, of course, very happy with Iowa football players on full scholarship occupying apartments intended for the needy:
"I think it's outrageous that any college student - whether a chemistry major or an athlete - would be living in public housing," said Jim Cain of Des Moines, head of the Iowa Coalition for Housing and the Homeless. "It's outrageous that you would have them getting a free ride at the public's expense."Does Michigan really need to hire a guy with this kind of baggage who, incidentally, can't beat Western Michigan at home?
Guess we're going to find out.

Also:


Iowa: No permission granted to talk with Ferentz

by John Heuser | Ann Arbor News Monday November 26, 2007, 1:51 PM


Rumors are flying today that Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz has been offered the job at the University of Michigan, where he is considered a candidate to replace the retiring Lloyd Carr.
If so, that's news to Iowa sports information director Phil Haddy. According to Haddy, Michigan has not even requested permission from Iowa athletic director Gary Barta to speak with Ferentz.
Ferentz, who was born in Michigan, has a 61-49 overall record in nine seasons at Iowa, including a 6-6 record this year.

Looks like Nutt could be next.


Razorbacks plan announcement regarding football program
Associated Press

Updated: November 26, 2007, 2:39 PM ET

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arkansas coach Houston Nutt is expected to be in attendance for a Monday night announcement regarding the future of the Razorbacks' football program.

The university would not comment on the nature of the announcement, other than to say Nutt, Chancellor John White and outgoing athletic director Frank Broyles will be on hand.

Nutt's future at Arkansas has been in doubt this season. The Razorbacks lost their first three Southeastern Conference games after a turmoil-filled offseason.

Arkansas rebounded to finish the regular season 8-4 and knocked LSU out of the nation's No. 1 spot with a 50-48, triple-overtime victory over the Tigers on Friday.

Two weeks ago, the university strongly denied reports that this would be Nutt's last season as Arkansas' coach. On Sunday, Nutt said White and Broyles wanted him to return, but he said more talks with the university were forthcoming.

Mike Sherman to Texas A&M. Not just a pro coach, a middling pro coach. Don't expect much out of the Aggies for another five years.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-texasam-sherman&prov=ap&type=lgns

I am not interested in the Alabama job. I am the coach of the Miami Dolphins. No one from Alabam has contacted me. The next guy who asks me about Alabama is going to have his nuts cut off.

Houston Nutt has resigned.

Well, that didn't take long...


Nutt agrees with Ole Miss hours after resignation
Associated Press
Updated: November 27, 2007, 10:12 AM ET

JACKSON, Miss. -- Houston Nutt wasn't out of a job for long: He was hired as Mississippi's football coach just hours after resigning at Arkansas.

Nutt agreed to a contract late Monday night, and replaces Ed Orgeron, who was fired Saturday after the Rebels lost to rival Mississippi State and finished 3-9.

Ole Miss Athletic Director Pete Boone told ESPN.com's Joe Schad that he had reached an agreement with Nutt. A press conference is scheduled for Noon central on Wednesday.

Nutt resigned even though the Razorbacks upset then-No. 1 LSU 50-48 in triple overtime last week.

Ole Miss planned an announcement on its coaching situation later Tuesday.

Ole Miss was searching for a proven winner after firing coach Orgeron.

And to think, that when Nebraska fired Solich, Nutt was their #1 choice to replace him.

This is pretty handy. (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=07coachingchanges)

^nice link Glenn. BTW, I like that Duke coach's record (6-45).

Osborne now 'interim coach' in order to recruit

Associated Press
Updated: November 29, 2007, 12:15 PM ET

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Tom Osborne is back as Nebraska's football coach -- but just temporarily.

Osborne, already the interim athletic director, on Wednesday declared himself interim head coach until he hires a successor to Bill Callahan.

The interim coach designation lets Osborne visit prospective recruits away from campus, athletic department communications chief Randy York said Thursday.

The 70-year-old Osborne passed the NCAA certification test on his first try Wednesday, York said. Osborne went on the road to recruit Thursday and Friday, and the school sent a letter notifying the Big 12 of Osborne's new title, York said.

Once a hire is made, Osborne could continue to recruit until the new coach assembles a full staff of nine assistants, York said.

As the Cornhuskers' head coach from 1973 to 1997, Osborne won 255 games and three national championships.

Osborne said in a radio interview with the Husker Sports Network on Wednesday that he hoped to have a new coach selected by next week. He already interviewed Buffalo coach Turner Gill and LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and spoke informally with Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, according to media reports.

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly told local radio station WCKY on Wednesday that he had not been contacted by Nebraska.

Two assistants from Callahan's staff, defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove and cornerbacks coach Phil Elmassian, are no longer recruiting for Nebraska, York said.

So I wonder who will replace Miles at LSU?

Can Pelini hold off Nebraska long enough to wait for Miles official departure? Does he even want the LSU job?

I've heard that Spurrier and Jack Del Rio are potentially in the mix for LSU.

Tom Izzo.

Bo Pelini to Nebraska.

Well, if Motown speak the truth, then the second worst kept secret is out. Nebraska and Pellini seemed destined for this from the day USC thrashed the Huskers.

Press conference just ended. Bo Pellini is in at Nebraska.
Remember the show Dallas? The season that was a dream, and that hottie Victoria Principal woke up and it was all a dream?

That'sw what we have here, folks: The last four years didn't happen. Shit, even the fired AD Steve Petersen got his old job back at Pitt. WTF???

Pellini has a tough job ahead of him, though. The schools around Nebraska that are in states they have always raided for talent have gotten pretty good lately. Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State; Colorado is on the improve under Dan Hawkins.

And Oklahoma and Texas are still the big boys in the Big 12, and look to be holding more than steady.

I'm not sure how much talent is here. Callahan had a rep as a good recruiter, but most of his recruits don't pan out alot of high profile guys end up leaving. nebraska has lost Jonas Gray, and Blaine Gabbert (defected to Missouri). This one will be interesting to watch. Oklahoma was bad for many years before SToops, but obviously had alot of talent when he came in. Oklahoma also puts out more talent than Nebraska (by FAR), and they raid Texas for players.
I hope fans of The Corn are patient.

UCLA fires Dorrell after 6-6 season
ESPN.com news services
Updated: December 3, 2007, 3:24 PM ET

UCLA announced Monday that it has fired football coach Karl Dorrell.

"Karl has represented this program with dignity and class. He is a true Bruin and I respect what he has accomplished in his five years as our head coach, particularly off the field," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said. "But, at the end of the day, the focus has to be on results and I felt that a change was in the best interest for the future of our program."

Dorrell's buyout will pay him just over $2 million.

The first black football coach in UCLA history, Dorrell went 35-27. His best season was in 2005, when the Bruins went 10-2, finished third in the Pac-10 and won the Sun Bowl.

A short list of candidates has been assembled, sources familiar with the athletic department told The Los Angeles Times on Sunday.

Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker could be considered for the potential opening, according to Schad. Walker is also a candidate for the Washington State opening.

Bowden spurns Arkansas to stay with Clemson
ESPN.com news services
Updated: December 4, 2007, 11:23 AM ET

Tommy Bowden agreed to a contract extension to remain Clemson's coach Tuesday, school spokesman Clemson spokesman Tim Bourret said.

Monday, sources told ESPN.com that Arkansas had focused its coaching search on Bowden and was prepared to offer Bowden a contract in excess of $2 million annually.

"He was gone this morning," a source told ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach. "He was just looking for more stability. He's excited about the team he's got coming back and the recruiting class coming in. They have good momentum and he and his family are happy there."

Terms of the new deal, which would run through the 2012 season, weren't immediatedly known.

Paul Johnson leaving Navy for Georgia Tech

Finally, something logical in all of this. I think he has Georgia roots.

Arkansas is facing some of the same issues that UM is (as far as timing).

The Hogs have been used by 4 coaches to get raises, so far.

Here's an update on their search:


Arkansas' search may not end soon

By NATE ALLEN

FAYETTEVILLE — Considering who Arkansas seems to be considering, the Razorbacks' coaching search may extend into 2008.

Arkansas has been searching for a head football coach since Houston Nutt resigned Nov. 26 after 10 Razorback seasons and became Ole Miss' coach the following day.

Incoming athletics director Jeff Long — put in charge of the search by UA Chancellor John White though he doesn't officially replace retiring athletics director Frank Broyles until Jan. 1 — has said NFL coaches and college assistants will be considered along with college head coaches.

Four coaches the Razorbacks are believed to be considering all have either NFL or bowl game obligations that presumably could keep them from taking over in Fayetteville for quite awhile.

Two first-year NFL head coaches with extensive college backgrounds, Bobby Petrino of the Atlanta Falcons (a former college head coach at Louisville and former assistant at Auburn) and Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders (the former offensive coordinator at Southern California) are believed to be under Razorback consideration.

Their NFL seasons don't end until Dec. 30.

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow (also a former Southern California offensive coordinator) has been mentioned as an NFL assistant who could readily become an Arkansas candidate if asked.

On the college side with bowl game obligations are Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables and Auburn assistant coach Will Muschamp.

Venables and Muschamp both have ties to Long. Long was athletics director at Eastern Kentucky while Muschamp was the defensive backfield coach there.

Long was associate athletics director at Oklahoma during some of Venables' ongoing tenure there assisting Sooners' head coach Bob Stoops.

Others either drawing attention as possible candidates or known to have been interviewed include: East Carolina coach Skip Holtz; Reggie Herring, Arkansas' defensive coordinator and current interim coach; Gus Malzahn, the Tulsa offensive coordinator who coordinated Arkansas' offense in 2006; and Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English.

Herring, Holtz. Malzahn, and English all are in bowl preparations, too.

Four collegiate head coaches, Wake Forest's Jim Grobe, Clemson's Tommy Bowden, North Carolina's Butch Davis, and Auburn's Tommy Tuberville have stayed put with raises after reportedly attracting interest from Arkansas.

Meanwhile, with many final exams slated today at the UA, Herring resumes practices Tuesday for Arkansas' Cotton Bowl preparations against Missouri on New Year's Day in Dallas.

ESPN just announced Petrino to resign and coach fucking ARKANSAS.

I'm thinking that after the Herbstreit debacle, this one is legit.

Now Arkansas trumps UM in finding a coach.

To the SEC, no less. Oh the horror! Oh the humanity!

About time. The SEC NEVER gets talked about on ESPN enough.

How come when they talk about the SEC it's the truth?

I wonder how Schiano feels about this report?

Probably could be spun as both good news and bad news for him.


Report: Paterno not considering succession plan

ESPN.com news services
Updated: December 14, 2007, 11:20 AM ET

Earlier this week, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden agreed to a succession plan that will allow offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to take his place once he retires.

But the man Bowden leads by two victories as the winningest coach in Division I-A history says he has yet to consider leaving the sidelines.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who turns 81 on Dec. 21 and is entering the final year of a four-year contract, says he still hasn't even considered stepping down as coach of the Nittany Lions, or given any thought to a succession plan similar to Bowden's, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"When I start to get the feel, I'll sit down with the people and say, 'Hey, I think maybe we ought to start talking about, you know, my getting out of here and a successor.' But right now, that hasn't even come up," he said, according to the Post-Gazette.

"I haven't even thought of it," Paterno said, according to the report. "I suppose it's up to them how they want to handle it. It's probably up to them whether they'll let me coach 2, 3, 4 or 5 more years, I don't know.

"Hopefully, I'm not going to be a crotchety old man and not handle ... when it's time to go, go. I just feel so good right now, I'd hate to put a timetable on when I'm going to get out of here,' Paterno said, according to the report.

Paterno, who will coach his 500th game when Penn State plays Texas A&M in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Dec. 29, has 371 career wins, second only to Bowden, who has 373.

Bowden, 78, is expected to to return for his 33rd season next year and has a rollover contract giving the option to stay longer. Paterno, meanwhile, has been campaigning for a new deal since the regular season ended.

Anybody hear of any other candidates for WVU other than Bowden?

Budkow will hook us up.

http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/Coach/PHOTO/DEBORD_MIKE150.JPG

Mike DeBord would be a solid hire, lol.

Sorry to tell you this WTFChris, but CMU's Butch Jones is getting some WVU buzz.

He was an assistant there before coming to CMU.

They should go for Appalachian State's coach.

Either way he'd be coaching the Mountaineers.

What has Apple Sts coach ever done?

Its not like he beat a team that was ranked in the top............. oh shit...

At least UM was smart enough to figure out that if you can't beat the Mountaineers (they can't) you join them (they have).

WVU reportedly will hire Florida assistant John "Doc" Holliday

WV native, WVU alum and former linebacker

Terry Bowden is somewhere crying. What's the deal, WVU didn't want half the team ineligible for their bowl games?

Looks like Bowden is back in the picture at WVU.

He had his daddy call the Governor of WV, which is exactly how you go about getting a NCAA head coaching job.

http://frattinghard.com/wp-content/uploads/bowdendrunk.jpg

Wow, interesting.


Ducks say Bellotti, UCLA have met about Bruins' coaching vacancy

Associated Press
Updated: December 21, 2007, 11:43 AM ET

EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon Ducks coach Mike Bellotti has discussed UCLA's open head coaching position with Bruins officials, a university spokesman said.

"He's acknowledging that they have spoken with him," assistant athletic director for media services Dave Williford told the Eugene Register-Guard on Thursday night.

Southern California newspapers first reported on their Web sites that UCLA administrators had met with Bellotti. The Los Angeles Daily News said Bellotti had been contacted by the Bruins earlier in their search but had balked.

Bellotti is in his 13th season as Oregon's coach with a record of 105-52.

The Ducks are 8-4 this season, having lost three straight games since quarterback Dennis Dixon's season-ending knee injury. They will meet South Florida in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve in El Paso, Texas.

The Bruins are seeking a replacement for Karl Dorrell, who was released from his contract Dec. 3 after going 35-27 in five seasons at the school.

Neuheisel new coach at UCLA...

Hopefully his contract has something written in it about College Basketball office pools...

I heard he'll have a $2 Million byout for the Michigan job.

June Jones to resign at Hawaii, still looking at SMU

Jones takes the SMU job.

It's always June at SMU.

Three names are being tossed around tonight for Tennessee (besides Mallet): Mike Debord for OC, Scott Loeffler, and Kevin Steele.
I'm sorry, but does Phil Fullmer even CARE about his team anymore? Kevin Steele may be a worse defensive coach than DeBord has been offensively at Michigan. I suppose I can understand bringing Debord and Loffler in (while trying to snag Mallet, good move). But Steele is one of those guys who keeps getting jobs and I don;t know why. He got his start at Nebraska, then went to Baylor. From there it has been total obscurity. But I'm gonna google him to find out if there's something I'm missing.

Well I'll be! This is from 2006 I believe. Not bad, actually!

Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden's addition of former Baylor head coach Kevin Steele to his coaching staff in January 2003 drew immediate praise from college football experts coast-to-coast, and the results of his effort both on the field and on the recruiting trail has been dramatic. Steele quickly earned the respect of both the players and his coaching peers. Bowden added the title of executive head coach to Steele's list of responsibilities this spring.

Steele was the head coach at Baylor from 1999-2002 and came to FSU prior to the 2003 season. A 1981 Tennessee graduate, Steele coached the linebackers for the NFL's Carolina Panthers from 1995-98 before taking the head coaching position at Baylor. He has also served as an assistant coach at Nebraska, Tennessee, Oklahoma State and New Mexico State.

This year, Steele's linebacking corps has been rated the best in the country by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. All three starters return in A.J. Nicholson, Ernie Sims and Buster Davis along with a group of reserves that would start at most schools. Michael Boulware, who was a linebacker under Steele in 2003, was a finalist for NFL Rookie of the Year honors in his first professional season with the Seattle Seahawks.

Steele has also earned a reputation as an outstanding recruiter. He was named the Rivals.com National Recruiter of the Year in February for his work in helping Florida State land a 2005 signing class ranked No. 1 nationally by some recruiting services.

Steele spent his freshman year at Furman before transferring to Tennessee, where he was a member of Johnny Majors' 1978 and 1979 squads. He stayed on as a student assistant in 1980 and then as a graduate assistant in 1981. He was promoted to outside linebackers coach in 1982.

Steele then moved to New Mexico State, where he served as recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach in 1983. From 1984-86, he coached linebackers and tight ends at Oklahoma State. He returned to his alma mater in 1987 and spent two years as the defensive backs coach for the Volunteers.

From 1989-94, Steele coached the linebackers under Nebraska legend Tom Osborne. During his six years in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers went 60-11, appeared in six bowl games, won four conference championships and captured the 1994 national championship with a 13-0 record.

In 1995, Steele made the jump to the NFL as the linebackers coach for Carolina. Under head coach Dom Capers, the Panthers reached the NFC Championship game in their second season (1996). After four years with Carolina, Steele was hired as head coach at Baylor in 1999.

The 47-year-old Steele is a native of Dillon, S.C. He and his wife, Linda, have an 18-year-old son (Gordon) and a 16-year-old daughter (Caroline).

Gordon?

Well, the stakes just got a little higher in our backyard, Notre Dame has hired John Tenuta as a DB coach. Yeah, right. Corwin Brown was seen this evening at "Big Chico's Fast and Fancy Resumes" in downtown South Bend...

Notre Dame's defense will get a new look this spring.


Associated Press

Jon Tenuta
But the biggest change won't have a thing to do with the players.

Multiple sources tell Irish Illustrated that former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will join the Notre Dame coaching staff, replacing defensive backs coach Bill Lewis, who is expected to retire from coaching.

Notre Dame confirmed the hire late Thursday, announcing that Tenuta would take over as assistant head
coach on defense. Lewis will join the University's athletics community relations staff.

Tenuta will start his new job on Feb. 18.

Tenuta became available after Georgia Tech hired former Navy coach Paul Johnson in early December to replace Chan Gailey. Tenuta, renowned for his aggressive, blitzing style, had been rumored for defensive coordinator posts at Michigan and Washington in recent weeks.

How much influence Tenuta will have on Notre Dame's schemes is unclear but any input figures to be welcome. Georgia Tech ranked in the Top 25 nationally in rushing defense, total defense and scoring defense last season. More impressively, the Yellow Jackets led the country in sacks and ranked fourth in tackles for loss.

The Notre Dame offensive line probably remembers how Georgia Tech rang up those stats. The Yellow Jackets sacked various Irish quarterbacks nine times in last season's opener. That stat helped leave Notre Dame with minus-eight yards rushing in a 33-3 blowout.

But Tenuta's defenses did more than blitz low-hanging fruit. In the 2006 opener at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Georgia Tech allowed 384 yards to Notre Dame and Heisman Trophy contender Brady Quinn but also held the Irish to season-low scoring output.

Notre Dame escaped with a 14-10 victory.

Of course Notre Dame wasn't Tenuta's only victim. Since he took over the Georgia Tech defense in 2002, the Yellow Jackets have ranked in college football's top half in every major statistical category every year.

In the seasons overlapping with Weis' Notre Dame tenure, Tenuta's defenses have allowed an average of 107.7 rushing yards, 315.7 total yards and 19.7 points per game. Compare that to Notre Dame's defenses over the same time span that yielded 154.4 rushing yards, 364 total yards and 25.5 points per game.

Before arriving at Georgia Tech, Tenuta held the same position at North Carolina (2001) and Ohio State (2000). Tenuta also served as the Buckeyes' defensive backs coach from 1996-99.

The timing of Tenuta's addition is unexpected with Signing Day less than a week away and because Charlie Weis said he wouldn't entertain staff changes until after Feb. 6.

"I wouldn't even think about that until after recruiting is over," Weis said on Dec. 3 during a season wrap-up press conference. "There's nothing I intend on doing until after recruiting is over. Right now … my main emphasis and everything I'm doing is making sure that we do a good job in recruiting."

When asked a second time about potential staff changes during that same press conference Weis was adamant that he wouldn't think about staff changes until after Signing Day.

"There's not even going to be a thought in my mind until we're done with recruiting," he said. "It's a rhetorical question because I'm not even going to think about it until we're done with recruiting."

Turns out that recruiting centered on more than just players.

Sounds like Chip's heading to Philly.

^ Sounds like Philly came up with some jack. Or maybe he went back to the Ducks looking for some dough? I bet this was all bout the dinero.

Presumably an ncaa investigaish drops soon.

^ or that. Most likely ^ that.