It’ll be a homecoming of sorts this weekend when South Florida’s offensive coordinator steps into Notre Dame Stadium to take on the Fighting Irish.
That’s because that offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach used to roam the Notre Dame sideline for a number of years in what was his introduction to coaching.
That offensive coordinator is Charlie Weis, Jr., a young adult that Brian Kelly called a “rising star” in the coaching industry earlier this week.
Charlie Weis, Jr. to Andrea Adelson of ESPN:
Weis said that when he heard USF was working on a last-minute deal to play Notre Dame, his first thought was, “We’ve got a lot of work to do because they’re really good.”
“It’s definitely something I thought about and dreamt about: It would be really cool to go back to South Bend, a place that I love, a place that I still call home, and get to be in Notre Dame Stadium one more time,” Weis Jr. said. “I was really excited about the opportunity to go there. It’s a very special place to us.”
The piece on ESPN also goes on to tell a story of how Weis, Jr. drove from South Florida to South Bend this summer to be able to see his sister Hannah only through a screen door. Hannah still lives in the group home and neighborhood that was established by Charlie Sr. and his wife through Hannah & Friends.
The rise of Weis, Jr. may come as a surprise but after leaving Notre Dame he’s seen a lot in the football world as he’s had stops at Kansas, Florida, Alabama and Florida Atlantic as well as spending time with the Falcons and Patriots in the NFL.