Michael Haywood looked at the questioner for a second, chuckled and then gave the response every person expected.
If Charlie Weis wanted a run and Haywood, Notre Dame’s new offensive coordinator, thought pass, what would he do?
“Whatever the general asks for,”
Haywood said. “You give it to him.”
Gen. Charlie Weis, with his four Super Bowl rings, decided to give up play-calling after Notre Dame’s 3-9 season last year, a surprising move considering Weis always said his biggest strength was calling the plays. It’s what helped him land the Notre Dame job.
And over his first three years, whenever he was asked about relinquishing play-calling rights, he scoffed, said it would be difficult and that maybe, eventually, when he felt comfortable, he’d do it.
This offseason, when evaluating his team’s problems, Weis made perhaps his biggest, and last, call. He gave up play-calling.
So, for the first time since 1997, when Weis was the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets, he won’t be the offensive play caller.
“I’ve done a lot of due diligence on this,”
Weis said. “… I think everything out thoroughly. Although I could see Robert (Hughes) or James (Aldridge) running it down somebody’s throat, I can hear them say ‘Run it again, run it again, run it again.’
Or we’re throwing it and they can’t cover it. I can say, ‘Throw it again or play-action pass.’
“But I’m not going to be standing there studying the call sheet and remembering every formation and trying to decide if it’s a left-hash or right-hash play.”
Weis said in the spring and reiterated during media day he’s doing this so he can become a better head coach. So he can move easily between the offense, defense and his new role as assistant special teams coach.
In other words, so he can pay more attention to everyone instead of a select group. At a recent practice, Weis maneuvered through most of the offensive position groups within 20 minutes, taking time to lecture the tight ends about balance in stances.
He’s also wandered around meetings more often. But the first real test will be Sept. 6 against San Diego State.
“He said he’s giving it up,”
quarterback Jimmy Clausen said. “He gave it up, and coach Haywood’s doing a great job of calling plays. That’s going to keep going on into fall camp and into the season.”
Yet on Sept. 6, Weis will relegate himself to two options if his play-calling trigger finger gets antsy. He’ll send a message to Haywood saying run or pass.
That’s it. No package. No formation.
He’ll leave it with Haywood. And if Weis calls run?
“I call the run,”
Haywood said. “If he says run it, I know what personnel is on the field, I know the down and distance, I know the next run that I want to run.”
After all, despite Weis’ attempts to change, one thing remains. He’s still the boss.
