Despite being fired, former Irish head coach Charlie Weis is still receiving millions from Notre Dame.
Notre Dame fired head coach Charlie Weis on November 30, 2009 after five turbulent seasons. Upon termination, Weis received $6,638,403 to serve as severance payment for his 10-year contract extension that he signed back in 2005. According to tax returns obtained by the Chicago Tribune, Weis received an additional $2,054,744 of buyout money from Notre Dame to cover the period of July 2010 to June 2011. To date, Notre Dame has paid Weis $8,693,147 and it doesn’t stop here.
Per the terms of Weis’ separation agreement, he is to receive annual payments through 2015. At the current rate, Weis is expected to amass over $19 million by 2015. That is a significant amount of money for a coach who went 35-27 and hasn’t been on the South Bend sidelines since 2009.
For Weis, his ND buyout package is free money. Since his termination, he has had no shortage of coaching positions. In 2010, he was the offensive coordinator for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. After one season, he took his offensive playbook to the Florida Gators. Again after one season, he packed his bags, and headed to the Midwest to take over the head coaching position at Kansas where he inked a $12.5 million five-year deal.
It is safe to say, Charlie Weis is financially set, but it’s costing Notre Dame dearly. Unfortunately, this is just an all-to-common event that is indicative to college football and how it’s becoming more of a business rather than a game.
