College football: All's quiet on Irish front

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis returned home Sunday from another disappointing loss, his future with the Fighting Irish in limbo.

Amid rampant speculation Weis will be fired, all was quiet around the Notre Dame football offices from morning through the late afternoon.

The team's flight arrived in South Bend at 6 a.m. The coaches and players had the day off and university officials did not expect any news on Weis' future to be announced.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick has said he would make a decision about whether Weis, who has six years left on his contract, will remain Notre Dame's coach this week. So Monday could very well be a busy one around those same facilities that were sleepy and dark Sunday.

A message left on Swarbrick's cell phone Sunday was not returned.

Notre Dame (6-6) finished its regular season with its fourth straight loss, 45-38 at Stanford on Saturday night.

Weis' future is far from the only uncertain one these days at Notre Dame.

What happens to Weis could impact whether star quarterback Jimmy Clausen and receiver Golden Tate leave early for the NFL or stay for their senior seasons and if Notre Dame will end this season by going to a bowl game.

Weis skipped the postgame news conference following the Stanford game on Saturday night, but said last Sunday he'd have a hard time arguing if Swarbrick decided to fire him.

Swarbrick said before the game that he would begin a serious evaluation of Weis' status after the game. Swarbrick declined to answer questions outside the Irish locker room after the game.

With the coach and athletic director not talking, it was up to the players to address the situation after the game Saturday night.

"The reason why I came here is because of coach Weis," Clausen said. "I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for him."

Weis has a 35-27 record in five years as Irish head coach. His .565 winning percentage is worse than the .583 marks that got his two predecessors, Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie, fired.

After going to Bowl Championship Series games his first two years, Weis has a 16-21 record since the start of the 2007 season — the most losses ever by the Irish in a three-year span.