Why Notre Dame Is Keeping Charlie Weis

With fog wreaking havoc on air travel Wednesday in the San Francisco area, Jack Swarbrick spent 2½ hours in a plane idling on a tarmac, crammed into a jammed cabin that for a time had no air conditioning.

To think: That was maybe the least claustrophobic Notre Dame's athletic director has felt lately, what with having to evaluate a wobbly football program and a besieged head coach.

In the end, after more than a week of review and a face-to-face conversation Tuesday between Swarbrick and coach Charlie Weis, the school announced that Weis would be back for a fifth year on the sideline -- with a profound emphasis on changes that must occur.

Swarbrick said no specific number of victories in 2009 will be satisfactory. But it is clear what won't be enough.

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