USF Bulls' Weis, Jr. excited for return to South Bend

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of South Florida's game this Saturday against Notre Dame will be a bit of a homecoming for offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr.

The Bulls will take on the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana where Weis' father, Charlie, Sr. was the head coach from 2005 to 2009.

"The Notre Dame community is an amazing place," Charlie, Jr. said. "[I have] lots of great moments growing up there. It'll be really cool to go back home."

Weis credits his time growing up in South Bend for the coach he is today.

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While Charlie, Sr. was at the pristine Notre Dame facility, breaking down film on USC or Michigan, Jr. was doing the same thing at nearby St. Joe's High School, where his office was a cramped room underneath the gymnasium bleachers and his equipment consisted of a small, box TV set.

"We would just watch some tape, and write some [early scouting] reports," Weis recalled. "We'd give it to the coaches and let them deal with it there so that was my first intro to coaching."

At age 27, Weis is one of the youngest coordinators in college football, and already has his first "return to the old stomping grounds" moment just days ahead.

"It'll be cool to go up there and playback in front of a lot of people I know," he said.

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However much like the rest of the USF Bulls, this trip will have little room for nostalgia.

"Maybe you'll feel that way for a little bit when you hear the fight song on the opposite sideline," Weis suggested. "At the end of the day it's another game, and my job is to help our players at South Florida do the best that they can do, and put us in a situation to win the game."