WEIS

Charlie Weis isn't much into yesterday.

Notre Dame's head football coach says there's no time to reflect on seasons past, whether it was the 10-3 mark rung up by the Irish in 2006 or what's he calls the "dismal" tally of 3-9 last fall.

"Why would I worry about last season? That's over and done," he says with a glint in his eye. "I'm only concerned with the present and the future."

Forward progress brought Weis to Ventura on Thursday, a full four months before Notre Dame will kick off the 2008 season on Sept. 6 at home against San Diego State.

With new NCAA regulations limiting recruiting visits during the springtime, Weis is using the extra time to visit prominent alumni clubs throughout the United States.

On Wednesday, it was Portland. On Thursday, he was the luncheon guest of the Notre Dame Club of Ventura County at the Mariott Ventura Beach.

Before the luncheon attended by 140 club members, Weis sat down for a 1-on-1 interview with The Star.

Chief among topics was Notre Dame's continued recruiting success in the county, with quarterback Jimmy Clausen and cornerback Terrail Lambert on the roster, and Santa Clara High standout running back Cierre Wood on the way.

NCAA rules prohibit coaches from discussing recruits who have yet to sign letters of intent, but Weiss called the county a "fertile" home for top-notch high school players.

He said the first challenge the Irish face in recruiting a local kid is a matter of logistics: Is the player open to leaving California to attend college.

"The issue for us is the West Coast thing," said Weis. "Whether it's in California or Oregon or Washington, does the kid have his heart set on playing close to home and going to UCLA or USC or wherever, or would he be interested in coming to Notre Dame?

"It's really the same thing we have to overcome wherever we recruit. If we're looking at a Florida kid, we have to know if he'll leave Florida State or Miami or Florida to come play for us.

"If he doesn't want to leave, we move on. We don't want to recruit against mom if she wants her son to stay home."

Weis concedes that last year's 3-9 record, which included a 38-0 loss to USC in South Bend, wasn't a boon for recruiting.

"A kid out here may get pounded from his teachers and friends and family, even the guy at the grocery store," said Weis. "They're saying, Why would you go there? Didn't you see them play?' "

Fortunately for Weis, the Notre Dame legacy continues to open doors.

Before last year's pratfall, the Irish finished 9-3 and 10-3 in Weis's first two seasons, with berths in the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl. Weis, a 1978 graduate of Notre Dame, also owns four Super Bowl rings as the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.

Clausen, the former Oaks Christian School standout, was considered the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 1 high school recruit in the nation when he signed with Notre Dame after the 2006 season.

Wood, who scored 276 points and rushed for 2,612 yards last fall, committed to the Irish last month. He is widely considered the No. 1 running back for the class of 2009.

Weis said Clausen's bravado under fire last year earmarks him as a future star.

"He came in and started right away, playing the most scrutinized position in our program," said Weis. "It's not fair that he had to shoulder the load as a freshman, but that's what he ended up doing.

"A freshman should be a complementary player, but he became a lot more than that. He had to shoulder the load on a bad team."

Clausen earned the starting assignment for the second game against Penn State, becoming the first freshman quarterback to start at Notre Dame by that early date.

He went on to start nine games while completing 138 of 245 pass attempts for 1,254 yards and seven touchdowns.

Weis said his young quarterback will be granted a larger playbook in 2008.

"He's bigger, he's stronger, he's got a high football IQ," said Weis. "He will get as much as he can handle."

Former St. Bonaventure High star Terrail Lambert has now started 22 consecutive games at right cornerback.

Weis said he's been a standout on the field and in the classroom.

"He's physical, he can run and he will be playing on Sundays after next season," said Weis. "He's an impressive kid, who is going to graduate next week. After that, he will take some graduate courses so he can be with us next fall."

Weis expects a bounce-back by his players in 2008.

"The great thing about Notre Dame is that we do things right," he said. "Kids are expected to do well in the classroom, so we've got a group of high-character guys. We've got players we can rely upon."