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No Excuses: One Man's Incredible Rise Through the NFL to Head Coach of Notre Dame | 
 enlarge | Authors: Charlie Weis, Vic Carucci
Publisher: HarperEntertainment
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $6.48
You Save: $19.47 (75%)
New (6) Used (8) Collectible (2) from $5.68
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 181201
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.332092
ASIN: B000PGTF1Y
Publication Date: October 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
Top Notch book about good guy and good Coach August 30, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Take ajourney with Charles Weis, New Jersey born
and raised guy who happened to go down and talk
to one of the 'Fathers' in the Notre Dame Athletic
office one day back in 1975 about what HE thought
the 'Fightin' Irish' should be doing to inprove
the football team. Fast forward through the years
as Charlie Weis becomes the sports enthusiast who
moves up through the ranks and becomes a first rate
football coach who ends up going back to Notre Dame
after winning FOUR Super Bowls and becomes it's H.
Coach! Great and inspirational reading! As good as
Marv Levy's fine football book, "Where Else Would
You Rather Be?"
I Like This Guy! August 14, 2007
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Coach Weis starts this short autobiography out with a funny story about his student days at Notre Dame and how he had the nerve to complain to the University president about the football team. I would say that this is a rather interesting way for the man who is now in charge of that same football team to start out his book. Right up front Charlie Weis says to us the fans that he understands what it is like to be frustrated and that we Notre Dame fans really matter to him. I like this guy!
I say that this is a short autobiography because there is so much yet to be written in the Charlie Weis story but there is still a lot of information to be found in these pages. I must admit that I had wondered how a guy who hadn't even played college football became the coach of the most storied program in the sport and by reading this book I got my answers. Charlie Weis is one hard working guy. This is not to say that he didn't get some major breaks along the way because he did and he freely acknowledges that he did. Coach Weis is proud of his work ethic and that comes across loud and clear in this book but the man doesn't have a conceited bone in his body. I like this guy!
When Coach Weis was hired at Notre Dame most Irish fans read up on him in a hurry and so we knew the basics of his sparkling pro career but in this book we get a little more of story including some things that I'm sure that he didn't really care to share but he shared them anyway and the book is all the better for it. I really do like this guy!
Best of all, we finally get a look at Coach's personal life and we learn about his wonderful wife and his special relationship with his son. We also get a glimpse of his relationship with his special needs daughter who is able to communicate very clearly when she wants her dad to go away and leave her alone. The proceeds from this book go to a foundation he has set up in the name of his daughter Hannah and it was for the love of her that he even agreed to write this book. Did I mention that I like this guy?
This book is not a deep tome on Charlie Weis' coaching philosophy or an insight into the Notre Dame program. That may well come later when he has been at South Bend for a few more years. This is simply the basic story of a man who accepts no excuses from his players or himself and who expects everyone to give their all for the good of the team. This is Charlie Weis 101 and I hope that the graduate level course won't be too long in coming.
Good read, especially for sports fans May 17, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is a fast read, and I really liked it. I thought he made his points and got his story across very well, and gives some insight as to how the coaching profession works. I recommend it.
 Okay good, but not great book: it's average March 21, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The book has several interesting stories. Though CW doesn't mention it, he must have been a pretty smart student to get admitted to ND. I thought he said his dad was of a blue collar profession, so he must have gotten quite a bit of financial aid.
I found his story about how he quit HS coaching to take a grad assistantship at South Carolina interesting, as well as how he was to be offered the head coaching job with the Bills, if the Patroits lost the AFC championship game to the Titans. I also found his early days as coach of the Fighting Irish to be interesting. All in all, it's a story of a hard working guy who always tried to do the right thing and succeeding to get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
 You cannot help but like this guy January 30, 2007
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is a very refreshing story of how an outwardly ordinary person with some extraordinary insight and self-confidence goes from being a regular kid to a top level coach, and how he balances his family life with his professional life. He doesn't dish dirt or tattle, and it isn't all about Notre Dame Football. He acknowledges success and failure without bragging about his system or complaining about setbacks. He doesn't breach the privacy of others to sell his story, so details of who said what and who did what are not there, though he does give plenty of credit where it is due. It's dignified but not stuffy or superior. You just can't help but admire him, and you wish you had a boss with his sense of priorities, directness, and honesty.
It really does hook you, so make sure you have plenty of time when you first open it to read the whole thing. I bought this for my spouse for Christmas. While wrapping it, I took a little peek. Two hours later I finished it. It was just too darn interesting to put down, and I am not a big football fan. Then I kept thinking about it and had to stop myself from quoting it (to keep from spoiling the surprise). When my spouse opened it on Christmas Day; I warned him that it would suck him right in. He laughed and took a peek. Now I have a nice picture him, surrounded by holiday chaos and kids, completely oblivious while reading this book cover-to-cover.
We both agree that this is a really terrific book. Since my spouse is a big Notre Dame fan (two ND degrees and grew up in South Bend), but I am not, I'd say that this book appeals to a wide variety of people.
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