Sports in brief: Irish fire Weis after five years

College football: Notre Dame fired coach Charlie Weis on Monday after a string of disappointing seasons that was capped by an agonizing four-game losing streak.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick announced the decision, saying in a news release: “We have great expectations for our football program, and we have not been able to meet those expectations.”

Weis, who has six years left on his contract, leaves his alma mater with a 35-27 record in five seasons, among the worst of any Fighting Irish coach.

Assistant coach Rob Ianello will fill in until a new coach is hired.

Following a 6-2 start this season, the losing streak began with the second upset by Navy in three years.

Speculation about possible replacements has been rampant for weeks. Among the top names, Florida’s Urban Meyer and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, already have said they plan to stay where they are.

Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly has also been mentioned, along with Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh and TCU’s Gary Patterson.

Weis’ record is worse than his two predecessors, Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie, who also were fired. Notre Dame will be looking for its fifth coach this decade.

Weis signed a 10-year contract midway through his first season.

Associated Press

Eagles welcome Wolves tonight

College basketball: Eastern Washington, still in search of a cure for the first-half offensive woes that have it, could find it tonight against Walla Walla University in a non-conference men’s game that tips off at 7:05 at Reese Court.

Eastern (2-4) was outscored 89-53 in the first halves of lopsided back-to-back losses to Boise State and Idaho last week. But the Eagles, who have also been battling a rash of injuries to key players, should find the points a bit easier to come by against the Wolves (2-8), an NAIA Division II team that has allowed opponents an average of 92.5 points per game.

EWU has three players – seniors Benny Valentine (12.7), Mark Dunn (11.3) and Brandon Moore (11.2) – averaging more than 11 points per game, but has shot only 40.6 percent from the field as a team.