NOTEBOOK
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis won't stay on the West Coast to recruit as planned after the Fighting Irish play at Stanford.
Athletic director Jack Swarbrick said Tuesday during a taping of his radio show for WLS Radio 890 in Chicago, which normally airs on Saturday, that Weis will fly back with the team.
"He's going to return from Stanford back to campus," Swarbrick said.
A message seeking comment was left for Swarbrick on his cell phone Tuesday by The Associated Press. Swarbrick's comments became public after Weis' weekly news conference on Tuesday.
Weis wasn't in a reflective mood at what could be the final news conference at his alma mater. Two days after saying he couldn't argue if Notre Dame officials decided to fire him with a 6-5 record, Weis set the tone with his opening comment: "I have a news flash. We have a football game this Saturday against Stanford, so let's see if we can't talk about that," he said.
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Clausen 'coldcocked'
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen was sporting a black eye behind the tinted visor he wore to practice Tuesday.
During taping for the radio show, Swarbrick said Clausen was the "victim of a sucker punch."
"He was not engaged in a fight. He didn't throw any punches. He didn't directly engage the individual," Swarbrick said. "He just got coldcocked by somebody, and we're very disturbed by that."
Support for Mangino
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Two players defended embattled Kansas coach Mark Mangino on Tuesday as an internal investigation into claims that he mistreated his team entered its second week.
"We look to him to see how he reacts, and the way he's handled everything has been an inspiration to us," said safety Darrell Stuckey. "To see him go out there and be mentally tough - everything he's preached to us about being mentally tough, to see him live it out, means a lot."
The probe was announced a week ago. No one has accused Mangino of physical abuse; the complaints center on things he allegedly said in the heat of discussion during games or practice.
Wide receiver Kerry Meier said he and some other players have been interviewed in connection with the probe. He said he gave his coach his full support.
