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Former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has received close to $8.7 million to not coach his alma mater, and the number will only grow.

Weis was paid $2,054,744 of buyout money from Notre Dame from July 2010 to June 2011, according to the Chicago Tribune, which obtained the figures from Notre Dame's Form 990 it must submit to the IRS.

Fired after the 2009 season, Weis received an initial buyout payment of $6,638,403, bringing the total to $8,693,147. He is slated to receive additional payments through December 2015.

The original $6.6 million payout was to be followed by "much smaller payments," according to previous documents. Weis also received $469,727 from Play by Play sports — now known as Notre Dame Sports Properties — and an additional $1,095 of unspecified "other reportable compensation."

The first glimpse at what current head coach Brian Kelly makes shows that Kelly took in $2,424,301, though $1,762,334 of "other reportable compensation" indicates all or part of that payment is a "one-time payment to Coach Kelly," the Tribune reported. As reporter Brian Hamilton notes, that money might have helped with any buyout Kelly owed Cincinnati after leaving the Bearcats in December 2009.

Kelly's base compensation is $617,846. The form did not include payments from "external sources."

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick made $1,026,942.

Charlie Weis' struggles during his five-year tenure at Notre Dame are well-documented. Entering his first season at Kansas with a few familiar faces, Weis is looking to learn from those mistakes and bring a winning edge to a program coming off a two-win campaign in 2011.

The two biggest lessons he learned with the Irish? College kids ain't easy, and building a cohesive coaching staff is essential.

From the Hutchinson News' Lucas Fahrer:

"I learned early on at Notre Dame that an 18-year-old kid is not like a 23-year-old young man," Weis said Thursday during a sit-down before his speaking engagement at Prairie Dunes Country Club. "Somebody coming is not like somebody going out. They're not the same. You have to have a clear understanding of how to deal with a freshman that was a superstar in his high school and how to coach him and psychologically deal with him versus the more mature guy who's already gone through the beatdown for three or four or five years and can handle just about anything you throw at them."

Weis didn't waste time looking for silver linings from a roster that won just two games. Hence, the 10 offseason transfers. But he brought in six new players --including the Notre Dame trio of Dayne Crist, Anthony McDonald and Mike Ragone -- to show the younger guys the right way to handle themselves once they enter the latter stages of their college careers.

As for that other lesson, the coaching chemistry?

"When I went to Notre Dame, I was coming from 15 years in the NFL, and other than two coaches who I knew that were coaching with the (Miami) Dolphins and had been let go ... I didn't know any of the guys I was hiring," Weis said. "I was hiring guys based off (their) reputation not from personal knowledge of the coaching staff. I hired a bunch of really good coaches but the chemistry was always crummy. The only one I have to blame for that is me."

Weis was able to take a much more hands-on approach in forming his new staff, as he wasn't balancing coaching the Patriots' offense to another Super Bowl. In any event, as Fahrer notes, it will take much more than chemistry to solve the issues that plagued Lawrence, Kan., last season. Weis knows that now, and seeing him move away from the end of his Irish tenure should make for an interesting 2012 season at Kansas.

The ambitious duo of Steve Greenberg and Matt Hayes over at the Sporting News made a list for everyone to debate about: the ranking of every single FBS coach, No. 1-124.

Alabama's Nick Saban is the unsurprising leader of the rankings, coming in at No. 1. As for No. 124? UMass' Charley Molnar, though it's hardly an indictment of the former Notre Dame offensive coordinator, as he is a first-time head coach taking over a program jumping to the FBS this season.

The one readers of this blog care most about, Brian Kelly, checks in pretty favorably, coming in at No. 18. Why? From the story:

There’s too much good in Kelly’s history to give up on him now—or think some kind of Irish jinx is in play. The reality is Notre Dame underachieved last season, and probably overachieved in Kelly’s first season. So where does that leave 2012 for the program still trying to find itself again? It’s essentially Kelly’s roster now; there’s no more blame for the previous staff. He’ll win—or lose—because of roster and personnel decisions he has made.

A BCS coach says: “This slow transition must be killing Brian right now. He’s a results guy, and I think he thought he had something last season—and all those turnovers cost them at least two, maybe three, games. You’re going to see that team play with a different sense of urgency this season. Once his teams buy in, he’s usually very successful.”

Kelly comes in at No. 2 among coaches of independent schools, behind BYU's Bronco Mendenhall (No. 15 overall). As for rankings that may also be of interest to readers of this space: Kansas' Charlie Weis is No. 40 and New Mexico's Bob Davie is No. 96.

Gone fishing.

• Aaron Lynch will explore a waiver to play for USF immediately.
• Colleague David Ubben looks at Charlie Weis and Kansas as part of the Big 12 spring wrap.
• Colleague Ted Miller looks at the recent debate in NYC on whether college football should be banned.
• CBSSports.com's Will Brinson has some fun with Jimmy Clausen's disappointing haircut.
• Notre Dame backup quarterbacks have thrived in crisis situations before, Lou Somogyi writes on BlueandGold.com.

One step closer to a win for all.

• BlueandGold.com's Dan Murphy has an insightful Q&A with agent Eugene Lee.
• Another insightful piece, this one from NBCSports.com's Keith Arnold on Ethan Johnson.
• Harrison Smith is coveted supply, Brian Hamilton writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Manti Te'o cracks Matt Hayes' list of college football's top 25 players on SportingNews.com.
• Charlie Weis is starting from scratch with Kansas, colleague David Ubben writes in the Big 12 blog.

Insert World Peace suspended joke here.

• Declan Sullivan's family will hold a fundraiser Saturday in his honor, Stacy St. Clair writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Dayne Crist is a Kansas captain.
• The gang at The Observer offers 2012 season predictions, which have probably made them social outcasts on campus. (Respect.)
• BlueandGold.com's Lou Somogyi looks at defensive players on the rise for Notre Dame this spring.
• I'm a couple days late here, but the South Bend Tribune's Eric Hansen has a recap of the alumni flag football game.

It's been real, spring football.

• Before their spring game, Notre Dame players took part in a great cause: The Bald and the Beautiful.
• NBCSports.com's Keith Arnold breaks down the Blue-Gold game, with video interviews from the broadcast.
• In a video captured by the Kansas City Star's Rustin Dodd, Charlie Weis tells Kansas players that he wants them to celebrate wins the right way. (Credit colleague David Ubben for the find.)
• Notre Dame kicker Nick Tausch is eager to start again, Lou Somogyi writes on BlueandGold.com.
• DaVaris Daniels has shifted into the next stage, Tim Prister writes on IrishIllustrated.com.

Jamie Moyer. Wow.

• Mike Ragone is the latest former Notre Dame player to reunite with Charlie Weis in Kansas.
• Kapron Lewis-Moore is back in a familiar spot, Jake Brown writes on IrishIllustrated.com.
• Danny Spond is in a dogfight, Dan Murphy writes on BlueandGold.com.
  
• Paul Myerberg over at the Pre-Snap Read previews Charley Molnar's first season at UMass.
• Former Irish linebacker Brian Smith will host his first charity event this weekend, Eric Hansen writes in the South Bend Tribune.
  

Mike Ragone is the latest Notre Dame player who hopes a happy ending to his college football career can be found in Kansas.

The Jayhawks announced Tuesday that the tight end will join the program, making Ragone the third former Irish player to re-unite with Kansas coach Charlie Weis, the man who recruited them all while coaching at Notre Dame.

Kansas announced on Friday that linebacker Anthony McDonald would join the program after graduating from Notre Dame next month, once again following in the footsteps of new quarterback Dayne Crist. The two had played together at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Ragone, meanwhile, has already graduated from Notre Dame and has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. The 6-foot-4, 262-pound tight end tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Notre Dame's Week 2 loss at Michigan, this after already suffering two major knee injuries since 2007. The first one cost Ragone his senior year at Camden Catholic (N.J.) High School. He was ESPN's No. 2 tight end from the 2007 recruiting class.

In 37 games with the Irish, Ragone caught 11 passes for 109 yards.

Anthony McDonald is the latest Notre Dame player who will extend his career this upcoming season in Lawrence, Kan.

Kansas announced Friday that McDonald, a former Irish linebacker, will become a Jayhawk after graduating in May, joining high school teammate Dayne Crist in reuniting with coach Charlie Weis.

Former Notre Dame tight end Mike Ragone is reportedly Lawrence-bound as well.

All three players were recruited to Notre Dame by Weis, with both McDonald and Crist coming from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

McDonald appeared in 27 games for the Irish the past three seasons, totaling 24 tackles.

Hats off to Muffet & Co.

• IrishIllustrated.com's Pete Sampson wonders if Tommy Rees can get a running start in QB Derby '12.
• AthlonSports.com's Steven Lassan previews Notre Dame's spring.
• Irish linebackers are focused on personal gains this spring, Dan Murphy writes on BlueandGold.com
• Charlie Weis is bringing a tough approach to Kansas.
• Chris Watt and Christian Lombard are making the most of the spring, Seth Gruen writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Is it too early to label Lawrence, Kan., "South Bend West"?

Mike Ragone will be the next Notre Dame player to join former Irish coach Charlie Weis at Kansas, Eric Hansen reports in the South Bend Tribune.

The tight end tore the ACL in his right knee during Notre Dame's Week 2 loss at Michigan -- his third major knee injury since 2007, when he missed his senior year at Camden Catholic (N.J.) High School.

The NCAA granted Ragone a sixth year of eligibility, Hansen reports, but he was not invited back to Notre Dame for another year.

So he will join former Irish quarterback Dayne Crist in taking advantage of the NCAA's graduate-exception rule, allowing the two Notre Dame graduates to play immediately at their new school -- and, in this case, with the college coach who originally recruited them -- so long as they enroll in graduate programs not offered at Notre Dame.

“The (right) knee feels great now,” Ragone told Hansen. “I’ve been working out at home since after the bowl game (Dec. 29). I plan to go to Kansas this summer.

“It’s going to be great playing with Dayne again. He’s a great guy and a great quarterback. I asked for one more chance, and I got it.”

Congrats on getting out while you could, D'Antoni.

• From last night: Notre Dame picked up commitment No. 3 in James Onwualu. Jared Shanker has the story.
• Former Irish tight ends will pair up in Minnesota, as John Carlson has signed with the Vikings, joining Kyle Rudolph.
• Michael Floyd and Harrison Smith are holding steady on draft boards.
• Kansas coach Charlie Weis discusses the painful life of an "ogre" and more with The Sporting News' Steve Greenberg.
• BlueandGold.com's Lou Somogyi shares his thoughts on "Tight End U" and more.

Say what you want about Charlie Weis, but you have to give the new Kansas coach credit: He does not shy away from his past, and he is not afraid to admit where he may have messed up.

In a story this week by The Sporting News' Steve Greenberg, who wrote that he intended to focus on Weis' future with the Jayhawks, the former Notre Dame coach cited his beginning in South Bend, Ind., when discussing the proper steps he has to take to get things started off on the right foot in Lawrence, Kan.

"You take a job, your first job, and you say and do some stupid things. I'm certainly guilty as charged. Not that I didn't mean what I said, but just the fact that I said it. You look back and say, 'Why did you say that?' "

"That university, you're a good guy or you're a bad guy right off the bat," he later added. "First of all, half the free world can't stand you walking in because you're at the place. And then about half the (people) at the place can't stand you. There's plenty of people at Notre Dame who could care less about ever seeing me, or me seeing them."

Weis goes on to admit that he was bothered that some thought of him as a bad person, and he says he had been dealing with constant pain between 2008 — when he tore three ligaments in his left knee in a sideline collision against Michigan in 2008 — and this past January, when his left hip was replaced.

His right knee was replaced, too.

"You never say anything. You learn not to say anything," he explained. "People think you're moody and stuff like that, but you might just be in pain. Psychologically, you can block a lot out, OK? But I was miserable."

Weis goes on to talk about his approach at Kansas, along with his newfound patience, adding that he feels he let Dayne Crist down and is happy they get another chance together.

It's a great read, especially for those who fall in the camp that, as Weis says, look at him like "some kind of ogre. Some arrogant, obnoxious, loudmouth punk from New Jersey."

For those who missed it over the weekend, SportingNews.com's Matt Hayes has a tremendous story on former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist, who is ready to put a rough season in South Bend, Ind., behind him and finish strong with Kansas.

Crist couldn't sleep or eat after losing his job early in the 2011 campaign, which Hayes characterizes as a three-month depression, something Crist supports by saying: "You could definitely call it that."

“It was the worst time in my life,” Crist says now. “You invest so much, and it all happens so quickly … it’s just blindsided me.”

Crist was also days away from transferring to Wisconsin, Hayes writes, before former Irish and new Jayhawks coach Charlie Weis texted him.

The quarterback of course ended up in Lawrence, Kan., after watching consecutive seasons end because of injuries in each knee. After winning back the starting job to open 2011, Crist was benched after the first half of the Irish's season-opening loss to South Florida.