Brian Kelly takes Notre Dame job.

[sinkinginthesea]

You see them being a BCS contender in two years or so now?

[wrppdarndyrfngr]

you dont have to make new individual threads for each new sports story.

[sleepyseanzzz]

i dont know why he would leave an up and coming team who went undefeated this year on the way to their bowl game vs. florida. i think if rudy happened today, they could offer him the starting quarterback spot and even he would decline it and say he would rather play one down for texas or alabama instead of that god awful team in south bend. i was scared when i thought randy edsall was going to get the job, thank god he didnt.

anyway, no i do not see them being a BCS contender in 2 years, maybe they will crack the top 15 and actually beat a ranked opponent or navy for the first time in a while but they wont be undefeated in two years playing for the national title or another major bowl.

[guccimaneburrrr]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Andy Young]

I hate you Brian Kelly.

Seriously I really do.

[pr0digy]

You see them being a BCS contender in two years or so now?

Doubt it...they are losing their two star players, and it will take a couple years of recruiting for Kelly to establish a team that fits his style of football.

[sinkinginthesea]

you dont have to make new individual threads for each new sports story.
quit complaining and don't post then.

[drawndead]

i think it'll take 5 years...if he is there that long

[Andy Young]

Early rumors for the Cincy job are Skip Holtz (E.Carolina), Chris Peterson (Boise St) and Butch Jones (Central Mich).
As well as Kerry Combs and Jeff Quinn ( Current assistant coaches)

[J.C.]

Doubt it...they are losing their two star players, and it will take a couple years of recruiting for Kelly to establish a team that fits his style of football.

They're returning a good amount of talent on offense next year, despite the departure of Clausen and Tate. Their success will hinge on the strides made by their defense, where almost all their starters are returning(which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you want to look at it).

[dignan]

Not much will change. I see ND recruiting blue chip QB's and WR's and not giving two shits about having a good defense. They will continue to lose to ranked opponenets and will be looking for a new coach five years from now.

[Tyler Vagyler]

They just showed a quote from one of Cincy's players....straight ripped Kelly.

[preppyak]

Yeah...
"We already knew what he was going to say. We weren't giving him a round of applause or anything," tight end Ben Guidugli (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=187854) said. "It's like somebody turned their back on us. We brought this whole thing this far. We've come this far. To have someone walk out now is disappointing."
"I don't like it," Gilyard said before the banquet. "I feel there was a little lying in the thing. I feel like he'd known this the whole time. Everybody knows Notre Dame's got the money. I kind of had a gut feeling he was going to stay just because he told me he was going to be here."

But, it'd be insane for him not to make that move up...aside from the money, he can set his own schedule, he can recruit far more nationally, and he's guaranteed TV time for all his games...pretty tough to pass up and stay at a school that isn't even really a football school

[mht]

if they lose the bowl game now the players are going to blame it all on him for being a distraction lol

[imirish06]

i dont know why he would leave an up and coming team who went undefeated this year on the way to their bowl game vs. florida. i think if rudy happened today, they could offer him the starting quarterback spot and even he would decline it and say he would rather play one down for texas or alabama instead of that god awful team in south bend. i was scared when i thought randy edsall was going to get the job, thank god he didnt.

anyway, no i do not see them being a BCS contender in 2 years, maybe they will crack the top 15 and actually beat a ranked opponent or navy for the first time in a while but they wont be undefeated in two years playing for the national title or another major bowl.

I stopped taking you serious after you said Edsall would make a good coach.

[imirish06]

Doubt it...they are losing their two star players, and it will take a couple years of recruiting for Kelly to establish a team that fits his style of football.

Crist is a better fit to Kelly's offense than Clausen.

[Mibabalou]

I stopped taking you serious after you said Edsall would make a good coach.

i think he is a good coach

the school was torn after jasper died

and he pulled the school together

[imirish06]

i think he is a good coach

the school was torn after jasper died

and he pulled the school together

I'm not saying he's a terrible coach, even though I kind of worded it like he was. He's just not THAT good, certainly not a better hire than Kelly. Edsalls best success has come with the ground work laid out by Holtz

[sleepyseanzzz]

I stopped taking you serious after you said Edsall would make a good coach.

nowhere did i say randy edsall would make a good coach at notre dame. learn how to read squintz

[sleepyseanzzz]

i think he is a good coach

the school was torn after jasper died

and he pulled the school together

dont forget of the 5 games they lost this season, two were by 4 points, two were by 3, and one was by 2...and definitely pulling the team together after jasper howard's murder is a testament of how great of a coach he is.

[J.C.]

Edsalls best success has come with the ground work laid out by Holtz

That's extremely silly. Like beyond words.

Edsall's a good game coach and he's done a great job turning UConn into what it is today. I agree he wouldn't have been a good fit at Notre Dame though.

[kboe@bex.net]

i misread this as Brendon kelly (from the lawrence arms ) haha i was like wtf ? and saw bcs when I opended it & thought of his blog bad sandwich chronicles

[Of Dust and Nations]

Early rumors for the Cincy job are Skip Holtz (E.Carolina), Chris Peterson (Boise St) and Butch Jones (Central Mich).
As well as Kerry Combs and Jeff Quinn ( Current assistant coaches)

I am going to be fucking pissed if Cincy takes another coach from CMU. Jones is a good coach, I hope he doesn't bail now that LeFevour is graduating.

[bigmike]

I am going to be fucking pissed if Cincy takes another coach from CMU. Jones is a good coach, I hope he doesn't bail now that LeFevour is graduating.
Right. They should turn down chances to leave a MAC school.

[greenteaallday]

Notre Dame won't go anywhere unless they get a defense. They can have Vince Lombardi coach and will still lose to BCS opponents because of their horrid defense.

[Of Dust and Nations]

Right. They should turn down chances to leave a MAC school.

I just want my school's football team to keep building their program :shrug:

[xtianheadbanger]

BCS in two years, 10-2 next year. But I hate this decision. I really do.
We do have to take into account academics. I read that Cincinnati is not nearly as strict in their recruiting and academics, and Notre Dame is. So we'll see what kind of players he can get and if he can get a better defense.
But I really feel he's a good coach. Just look at his record. It's the career progression so many coaches have, DII or DIAA then mid-major, then major, then a big school like ND.
But the higher the rise, the farther the fall. Staying at Cincinnati would have been a job he could have kept as long as he wanted, but at ND, if he is not producing consistent BCS teams, he will be fired.

[bigmike]

I just want my school's football team to keep building their program :shrug:
Good luck with that because (1) Dan LeFevours don't come along every 4 years and (2) Butch Jones is jetting the first good offer he gets.

[tmagrosky]

i'm a huge notre dame fan
played basketball against theo riddick in high school and with him in aau
nd has talent coming back at the skill positions w/ floyd and armando allen plus thee etc.
Kelly will do a good job on offense, im curious to see in Tanuta stays at DC
dont know what kind of recruiter he will be, but defense and offense line needs to be the recruiting focus

[Of Dust and Nations]

Good luck with that because (1) Dan LeFevours don't come along every 4 years and (2) Butch Jones is jetting the first good offer he gets.

Jones will probably leave...doesn't mean I can't hope and dream anyway. Do you go to Western or something? Haha.

[bigmike]

Jones will probably leave...doesn't mean I can't hope and dream anyway. Do you go to Western or something? Haha.
Haha, no. I just want Central to go down so I don't have to hear Ray Bentley need a change of pants every time he does a Central game or Central gets mentioned.

[Of Dust and Nations]

Haha, no. I just want Central to go down so I don't have to hear Ray Bentley need a change of pants every time he does a Central game or Central gets mentioned.

Hahahaha, I lol'd. You're not the only one who wants Bentley on mute.

[wroteurname]

I'm not saying he's a terrible coach, even though I kind of worded it like he was. He's just not THAT good, certainly not a better hire than Kelly. Edsalls best success has come with the ground work laid out by Holtz

...Do you even know what the program was like when Edsall took over? Mediocre D1-AA with a 15,000 seat stadium. Neither the move to the Big East or Rentschler Field have anything to do with Holtz either. UConn only moved up to D1A and the Big East after Va Tech, Miami, and BC booked it for the ACC and UConn (Edsall) had to very abruptly make the huge shift in both competition on the field and competition in recruiting. The original plans for The Rent were being drawn up when Robert Kraft said he was going to move the Patriots to CT. Skip Holtz has nothing to do with the current state of UConn football.

[wroteurname]

dont forget of the 5 games they lost this season, two were by 4 points, two were by 3, and one was by 2...and definitely pulling the team together after jasper howard's murder is a testament of how great of a coach he is.

As much as I'd like to say that they're better than their record would indicate because of all the close losses, that's kind of a cop out. If they were better, they'd have won those games-too many careless plays at the ends of games, and Teggart kinda sucks.

[bigmike]

...Do you even know what the program was like when Edsall took over? Mediocre D1-AA with a 15,000 seat stadium. Neither the move to the Big East or Rentschler Field have anything to do with Holtz either. UConn only moved up to D1A and the Big East after Va Tech, Miami, and BC booked it for the ACC and UConn (Edsall) had to very abruptly make the huge shift in both competition on the field and competition in recruiting. The original plans for The Rent were being drawn up when Robert Kraft said he was going to move the Patriots to CT. Skip Holtz has nothing to do with the current state of UConn football.
Yup. The fact that Edsall's had that success, and won the big east conference once, is astounding to me.

[Justin_stacy]

I'd take it, getting fired in 4 years for $20 million...seems worth it to me.

[Ben09]

Doubt it...they are losing their two star players, and it will take a couple years of recruiting for Kelly to establish a team that fits his style of football.

Never heard of Dayne Crist huh?

[pr0digy]

Never heard of Dayne Crist huh?

I still don't think they will be good for a couple years...Look at Rich Rod and Michigan and they have two pretty good QBs. Feel free to make me eat my words if ND ends up being good next season however lol.

[Ben09]

I still don't think they will be good for a couple years...Look at Rich Rod and Michigan and they have two pretty good QBs. Feel free to make me eat my words if ND ends up being good next season however lol.

Kelly already has players to fit his system. Rich Rod didn't have that.

[Drew Beringer]

Right. They should turn down chances to leave a MAC school.
lol

[imirish06]

That's extremely silly. Like beyond words.

Edsall's a good game coach and he's done a great job turning UConn into what it is today. I agree he wouldn't have been a good fit at Notre Dame though.

How is that silly? Edsall wouldn't of even had the chance to have UConn into what it is today if it weren't for Holtz. He took that program to it's first I-AA playoff game in 100 years and was a big reason they even upgraded to I-A

[lostxmyxmind]

I know that the ND job is seen as a step up and has more funding, but it still sucks for the UC players. He told them that he was staying before the Pitt game, and now he's gone. At UC he has a lot more freedom than at ND. His star player this year probably would not have been able to play for ND because of academics. He is also going to have to produce almost immediately. When he came to UC, no one was expecting anything spectacular, but with him going to ND, everyone is expecting him to turn this team around in a year which is almost impossible.

[batmannj]

I can't wait until Brian Kelly tanks with this program just like Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis before him. ND is not an elite program anymore, and hasn't been one for at least a decade. Have fun at the insight.com/edu poinsettia bowl ND fans

[J.C.]

How is that silly? Edsall wouldn't of even had the chance to have UConn into what it is today if it weren't for Holtz. He took that program to it's first I-AA playoff game in 100 years and was a big reason they even upgraded to I-A

That has absolutely nothing to do with the success Edsall has had since the program went D-1. Getting there and having success once you're there are not one in the same.

[we are cured]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

exactly, most people would have done the same thing.

/thread

[imirish06]

I can't wait until Brian Kelly tanks with this program just like Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis before him. ND is not an elite program anymore, and hasn't been one for at least a decade. Have fun at the insight.com/edu poinsettia bowl ND fans

You do realize that there were stretches in Notre Dames history that were far worse than what's going on now right? And that before Alabama struck gold with Saban they were in 20x the hole that Notre Dame is in right now, right?

That has absolutely nothing to do with the success Edsall has had since the program went D-1. Getting there and having success once you're there are not one in the same.

It's not like Holtz hasn't had success at 1A, but I understand what you're saying.

[dignan]

You do realize that there were stretches in Notre Dames history that were far worse than what's going on now right? And that before Alabama struck gold with Saban they were in 20x the hole that Notre Dame is in right now, right?


I wouldn't say it was 20x worse. It was almost an identical situation. It's not like Alabama was in the complete shitter, they were just losing close games they shouldn't have lost. I think Mike Shula and Charlie Weiss had similar coaching philosophies.

- Both called the plays from the sideline.
- Both were offensive minded guys with success at the NFL level.
- Both coaches had no clue how to lead their team in the 2nd half of a game.
- Both consistently blew their leads by horrible play calling and lack of fundamental defense.
- Both couldn't beat their rivals.
- Both were fired after a 6-6 season.

[imirish06]

I wasn't really talking directly towards Shula. I was talking more of the state of the program from 90 until Saban. Save for Franchione(Spelling?) and Stallings. Anyways, point being, all programs have their ups and downs.

[acfrue]

Crist is a better fit to Kelly's offense than Clausen.

I actually came in here to say that, so its really not all bad that Jimmy left. With Tate leaving it will leave a considerable hole at WR (and a gap in CF when baseball season comes along), but they've still got Floyd, Kamara, and the best TE in the nation.

Jones will probably leave...doesn't mean I can't hope and dream anyway. Do you go to Western or something? Haha.

Yeah, I do. You got a problem with that?

[batmannj]

You do realize that there were stretches in Notre Dames history that were far worse than what's going on now right? And that before Alabama struck gold with Saban they were in 20x the hole that Notre Dame is in right now, right?

This whole theory rests on the the possibility that Brian Kelly can be just as good a coach and recruit as well as Saban right? Notre Dame can no longer recruit on the same level that warm weather SEC and Pac-10 teams can, and they play a difficult schedule each year. Sure you get your Navy's and Air Force's that will be in the schedule, and the UConn's, but while Alabama will play Quesdilla Tech School in their non-conference, Notre Dame has to play USC, Michigan, Michigan State, and several other schools that make it unrealistic to expect this team to compete for anything more than the every few years BCS game.

[bigmike]

This whole theory rests on the the possibility that Brian Kelly can be just as good a coach and recruit as well as Saban right? Notre Dame can no longer recruit on the same level that warm weather SEC and Pac-10 teams can, and they play a difficult schedule each year. Sure you get your Navy's and Air Force's that will be in the schedule, and the UConn's, but while Alabama will play Quesdilla Tech School in their non-conference, Notre Dame has to play USC, Michigan, Michigan State, and several other schools that make it unrealistic to expect this team to compete for anything more than the every few years BCS game.
False. Notre dame recruits just fine, consistently being in the top 20 of the recruiting rankings no matter the source. The whole "Notre Dame can't recruit" thing is 100% bunk.

[acfrue]

This whole theory rests on the the possibility that Brian Kelly can be just as good a coach and recruit as well as Saban right? Notre Dame can no longer recruit on the same level that warm weather SEC and Pac-10 teams can, and they play a difficult schedule each year. Sure you get your Navy's and Air Force's that will be in the schedule, and the UConn's, but while Alabama will play Quesdilla Tech School in their non-conference, Notre Dame has to play USC, Michigan, Michigan State, and several other schools that make it unrealistic to expect this team to compete for anything more than the every few years BCS game.
ND has one of the most attractive deals to athletes, they're guaranteed at least 6 or 7 games per year of national television time, not to mention brand new facilities. If anything they are one of the best schools for recruits to look at and they always get a few big 5 star kids every year.

[bigmike]

Much like the "ND can't recruit premium athletes" I think the television contract argument gets overrated, too. I can find nationally televised games of nearly every BCS team. Fuck, I think I saw 3 different Syracuse games this year.

[deadkidsean]

I wish I didn't live in this city or go to this school at a time like this. People are so fucking irrational and someone literally came on 700WLW this evening when I was driving home and said they hope Brian Kelly, "rots in Hell," for what he has done to UC. Anyone across the country that was offered there dream job at fucking TRIPLE his current salary would not even think about saying no. No way, no how. I feel awful for the players because there is a feeling of betrayal (BK has a radio show on above radio station once a week and said week in, week out that he wouldn't be going anywhere...looked Mardy in the eyes and said this is my home, etc.) but it is a business. Plain and simple. And while yes I said I do feel bad for the players, for them to complain about him just being in it for the money? Biggest fucking joke ever considering some of the ones saying those things (Mary Gilyard) will have a chance to play at the next level with millions waved under their nose and if they were guaranteed millions before this season if they went to the NFL, they would have taken off in a heartbeat. That, and I hate to throw Gilyard's name around again, but he owes his entire career/success to Kelly. Kelly took him out of his car, gave him his scholarship back, gave him the opportunity in this offense. Talk about ungrateful man, what the fuck.


Phew, that was a rant. Prly didn't make sense. Long story short: I'm glad to be back home in Columbus. Tressel drama is much easier to listen to then the irrational fairweather fans in Cincinnati.

[batmannj]

False. Notre dame recruits just fine, consistently being in the top 20 of the recruiting rankings no matter the source. The whole "Notre Dame can't recruit" thing is 100% bunk.
Yeah. They sure had some impact players on Defense this season...
ND has one of the most attractive deals to athletes, they're guaranteed at least 6 or 7 games per year of national television time, not to mention brand new facilities. If anything they are one of the best schools for recruits to look at and they always get a few big 5 star kids every year.

EVERYONE gets on TV nowadays. Mid-American Conference games get national television all the time. Sure they get some 5 stars, usually on the offensive side of the ball, and they occasional stud that works out. And then they'll got a BCS bowl every once in a while, and they'll get blown out of the water by Oregon State or Ohio State.

[J.C.]

Yeah. They sure had some impact players on Defense this season...

They got the highest rated defense recruit in the class last year in Te'o and had arguably the highest in this year's class (Chris Martin) before Weis got canned. Weis did an okay job getting players who were relatively highly thought of on defense to come to ND(4-stars, generally), but either did a poor job evaluating their talents or did a poor job developing them.

In general, it's probably always going to be easier for a school like Notre Dame to find big offensive recruits than defensive recruits. Just anecdotal evidence on my part, but the players on the defensive side coming out of high school are usually less intelligent than their offensive counterparts. There's less of a likelihood they'll meet ND's academic requirements. I would probably put that as Notre Dame's biggest hurdle recruiting-wise. The fact that they basically rule out a number of guys right off the bat because of academics. That has more to do with them not being able to recruit as well as the Floridas and Texas(es?) of the world than the notion that the big recruits just don't want to go there.

EVERYONE gets on TV nowadays.

Nobody else has (effectively) all their games broadcast on national TV. It is an attractive asset to have when you're trying to lure kids to Notre Dame who live in other parts of the country. Their parents like the idea of getting to see them play each and every weekend.

[we are cured]

I wish I didn't live in this city or go to this school at a time like this. People are so fucking irrational and someone literally came on 700WLW this evening when I was driving home and said they hope Brian Kelly, "rots in Hell," for what he has done to UC. Anyone across the country that was offered there dream job at fucking TRIPLE his current salary would not even think about saying no. No way, no how. I feel awful for the players because there is a feeling of betrayal (BK has a radio show on above radio station once a week and said week in, week out that he wouldn't be going anywhere...looked Mardy in the eyes and said this is my home, etc.) but it is a business. Plain and simple. And while yes I said I do feel bad for the players, for them to complain about him just being in it for the money? Biggest fucking joke ever considering some of the ones saying those things (Mary Gilyard) will have a chance to play at the next level with millions waved under their nose and if they were guaranteed millions before this season if they went to the NFL, they would have taken off in a heartbeat. That, and I hate to throw Gilyard's name around again, but he owes his entire career/success to Kelly. Kelly took him out of his car, gave him his scholarship back, gave him the opportunity in this offense. Talk about ungrateful man, what the fuck.


Phew, that was a rant. Prly didn't make sense. Long story short: I'm glad to be back home in Columbus. Tressel drama is much easier to listen to then the irrational fairweather fans in Cincinnati.

good post, i agree 100%

[lostxmyxmind]

I wish I didn't live in this city or go to this school at a time like this. People are so fucking irrational and someone literally came on 700WLW this evening when I was driving home and said they hope Brian Kelly, "rots in Hell," for what he has done to UC. Anyone across the country that was offered there dream job at fucking TRIPLE his current salary would not even think about saying no. No way, no how. I feel awful for the players because there is a feeling of betrayal (BK has a radio show on above radio station once a week and said week in, week out that he wouldn't be going anywhere...looked Mardy in the eyes and said this is my home, etc.) but it is a business. Plain and simple. And while yes I said I do feel bad for the players, for them to complain about him just being in it for the money? Biggest fucking joke ever considering some of the ones saying those things (Mary Gilyard) will have a chance to play at the next level with millions waved under their nose and if they were guaranteed millions before this season if they went to the NFL, they would have taken off in a heartbeat. That, and I hate to throw Gilyard's name around again, but he owes his entire career/success to Kelly. Kelly took him out of his car, gave him his scholarship back, gave him the opportunity in this offense. Talk about ungrateful man, what the fuck.


Phew, that was a rant. Prly didn't make sense. Long story short: I'm glad to be back home in Columbus. Tressel drama is much easier to listen to then the irrational fairweather fans in Cincinnati.
I agree with this. Some people are being completely irrational about this. My main problem was just that even after the Pitt game he was not completely honest with the players.
In regards to Gilyard, as you said Kelly turned Gilyard's life around and in a way became like a father figure, so it probably hit him really hard when this guy that he looked up to and trusted left after he said that he would not.

[batmannj]

They got the highest rated defense recruit in the class last year in Te'o and had arguably the highest in this year's class (Chris Martin) before Weis got canned. Weis did an okay job getting players who were relatively highly thought of on defense to come to ND(4-stars, generally), but either did a poor job evaluating their talents or did a poor job developing them.

In general, it's probably always going to be easier for a school like Notre Dame to find big offensive recruits than defensive recruits. Just anecdotal evidence on my part, but the players on the defensive side coming out of high school are usually less intelligent than their offensive counterparts. There's less of a likelihood they'll meet ND's academic requirements. I would probably put that as Notre Dame's biggest hurdle recruiting-wise. The fact that they basically rule out a number of guys right off the bat because of academics. That has more to do with them not being able to recruit as well as the Floridas and Texas(es?) of the world than the notion that the big recruits just don't want to go there.



Nobody else has (effectively) all their games broadcast on national TV. It is an attractive asset to have when you're trying to lure kids to Notre Dame who live in other parts of the country. Their parents like the idea of getting to see them play each and every weekend.
I agree strongly on the first part, and I am still a little so so on the different part. Yes ND does have what I would call better coverage, having your own network is solid, but at the same time, I can watch Florida 8 or 9 times in the year.

[bigmike]

Yeah. They sure had some impact players on Defense this season...


EVERYONE gets on TV nowadays. Mid-American Conference games get national television all the time. Sure they get some 5 stars, usually on the offensive side of the ball, and they occasional stud that works out. And then they'll got a BCS bowl every once in a while, and they'll get blown out of the water by Oregon State or Ohio State.
Considering that their defense is immensely young, I wouldn't be surprised if that defense drastically improves next year. Of course all of that would be attributed to Kelly just like Weis got the love when he won with Brady Quinn.

[tmagrosky]

they need to retool the offensive line, but have a staple of good running backs coming back plus floyd, if crist is healthy they should still have a pretty explosive offense