Brian Kelly signs new six-year contract with Notre Dame

[GATTACA!]

So he either honors his contract and gets paid a huge sum of money or he performs well enough to convince another team to pay the buyout. There is no scenario whatsoever that would cause him to not want to sign a 6 year contract unless he hated Notre Dame and knew he wanted to leave in a year.

I just HATE long contracts for ANYONE. This has nothing to do with BK personally.

If we go 6-6 next year, ND will be scared away from firing BK. That's not a good situation.

Even conservatively at 5 million a year a team would have to pay upwards of 20-25 million to poach BK in the next year or two, not even including the value of whatever they would be paying BK which id assume would have to be at least on par with what he's making at ND. For BK to be worth 60 million dollars in the next year or two it would take nothing less than 28-0 with 2 natty's. If that's the case so be it.

 

[gkIrish]

Maybe we can pay him hourly?

What's the difference between 4 and 6 years from our perspective? Why are the extra 2 years necessary? Was BK really not going to sign a 4 years deal? If his quotes are truthful I doubt it...

 

[GATTACA!]

What's the difference between 4 and 6 years from our perspective? Why are the extra 2 years necessary? Was BK really not going to sign a 4 years deal? If his quotes are truthful I doubt it...

Because it adds an extra 10 million dollars to the buyout someone would have to pay to hire him away. What are you not understanding about this?

 

[IrishLion]

What's the difference between 4 and 6 years from our perspective? Why are the extra 2 years necessary? Was BK really not going to sign a 4 years deal? If his quotes are truthful I doubt it...

4 years only covers the guys currently on the team.

A 6-year contract extension shows stability to the high school sophomores and juniors that are being recruited, as well as guys on the team now that could be 5th-year players.

6 years covers the maximum player "cycle," if you consider that recruiting picks up in earnest when an athlete is a junior, and when you consider that most athletes are in the program for 4 or 5.

 

[Luckylucci]

That part isn't a joke. 3 straight years and it's not bad luck.

I'm not the most well versed in sport injuries so I'll defer to those that are but I do think this offseason we should do some serious outreach to other programs or maybe even NFL teams. With that said, I don't expect an entire overall or anything to that degree but it has gotten to the point where it can't just be passed off as bad luck.

 

[NorthDakota]

Totally agree ND (North Dakota that is). Can anyone say we are worse off for Kelly coming to Notre Dame? No way. The guy has solidified us back into a premiere program and the future is bright. I don't know why anyone would not be happy with this deal. Pumped for more Kelly!

By the way, where you at in North Dakota? Lived in Minot for about 6 months with my in-laws when my wife and I were in between career jobs. Traveled all over state working with BNSF railroad guys during my short stay. Was actually back up there for Christmas with my wife's parents.

We see completely eye to eye on Mr. Kelly.

I'm in Grand Forks. My parents are from over south of Minot. Harvey area. I grew up in Jamestown.

 

[gkIrish]

Because it adds an extra 10 million dollars to the buyout someone would have to pay to hire him away. What are you not understanding about this?

You don't even know if there is a reverse buyout, and if there is one, it's definitely not the full amount of the contract. It's probably closer to 2-3 million/year.

I actually seriously doubt there is a large reverse buyout. Good coaches have all the negotiating power in college football. I'll try and find Saban or Meyer's contract terms for comparison purposes.

4 years only covers the guys currently on the team.

A 6-year contract extension shows stability to the high school sophomores and juniors that are being recruited, as well as guys on the team now that could be 5th-year players.

6 years covers the maximum player "cycle," if you consider that recruiting picks up in earnest when an athlete is a junior, and when you consider that most athletes are in the program for 4 or 5.

Makes some sense but I honestly don't think a high school sophomore gives a crap about whether BK is signed through his senior year of college. Urban isn't going to neg recruit BK by telling some recruit that BK could be gone by his junior year of college. That would be a waste of time.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

So he either honors his contract and gets paid a huge sum of money or he performs well enough to convince another team to pay the buyout. There is no scenario whatsoever that would cause him to not want to sign a 6 year contract unless he hated Notre Dame and knew he wanted to leave in a year.

I just HATE long contracts for ANYONE. This has nothing to do with BK personally.

If we go 6-6 next year, ND will be scared away from firing BK. That's not a good situation.

Everything you said is good, except you forgot the ego and success driven things. Kelly isn't looking back. He is not going to have a falloff in performance. He just isn't.

Say he wants to get out in three years, for example; as the first couple years would be too prohibited for a buyout, he needs to perform really well during those years in order for someone to want to buy him out.

Say he just screws the pooch, from here on out. If it is purposeful, there are things the university can do to make his life hell, including usurping all of his authority, or moving him out of his head coaching position. And if he flat out fraudulently negotiated that contract, UND can back out of it unscathed.

There are performance incentives. Jack Swarbrick is a great negotiator. The best long term contracts are more performance based with wider ranges of reward for success. Some good ones actually have penalties built in for extremely poor performance. Getting back to the scenario of entirely flaccid performance, I am sure with a Swarbrick contract it would cost too much to contemplate.

Jack and Brian have too good of a working relationship. I believe their customary, behind the scenes relationship gives Brian some wide latitude that he might not get at any other place, and I believe Jack retains some powerful oversight. Examples of each would be Brian seeing what happened to the other Kelly at Philly, and my belief to this day Jack had more to do with the restructuring of the coaching staff than was even implied.

Also, Brian came out and said it many times last year, point blank. He wasn't going anywhere. Most people took it as 'coachspeak.' But I thought it was the straight line.

 

[IrishLax]

What do you mean? Are you suggesting BK would have to pay ND money if he leaves for another job?

Yes, that's how buyouts are typically structured. Some even to the tune of 5+ mil/year. Sometimes, if the new team wants you that badly, they'll cover the cost or you can negotiate down the buyout. Other times you have to foot the bill yourself. Either way, it makes it much harder to leave... you're less of an attractive option for other teams because of the poison pill they'd have to swallow, or you don't want to leave because it would cost you tens of millions of dollars.

When people try to stick their middle finger up at a buyout and leave anyways, then it ends up in court and it gets very icky. Just ask the University of Texas.

 

[IrishLax]

You don't even know if there is a reverse buyout, and if there is one, it's definitely not the full amount of the contract. It's probably closer to 2-3 million/year.

I actually seriously doubt there is a large reverse buyout. Good coaches have all the negotiating power in college football. I'll try and find Saban or Meyer's contract terms for comparison purposes.

I don't know where you're getting this from. It's exceptionally rare to see a one-way buyout. Weis' giant contract cut both ways and while the size/duration of it was atypical, the terms on yearly basis really weren't. Sumlin had a buyout to the tune of $5mil/year that'd he'd have to pay for leaving, and I think you'd be crazy to think Notre Dame didn't lock in Kelly to something similar at least over the first few years of the contract.

 

[pumpdog20]

I love it, congrats coach!. Obviously ND thinks he's a good coach, locking him up for 6 more years.

But a GREAT coach would have got 10.

 

[gkIrish]

I don't know where you're getting this from. It's exceptionally rare to see a one-way buyout. Weis' giant contract cut both ways and while the size/duration of it was atypical, the terms on yearly basis really weren't. Sumlin had a buyout to the tune of $5mil/year that'd he'd have to pay for leaving, and I think you'd be crazy to think Notre Dame didn't lock in Kelly to something similar at least over the first few years of the contract.

We are all speculating at this point. I'm not worried so much about him wanting to leave. I'm worried about him not doing well and us not firing him because of the money...

 

[NDohio]

I notice his new deal ends just before Ohio State comes on the schedule.

Second consecutive day that sports folks across the nation are talking about ND.

 

[NorthDakota]

We are all speculating at this point. I'm not worried so much about him wanting to leave. I'm worried about him not doing well and us not firing him because of the money...

You are worried about a guy who got ND to a national title game in year 3, and within 4 points of a perfect regular season while missing God knows how many guys in year 6 not doing well?

 

[GoldenDomer]

He pisses me off at times, but I was very happy to see this.

 

[gkIrish]

You are worried about a guy who got ND to a national title game in year 3, and within 4 points of a perfect regular season while missing God knows how many guys in year 6 not doing well?

Yes? I'd be worried about any coach not named Nick Saban or Urban Meyer.

We were also 4 points away from going 9-3, by the way.

 

[beryirish]

He pisses me off at times, but I was very happy to see this.

Does he not put the toilet seat down for you to sit?

 

[IrishLion]

Yes? I'd be worried about any coach not named Nick Saban or Urban Meyer.

We were also 4 points away from going 9-3, by the way.

I'd be worried about them, too. They couldn't handle the limitations that BK deals with IMO.

 

[Booslum31]

4 years only covers the guys currently on the team.

A 6-year contract extension shows stability to the high school sophomores and juniors that are being recruited, as well as guys on the team now that could be 5th-year players.

6 years covers the maximum player "cycle," if you consider that recruiting picks up in earnest when an athlete is a junior, and when you consider that most athletes are in the program for 4 or 5.

I agree. I happen to be super-pumped that he signed this deal. Can't think of someone doing a better job at getting talent here and dealing with what he has to deal with on the admissions front. A better D - Coordinator would be good....but I think we are lucky as hell to have Kelly.

 

[ThePiombino]

I can't believe there are people actually complaining in this thread lol

 

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

6 more years of great special teams

 

[beryirish]

6 more years of great special teams

Kelly himself complained about special teams because he didn't have the depth on ST due to scholarships and injuries.

You've seen quite a big improvement last year because Kelly is starting to get those holes filled.

 

[NDTH91]

6 more years of great special teams

Yeah, we had a punt return TD, kick return TD, blocked punt TD, freshman all-American kicker, and pretty damn good freshman punter. It was horrendous...

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I'd be worried about them, too. They couldn't handle the limitations that BK deals with IMO.

Actually, I believe you could take that one step further. Post Holtz, I think the only reason either of those guys didn't take the ND job was because of the limitations!

Both wanted to coach the Irish. Both are Catholic. Both always dreamed of coaching in South Bend. Both had the opportunity to make it happen. For a fact. Why didn't they?

AND. I bet ND moves to a place where they are special teams dominant, (which really helps in big or close games.)

Look at the players from Adams to Yoon . . .

Yeah, we had a punt return TD, kick return TD, blocked punt TD, freshman all-American kicker, and pretty damn good freshman punter. It was horrendous...

Thank, you!

 

[Hammer Of The Gods]

I'm good with the extension. If news comes out tomorrow that Longo and BVG are packing their bags.

 

[Hammer Of The Gods]

Yeah, we had a punt return TD, kick return TD, blocked punt TD, freshman all-American kicker, and pretty damn good freshman punter. It was horrendous...

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

We have had some absolutely FABULOUS punt catchers year in and year out though.

I think we all saw what special teams should look like from Ohio State.

 

[kmoose]

What do you mean? Are you suggesting BK would have to pay ND money if he leaves for another job?

I wasn't suggesting anything. I was questioning YOUR suggestion that you know the details of the contract well enough to say that Kelly could walk away from it with no consequences.

 

[gkIrish]

I wasn't suggesting anything. I was questioning YOUR suggestion that you know the details of the contract well enough to say that Kelly could walk away from it with no consequences.

I can tell you that I am certain Brian Kelly will personally never pay a dime to stop coaching the team.

 

[Luckylucci]

6 more years of great special teams

Like others have said before me. ST's were pretty darn good this year. I mean, by itself, that blocked punt against USC for a TD was worth this extension, lol

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Like others have said before me. ST's were pretty darn good this year. I mean, by itself, that blocked punt against USC for a TD was worth this extension, lol

We were absolutely awful on both sides of kick offs / punts against osu.