ND Coaching Search Megathread

[BeauBenken]

I will say, I do think BK could have been part of the next step, but I think Freeman HAS to be.

 

[NDIrish88]

Even if it is Freeman, the underlying issues with what caused a top 10 coach to leave ND remain. Not super hopeful that changes with a 36-year old HC but maybe he can at least add some Gug renovations guarantees to his contract.

It shouldn't need to be "hard" to get things done at a blue blood football program and that more than anything likely drove Kelly to leave. These SEC schools bend over backwards in order to stay competitive.

To me it isn't facilities alone. Kelly made an emotional decision because the Shaun Davis report, to me, is plausible.

Jack said no extension. If you don't win a Natty by the end of the contract, you gone. Kelly got ahead of it, especially since Freeman was waiting to ascend, and bounced. He is now setup at LSU to get paid for mediocrity if it plays out that way. Winning at this point is just a bonus.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Even if it is Freeman, the underlying issues with what caused a top 10 coach to leave ND remain. Not super hopeful that changes with a 36-year old HC but maybe he can at least add some Gug renovations guarantees to his contract.

It shouldn't need to be "hard" to get things done at a blue blood football program and that more than anything likely drove Kelly to leave. These SEC schools bend over backwards in order to stay competitive.

Well, it would be great if this served as a wake up call. Notre Dame has never before lost a coach to another school. Kelly is (unintentionally) doing ND football a favor with his thinly veiled criticism of the administration.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

To me it isn't facilities alone. Kelly made an emotional decision because the Shaun Davis report, to me, is plausible.

Jack said no extension. If you don't win a Natty by the end of the contract, you gone. Kelly got ahead of it, especially since Freeman was waiting to ascend, and bounced. He is now setup at LSU to get paid for mediocrity if it plays out that way. Winning at this point is just a bonus.

Sampson said that Kelly and his agent requested a meeting with the admin within the last couple of weeks but that meeting never took place.

However, I have a hard time taking that ultimatum at face value because Swarbrick made a lot of public statements that he wanted Kelly to be at ND until retirement. Plus, it seems pretty unreasonable unless you're just trying to get rid of the guy... which also strikes me as unlikely.

It is an eyebrow-raiser that he was only signed through 2024. I had kind of assumed it was because he was nearing retirement but obviously that was wrong.

 

[NDPhilly]

To me it isn't facilities alone. Kelly made an emotional decision because the Shaun Davis report, to me, is plausible.

Jack said no extension. If you don't win a Natty by the end of the contract, you gone. Kelly got ahead of it, especially since Freeman was waiting to ascend, and bounced. He is now setup at LSU to get paid for mediocrity if it plays out that way. Winning at this point is just a bonus.

What was the Shaun Davis report?

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Even if it is Freeman, the underlying issues with what caused a top 10 coach to leave ND remain. Not super hopeful that changes with a 36-year old HC but maybe he can at least add some Gug renovations guarantees to his contract.

It shouldn't need to be "hard" to get things done at a blue blood football program and that more than anything likely drove Kelly to leave. These SEC schools bend over backwards in order to stay competitive.

True, but didn't Jack say in his presser that they are looking to renovate the Gug and expand the football facility in the future? If that's the case, it's likely that BK was fed up that is hasn't already occurred and didn't want to wait around for it to happen.

 

[ACamp1900]

Even if it is Freeman, the underlying issues with what caused a top 10 coach to leave ND remain. Not super hopeful that changes with a 36-year old HC but maybe he can at least add some Gug renovations guarantees to his contract.

It shouldn't need to be "hard" to get things done at a blue blood football program and that more than anything likely drove Kelly to leave. These SEC schools bend over backwards in order to stay competitive.

Yes, but the hope here is that Freeman just take one last step in the coming few years and maybe drop a natty in our lap,.. the program hasn't been this close across the board at any point in my adult life. I can live with the ND unique BS in that scenario.

 

[clashmore_mike]

What are sources inside the Gug saying?

Tom is still digging.

 

[dad4aa]

Even if Freeman went to OSU yesterday (Which I do not believe he did) he would take being HC at Notre Dame over DC at OSU.

 

[calvegas04]

Day 268 since Kelly left ND and the search continues for a new coach

 

[Rogue219]

It seems to me that facility renovations are just going to be a perpetual never-ending thing. It's a forever war trap. The Gug was basically finished in 2005 in time for Ty's departure and Weis' arrival, a construction that was the culmination of a push that began with Holtz for "improved" facilities. Now, from what I'm seeing in this thread and on this board, 15 years later it's a piece of shit complex compared to what so many others have.

So if Freeman is named coach by dinner tonight and renovations/construction on facilities begin by June 2022, by the time they're done, at what point are those modifications deemed subpar?

To me this is like getting a new iPhone every time the new version comes out. It just seems like a merry go round that never stops.

If Marcus Freeman is a good recruiter, maybe he has the sauce to talk to donors and big wigs to fund raise for this kind of stuff? He may not have a choice.

 

[MacIrish75]

Day 268 since Kelly left ND and the search continues for a new coach

“Captain’s Log: Stardate 2021.12.1. Ship out of control, spiraling downward toward imminent demise. Survival seems fleeting with lack of control at the helm.”

 

[IrishLax]

Great article by Sampson in the Athletic.

Wont share all of it... but this line is really interesting:

Freeman was scheduled to meet with Swarbrick on Wednesday, sources said, and though there are many steps between here and there, Freeman’s preferred choice of offensive coordinator is current OC Tommy Rees

Buried in that article is that Kelly:
1. Turned down LSU when they initially approached him
2. Requested a meeting with Swarbrick and Jenkins, and they blew him off.
3. Took the LSU job when they came back with about $100mil of guaranteed money.

 

[IRISHMAN]

if freeman does get the HC job how much would this situation be to when lincoln riley got the HC job at OU when he was only 33 years old?

i like freeman but being so young and never being a HC before i worry that the job would be to much for him, having to deal with everything rather than dealing with just the defense.

 

[ACamp1900]

Day 268 since Kelly left ND and the search continues for a new coach

All kinds of worm hole bullshit when ND has a coaching vacancy.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

if freeman does get the HC job how much would this situation be to when lincoln riley got the HC job at OU when he was only 33 years old?

i like freeman but being so young and never being a HC before i worry that the job would be to much for him, having to deal with everything rather than dealing with just the defense.

There are reasons to be concerned but what a Freeman promotion shares with Ryan Day and Licoln Riley's ascensions at OSU and OU is that there's no need for a rebuild. They can keep the machine humming while adding something new. I think a smart, young head coach surrounded by experienced staff and good infrastructure is exactly what you need for those programs.

If ND was coming off a year like the 2016 season I would be more interested in an experienced HC.

 

[DONTH8]

I think I'm more torn about the prospect of the assistant coaches leaving, than I am about Kelly himself leaving. Or maybe I have just accepted the Kelly thing now. Idk.

I want Freeman and Rees to stay obviously. I think both are rising stars, and only going to get better with time and obviously are excelling at a high level already.They havent hit their respective ceilings yet.

Elston and Taylor are the next two big ones. Both have done a tremendous job of identifying talent and developing the talent they have. They seem to recruit extremely well, and know how to develop the right culture in the room. I desperately don't want to lose that. I have seen Elston's wife on twitter liking a few posts about the prospect of Freeman becoming head coach, some of the posts the players were making, etc. I think there is a chance he stays. Idk if Taylor is loyal to Kelly, or ND for that matter, and I cant find anything that would tip one way or the other. I'd make Elston DC and use that Assistant Associate Head Coach title, or whatever he was given, to support Freeman in both roles.

Mickens and Mcnaulty are both guys that seem to be favorites among the current coordinators, and that is reason enough for me to want them to stay on staff. Again, neither of them have posted anything that would be tipping the scales.

O'leary seems to be a dude. I like the stories that have come out with regards to him and the recruiting that he has done, especially Peyton in 24' class. I also appreciate the comments of respect that players have for him without the need for him to yell, scream, and use expletives to get that attention and respect. Points to him being articulate and mature. Things I personally value.

Alexander, Quinn, and Polian are guys that I still appreciate and wouldn't want to lose for another year, but I also wouldn't be as disappointed with them moving on. I think Polian would be a good one especially to keep for another year during the transition.

I agreed with Swarbrick that a key to this teams success has been an incredible staff. That is my biggest concern now. Hitting a hard reset with a bunch of moving pieces, would be the worst thing to happen imo. Keep the culture intact as long as you can.

Side note: Balis would have been in my original list with the same category as Rees and Freeman. I was incredibly relieved when it was announced he would stay.

 

[NDPhilly]

Buried in that article is that Kelly:
1. Turned down LSU when they initially approached him
2. Requested a meeting with Swarbrick and Jenkins, and they blew him off.
3. Took the LSU job when they came back with about $100mil of guaranteed money.

Embarrassing if true

 

[Irishbounty28]

The thing about coaching changes, hiring/firing coaches, is you never really know how it’s going to work out. Some guys are great one place and shit at another. There are too many reasons why this happens to list, but the fact is you can’t see into the future. Nick Saban himself could come here and not be as successful as the previous coach.

For this reason, I don’t think there is more of a risk with Freeman than any of these other candidates. Fickel has been successful at Cincinnati, but that doesn’t automatically mean he would be successful at ND. It’s a gamble any direction you slice it, so take the known benefits you would get from Feeeman.

 

[IrishTusker]

Buried in that article is that Kelly:
1. Turned down LSU when they initially approached him
2. Requested a meeting with Swarbrick and Jenkins, and they blew him off.
3. Took the LSU job when they came back with about $100mil of guaranteed money.

Not a BK guy, but yeah, that's not acceptable if true. I love ND and have met some of the best people here, but sometimes the administration can come across as arrogant or holier-than-thou. Not having the best facilities is unacceptable. Not agreeing to meet with BK is unacceptable. Etc.

 

[irishog77]

Just throwing out some devil's advocate thoughts here:

I'm pretty warm to the idea of MF as HC. Unlike many others, I do feel there is a downside to him though. I think we can all agree that he'll recruit well and that players will like him. He may turn out to be wayyyy over his head leading a staff, delegating responsibilities, implementing game plans week to week, navigating in-game decisions and personnel, etc. though. To those that think, "yeah, but he'll recruit well, so ND can just move on to another guy in 2-3 years," I say, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Miami, and Florida all say hello. It's not as simple as moving on to another guy.

The good sign that Jack called MF back from the road may be as simple as that MF was in MI, a few hours away, and maybe he was coming back to South Bend anyway. We might be making too much of this omen.

Any talk of keeping the '23 class together shouldn't factor or weigh in to any decision on a HC. There's a ton of time between now and then.

Jack isn't doing his job if he doesn't at least make some calls to guys like Aranda, Rhule, Fickell, etc. Totally agree that the Campbells and Brohms of the world do nothing for me personally, or more importantly, for ND. But somebody like Aranda may be another version of MF, but one with a few more years, a little better resume, and now experience as a HC.

Social media reports and campaigns. While they may have some validity, Jack probably also knows that the amount of people that actually have, post, and influence on Twitter, say, is not representative of the entire body. We all should know this by now.

I like the idea of MF as HC, but maybe we shouldn't ride or die with him.

That's all for now.

 

[arahop]

Embarrassing if true

Ghost of Monk Malloy. The administration somehow is Notre Dame football's biggest nemesis.

Looking forward to seeing what Freeman can do. ( It's a no brainer.)

 

[wizards8507]

Embarrassing if true

Ghost of Monk Malloy. The administration somehow is Notre Dame football's biggest nemesis.

Looking forward to seeing what Freeman can do. ( It's a no brainer.)

It's only embarrassing if you assume that they *wanted* to retain him. Maybe they didn't.

 

[Kingbish01]

What was the Shaun Davis report?

I'm curious too

 

[IrishTusker]

Sampson said that Kelly and his agent requested a meeting with the admin within the last couple of weeks but that meeting never took place.

However, I have a hard time taking that ultimatum at face value because Swarbrick made a lot of public statements that he wanted Kelly to be at ND until retirement. Plus, it seems pretty unreasonable unless you're just trying to get rid of the guy... which also strikes me as unlikely.

It is an eyebrow-raiser that he was only signed through 2024. I had kind of assumed it was because he was nearing retirement but obviously that was wrong.

I'm pretty certain they were not trying to get rid of BK. Maybe they assumed he wouldn't leave, which is also arrogant. And again, I'm not a BK guy.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

Day 268 since Kelly left ND and the search continues for a new coach

I know, right. 15 days to flatten the curve, almost!

 

[tko]

At least Kelly could've finished the ICON video for Stanford before fucking us.

 

[GreenGemsOmally]

At least Kelly could've finished the ICON video for Stanford before fucking us.

Ah shoot I didn't even think about that. I love those ICON videos

 

[NorthDakota]

There are reasons to be concerned but what a Freeman promotion shares with Ryan Day and Licoln Riley's ascensions at OSU and OU is that there's no need for a rebuild. They can keep the machine humming while adding something new. I think a smart, young head coach surrounded by experienced staff and good infrastructure is exactly what you need for those programs.

If ND was coming off a year like the 2016 season I would be more interested in an experienced HC.

in 2016 I would have demanded Stoops or someone like that.

 

[IrishLax]

in 2016 I would have demanded Stoops or someone like that.

2016 == time for a rebuild, which is essentially what they did with assistant coach overhaul.

2021 == build on what we've got, keep things running.

If we were 4-8 this year and rudderless with bad recruiting classes I would be looking for Fickell, Rhule or Campbell to right the ship.