BK stays at ND

[GoIrish41]

Yeah that part wasn't to you, was just kind of an aside. I think Jack's awesomeness is something we can all agree on.

To answer your first question, I don't really care about supposed "inside sources" much more than I care about press releases, because in either case they're just interested parties advancing their agenda. It's all "spin." People have all kinds of reasons for saying things, but informing the public usually isn't one of them.

Usually when I'm assessing something, especially something where people are very likely trying to posture or mislead, I try to step back from it and assess it from 10,000 feet. What explains all of this situation in its totality? How does that jive with what I think I know or what I believe about things? In that process, I give very little credence to what involved parties are saying on the record, although I may give a lot of weight to their actions and what I perceive to be the likely motivations for them (i.e., don't care what Jack or Kelly say to media today, but do care that Trace Armstrong leaked this to his clients in the media - and what his motivation would be for doing that).

great post. If I didn't know that you were an attorney, I'd swear you were in PR.

 

[Junkhead]

So does this mean we can now anticipate Diaco getting a big extension and salary increase? Or was that lunch just to fill time?

Diaco is getting a pay cut due to the lack of tackling against Bama

 

[RallySonsOfND]

Glad everything worked. I said if BK comes back it's because he's confident he can win a NC at ND.

All of you that turned on BK, take a lap.

Then give me 25% of your vBucks. Gotta hit you were it counts so you learn from this.

 

[RubberSoul]

Diaco still needs to speak about the performance of his defense on monday night.

The offensive line needs to be drastically improved.

The offense in general needs to be improved greatly. More formations, plays, play action, creativity, imagination. Get on it Kelly!

 

[BurningRiver]

I am an Eagles fan and I would not consider them "elite." However, it is a top ten destination. You bring just one Super Bowl to this town and they may put a statue of you where William Penn currently resides.

I'm a Browns fan, and if you're a Browns head coach and bring us a a record better than 8-8 they'd name the stadium after you and give you a lifetime contract

 

[BGIF]

I am an Eagles fan and I would not consider them "elite." However, it is a top ten destination. You bring just one Super Bowl to this town and they may put a statue of you where William Penn currently resides.

Which underscores what has been accomplished in Philadelphia in the past 300 years.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Ok, the fact that BK is back is ALL that is important.

Taking dumps on fans who are passionate about ND and calling them traitors is just bullshit.

The TEAM and UNIVERSITY is all that matters to me...period.

I don't give a care about anything else. IF that does not make me a "good" fan in many people's eyes I could honestly care less.

Glad BK is back, but I am not traitor to the university because I reacted the same way MANY FANATICS of ND did...and neither are they.

Some people on here need to get a grip on their egos.

Jeez

Great post and I'll work the wall with you.

We are...ND

 

[WaveDomer]

I am an Eagles fan and I would not consider them "elite." However, it is a top ten destination. You bring just one Super Bowl to this town and they may put a statue of you where William Penn currently resides.

As long as it's not taller than William Penn. Also, the coach would have to be holding a playbook or something that from a certain angle would look like... well, you know.

 

[philipm31]

Great post and I'll work the wall with you.

We are...ND

Thanks HCTI!

 

[Redbar]

As long as Jack Swarbrick is around Notre Dame athletics will be fine. That guy is incredible, he actually does remind me of Tom Hagen. I hope Father Jenkins realizes what he has there.

 

[Chi_IRISH]

I'm hammered but how much was this a true power play ??? Congrats BK you got what you want now I want what the nd nation wants a national championship. I can't wait till it happens go ND and go CBK!!!!

 

[ulukinatme]

Diaco is getting a pay cut due to the lack of tackling against Bama

This may have been in jest, but the game looked like we were playing 2010 Navy again. Poor tackling, couldn't get off blocks, and we bit on the play action quite a bit. It's harsh to complain about just one game out of 12 other great ones this season, but this really was the biggest stage, and the defense looked like the weakest point when we were supposed to be more concerned about offense than defense. The offense did as expected against a tough defense, our defense did not.

I should say that I don't think Diaco should get a pay cut by any means, but man...our defense was like 180 in that game.

 

[BGIF]

As long as it's not taller than William Penn. Also, the coach would have to be holding a playbook or something that from a certain angle would look like... well, you know.

Sounds like you've been to Philly when it's raining.

 

[eNDzone]

This may have been in jest, but the game looked like we were playing 2010 Navy again. Poor tackling, couldn't get off blocks, and we bit on the play action quite a bit. It's harsh to complain about just one game out of 12 other great ones this season, but this really was the biggest stage, and the defense looked like the weakest point when we were supposed to be more concerned about offense than defense. The offense did as expected against a tough defense, our defense did not.

I should say that I don't think Diaco should get a pay cut by any means, but man...our defense was like 180 in that game.

Remember how Kelly adjusted in the next game against Navy and shut them down. He learns his lessons well.

 

[Old Man Mike]

This probably should go elsewhere, but it was brought up here. It concerns our sharp and evolving DC, Bobby-the-D.

There was what was to me a very significant thing said by Barrett Jones after the game about our defense [and to preface this: I believe that comments by veteran "coaches-coming-to-be" players like Jones are VERY much worth listening to]:

"They're good because they're simple. But they're simple." He went on to say that given all the time that they [read: Saban] had to prepare for the game, the Notre Dame defense was simply patterned and predictable to the point where he and his buddies knew exactly where they would all be, angles and all, if they did certain formations and motions. That unusual foreknowledge allowed subtleties of knowing exactly who to block and how. Jones said that this made it relatively easy for linemen to get to the second level and at the right angles.

What does this say? Well, it explains a lot about the game, of course. But it also says that while Bobby-the-D is a very bright young coach, he's still only a few layers deep. As he grows he will have more inscrutable arrangements and goings on pre-snap, and be more diverse and unpredictable. So, good as he is, he is not even QUITE there as a DC let alone a head coach. He vitally needs more time with oldtimers like Kelly, Martin, Elliott, Hiestand.

The reason that this didn't hurt us during the season is that nobody had the amount of film nor the time to figure it all out, and almost no one is Nick Saban. Also, during the season we could make up for sometimes being figured out by just being so dammed superior physically that it didn't matter. Against Alabama, we saw that Nix was obviously physically superior to Jones on almost every play, but in the eleven man plan it almost never made any difference.

Was this "on" Diaco? Well, only philosophically. It was merely that Bob's at one stage in his evolution and Saban's at another. Add in the time needed for Saban to make use of his experience advantage and we got an uneven playing field. None of this diminishes the fact that Alabama won the football game decisively. It indicates something important to me, however. Our players were closer to their players in talent [by far] than it looked. Each play was loaded before it was snapped.

 

[irish1958]

Old Man Mike: very interesting. Two additional examples spring to my mind. Ara shut down the Texas wishbone and probably was responsible for its demise.
And in a bowl game against Oregon State when Bob Davie was coach (with, I think Dennis Erickson as the OS coach) the defense appeared to know every play we were going to run. And they did. Tom Pagna (the radio announcer and former ND coach) started calling every play based on the formation and the player personnel on the field.

 

[Rocky2820]

Per Mike Frank from ISD:

He acknowledges that his thoughts here are his opinions based upon 3rd and 4th hand information, but obviously he’s more plugged in than most/all of us. He believes BK had genuine interest in the NFL (and it's obvious at this point that the Eagles had genuine interest in him), and that it was not just an either/or leverage ploy. And he believes BK still has genuine NFL interest, and we won’t likely see a move any time soon but who knows 5 years or so down the road. Also believes Swarbrick when he says that a raise and extension for BK has been in the works for weeks, and thinks he’ll be bumped up into the neighborhood of $5M per year. And believes that a budget increase for assistant coaches’ pay is also something BK wants.

All of this makes sense to me. A few have suggested, or perhaps insisted, that all of this was merely a leverage ploy. Mike Frank doesn’t agree with this assessment. Who knows for sure, but my read on the situation is more consistent with his than not.

 

[yankeeND]

Per Mike Frank from ISD:

He acknowledges that his thoughts here are his opinions based upon 3rd and 4th hand information, but obviously he’s more plugged in than most/all of us. He believes BK had genuine interest in the NFL (and it's obvious at this point that the Eagles had genuine interest in him), and that it was not just an either/or leverage ploy. And he believes BK still has genuine NFL interest, and we won’t likely see a move any time soon but who knows 5 years or so down the road. Also believes Swarbrick when he says that a raise and extension for BK has been in the works for weeks, and thinks he’ll be bumped up into the neighborhood of $5M per year. And believes that a budget increase for assistant coaches’ pay is also something BK wants.

All of this makes sense to me. A few have suggested, or perhaps insisted, that all of this was merely a leverage ploy. Mike Frank doesn’t agree with this assessment. Who knows for sure, but my read on the situation is more consistent with his than not.

I can see all of that being true. I think Kelly finally had the spotlight bright enough to test the waters and he will continue to have interest as long as he continues to be successful here. I also think that Kelly wants to win a championship here first before he moves on. There will obviously have to be some tweaks to the system for that to happen but I believe we are a lot closer to where we need to be than what the championship game showed us. We are closer in coaching and talent with each passing recruiting class but depth needs to improve and we will see another opportunity to play this game again. Kelly will learn from this and we will have our day in the sun! I beleive!

 

[SoJerseyIrish]

I think Mike Frank summed it up pretty well.

Local news here in the Philly area says that the Eagles "were" going to make an aggressive offer to him "if" they got the opportunity to meet with him again. As a fan of both teams I am happy he is staying at ND.

 

[ARALOU]

Old Man Mike: very interesting. Two additional examples spring to my mind. Ara shut down the Texas wishbone and probably was responsible for its demise

Backbone Defense. From a high school coach in Texas. Same place the Wishbone came from. Another coach from some high school in Texas. Good points. Innovation is the key. Saban has been quoted as saying that big people beat up little people. I don't think the Irish are all that far away from Alabama. Bigger, more talented players will catch them up. The innovation will follow also.

 

[KPENN]

Notre Dame AD: I was not leveraged by Brian Kelly's Eagles interview - CBSSports.com

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly didn't push for a raise or an extension during this week's flirtation with the Philadelphia Eagles, athletic director Jack Swarbrick told CBSSports.com on Saturday night.

And he didn't need to -- Swarbrick said he started lobbying for Kelly's reworked contract more than a month ago.
The school announced Saturday that Kelly would remain at Notre Dame after interviewing with Philadelphia. Though Kelly and Swarbrick talked throughout the process, Kelly notified the school of his decision early Saturday, before returning to the U.S. from the Bahamas, Swarbrick said. The two sides actually didn't talk much this week because money wasn't an issue and Kelly was fact-finding on his own, Swarbrick said.

Swarbrick suggested Kelly receive a new deal during a post-regular-season meeting in early December. Kelly did not make any financial requests this week, Swarbrick said.

"In every possible way I wasn't being leveraged," Swarbrick said. "I know people think there's a direct connection between the two events, but in our case it felt more routine internally than it did externally."

Swarbrick said the new contract has "more work to do" and won't be done in the next few days or even weeks.

The Eagles called Swarbrick about Kelly shortly after Andy Reid's Dec. 31 firing and well before the Irish's national title game against Alabama on Jan. 7. Swarbrick told the Eagles it was important Kelly not engage in conversations before the game, and the Eagles "understood and agreed. Brian was on board with that."

"In a sense it was great," Swarbrick said. "It made sure we were all on the same page."

Swarbrick said he knew Kelly was considering the job but always figured he'd return. As for whether Kelly will dance with the NFL every year, Swarbrick said maybe his coach's fact-finding process this week factors into his long-term planning.

"He absolutely burns to win a national title at Notre Dame," Swarbrick said.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

that interview filled me with confidence.

Go. Irish.

That was its purpose. Enjoy this. It is the most high-end, smooth, pandering manipulation that you may ever be lucky enough to experience.

 

[woolybug25]

It's crazy how one's perspective can change. Some people on here really lost their mind with this situation.

At one moment, BK is a traitor, Jack is an imbecile and our recruiting class is going to implode.

Now this morning.... BK is honorable, Jack is a savvy genius and recruits are fawning over the fact that BK "turned down" the Eagles because ND is a better gig.

Just funny how things change so quickly.

 

[pumpdog20]

Ok, the fact that BK is back is ALL that is important.

Taking dumps on fans who are passionate about ND and calling them traitors is just bullshit.

The TEAM and UNIVERSITY is all that matters to me...period.

I don't give a care about anything else. IF that does not make me a "good" fan in many people's eyes I could honestly care less.

Glad BK is back, but I am not traitor to the university because I reacted the same way MANY FANATICS of ND did...and neither are they.

Some people on here need to get a grip on their egos.

Jeez

What this guy said, was awesome.

 

[yankeeND]

Hey nobody likes it when their girl is flirting with other dudes at the bar. Of coarse if you met her at the bar...

 

[Booslum31]

This probably should go elsewhere, but it was brought up here. It concerns our sharp and evolving DC, Bobby-the-D.

There was what was to me a very significant thing said by Barrett Jones after the game about our defense [and to preface this: I believe that comments by veteran "coaches-coming-to-be" players like Jones are VERY much worth listening to]:

"They're good because they're simple. But they're simple." He went on to say that given all the time that they [read: Saban] had to prepare for the game, the Notre Dame defense was simply patterned and predictable to the point where he and his buddies knew exactly where they would all be, angles and all, if they did certain formations and motions. That unusual foreknowledge allowed subtleties of knowing exactly who to block and how. Jones said that this made it relatively easy for linemen to get to the second level and at the right angles.

What does this say? Well, it explains a lot about the game, of course. But it also says that while Bobby-the-D is a very bright young coach, he's still only a few layers deep. As he grows he will have more inscrutable arrangements and goings on pre-snap, and be more diverse and unpredictable. So, good as he is, he is not even QUITE there as a DC let alone a head coach. He vitally needs more time with oldtimers like Kelly, Martin, Elliott, Hiestand.

The reason that this didn't hurt us during the season is that nobody had the amount of film nor the time to figure it all out, and almost no one is Nick Saban. Also, during the season we could make up for sometimes being figured out by just being so dammed superior physically that it didn't matter. Against Alabama, we saw that Nix was obviously physically superior to Jones on almost every play, but in the eleven man plan it almost never made any difference.

Was this "on" Diaco? Well, only philosophically. It was merely that Bob's at one stage in his evolution and Saban's at another. Add in the time needed for Saban to make use of his experience advantage and we got an uneven playing field. None of this diminishes the fact that Alabama won the football game decisively. It indicates something important to me, however. Our players were closer to their players in talent [by far] than it looked. Each play was loaded before it was snapped.

Really like this...well said. With the drama that ensued after the NCG I haven't had a chance to truly disect what happened to ND in the game. What you discribe and what you think needs to happen is spot on IMO.

 

[johnnykillz]

Hey nobody likes it when their girl is flirting with other dudes at the bar. Of coarse if you met her at the bar...

You mean, no one that loves their girl likes her flirting with other guys.

 

[yankeeND]

You mean, no one that loves their girl likes her flirting with other guys.

Trueche'

 

[IrishLax]

The only thing I tend to disagree with are some people acting like this "flirtation" was completely unrelated to his contract and other demands. They've been trying to get a deal done for over a month now and it hasn't happened. In addition to genuine interest in the NFL, this was also clearly a way to show ND that he has options and means business.

 

[yankeeND]

I don't doubt for a second that his interviewing had a hand in the contract negotiations. To be honest I'm just glad he is staying. I will not lie, this whole situation hurt my soul a little. Actually I was pissed. Unfairly so but pissed nonetheless. I want our coach to love the school and program as much as we do. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. The only thing I can go by is results and be has in the best position we have been in years. Can't argue with success!