Brian Kelly Revisited (RIP BOZO)

[mgriff]

Are we getting that Sunday teleconference today?

 

[WaveDomer]

ND is in the same situation every school not named Alabama and maybe Ohio State is in. There are 2 elite coaches in Ameica and everyone else is just visiting and hoping things go right for a full season. As far as it stands now, BK has been magnificent at ND. A BCS Natty appearance and in the hunt last year until the last few weeks.

 

[Seanthornton]

One game and a bunch of you are jumping ship or calling for Kelly and VanGorder to be fired ? Get a Grip! it was the first game breathe ......

 

[NorthDakota]

ND is in the same situation every school not named Alabama and maybe Ohio State is in. There are 2 elite coaches in Ameica and everyone else is just visiting and hoping things go right for a full season. As far as it stands now, BK has been magnificent at ND. A BCS Natty appearance and in the hunt last year until the last few weeks.

Yep. Gotta just keep plugging away.

Notre Dame Stadium (for better and worse) is joining the 21st century. It's laughable how much better I feel about ND nowadays vs. Weis years. Unless BK tanks hard, he'll leave a very very good situation for the next guy.

Sky is not falling here folks.

 

[stlnd01]

Chill.
We're not going to win the title this year, but we'll be fine.
Kelly isn't (and shouldn't be) going anywhere. We've got some issues to work through on defense but nothing half the teams in the country don't have.
And Texas didn't "make us look silly." We took their best punch in a crazy night game road atmosphere, battled back and were a bad non-call and/or a blocked field goal away from winning that game.

 

[NDgradstudent]

And Texas didn't "make us look silly." We took their best punch in a crazy night game road atmosphere, battled back and were a bad non-call and/or a blocked field goal away from winning that game.

The defense blows. Kelly needs to make a change now. Other teams to have made us look silly the past two seasons: UNC, ASU, USC, Stanford, OSU...etc.

 

[Rhode Irish]

The defense blows. Kelly needs to make a change now. Other teams to have made us look silly the past two seasons: UNC, ASU, USC, Stanford, OSU...etc.

A lot of that is just the era, no? It isn't like everyone else is playing 13-10 knockdown drag-outs, and we are out here playing games in the 60s and 70s all the time. The game last night was frustrating because there were so many inflection points where things could have gone our way and didn't, and any one of them would have won us the game. But honestly, I think this thread is the type of thing that gives 'fans on the internet' a bad wrap. As someone that is not here in the weeds all the time anymore, it comes off as hysterical.

 

[NDgradstudent]

A lot of that is just the era, no? It isn't like everyone else is playing 13-10 knockdown drag-outs, and we are out here playing games in the 60s and 70s all the time. The game last night was frustrating because there were so many inflection points where things could have gone our way and didn't, and any one of them would have won us the game. But honestly, I think this thread is the type of thing that gives 'fans on the internet' a bad wrap. As someone that is not here in the weeds all the time anymore, it comes off as hysterical.

In the past 22 games we have given up more points than ever before in a 22 game stretch in the history of the ND football. Perhaps if we adjusted for the era, it wouldn't look so bad. But I would hope that that stat would be bad enough just from the contemporary era to justify dumping BVG.

The game should not have come down to some lousy call, nor should it have hinged upon our offense and special teams being perfect. Maybe we'd need that if we were playing Alabama. But we weren't.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I would have found a new DC during this past offseason, so I'm not going to sit here and defend him or try to tell you that the defense is just fine. I just think some fans here are embarrassing themselves with their reaction to the game, and it is a sports fan trope to just start demanding everyone be fired after a gut punch loss. But there are insane games every weekend in college football, and the team that loses always feels the same. Realistically, every one of them can't fire their coach every time that happens.

 

[ThePiombino]

One game and a bunch of you are jumping ship or calling for Kelly and VanGorder to be fired ? Get a Grip! it was the first game breathe ......

The BK debate, regardless of POV, is worth having. However, give me (us) one good reason NOT to fire BVG and bring in someone (anyone) else? Can't do worse than what we are on D now.

 

[OlympiaIrishFan]

Sean, yes you are correct it is game 1. The issue was the same last year. The last two games at the end of last season same issues. New guys, new year same issues. What is the common issue--BVG. If this was a new issue, fine first game. But, this isn't a new issue. Same issue new season, same issue new players, same issue same result defense blew it.

 

[aubeirish]

Defense was not very good. Offensive play calling was too conservative at time for my taste. Plenty of stuff to be concerned about. That said, we lost a game in double overtime against an opponent that was very motivated and in a very tough environment. Let's calm down a little and wait and see how this team evolves before putting every single coaching head on a spike.

 

[OlympiaIrishFan]

Aube, I agree with most of your post. Like the offense, but the issue is not a new one for the defense. We can let time go by and see how it turns out. Like last year or the year before when our defense was bad too? The issue is a bad Defensive C. I agree with waiting on all the rest. But, the Defense is a trend not a 1 time occurrence.

 

[aubeirish]

Aube, I agree with most of your post. Like the offense, but the issue is not a new one for the defense. We can let time go by and see how it turns out. Like last year or the year before when our defense was bad too? The issue is a bad Defensive C. I agree with waiting on all the rest. But, the Defense is a trend not a 1 time occurrence.

I agree that something needs to be done with the defense. If that's firing the DC, so be it. But I have a problem with firing a DC after the first game of the season. It's like saying, ok forget this season, see you next year. I mean, I doubt we have anybody internally that can step into his shoes right away. If we do, I'm not completely against the idea of giving him a shot at play calling. Also, you can't bring a guy with a different scheme. Football players, in general, aren't that smart and we don't have quite the athletes of an Alabama.

Also with all these comparaison with CW's defense, let's not forget that offenses in college football have changed dramatically since CW was the coach here. There are more points than ever. I don't really know the stats, but it sure seems that way to me. Personally, my biggest reproach with Kelly, since he became the HC of Notre Dame, is that he became a pussy of a offensive play caller. His offenses were electric and fast at Cincy and CMU. He's had more talent at Notre Dame but he has not been able to quite replicate it.

 

[koonja]

I like BK but he's top tolerant to mediocre assistant coaching to me, and that shows with BVG and Longo. I don't think he should be fired, but his loyalty to his assistants hurts him IMO.

 

[TomHaverford]

it's one game. lots of football left to be played. ND is still a 9+ win team this season imo. The wheels haven't fallen off just yet. That offense will win ND a lot of games this year.

Kelly is a really good coach. ND is lucky to have him. Not a lot of Urban Meyer's or Nick Saban's out there. They don't grow on trees.

All Kelly has to do is dump VanGorder this off-season and hire the best possible DC he can find and let the guy build his defensive staff and coach his defense and ND will be just fine.

Kelly has that offense firing on all cylinders. He's a proven coach and one of the best offensive coaches around.

 

[ND NYC]

I agree BVG needs to go; but, it cant be now/midseason...we are stuck his scheme for the year.

gonna be a long ride fellas buckle up.

does anyone know his (BVG) current contract status?

 

[CIrishWin]

I think Kelly brought in BVG think a more aggressive defense would bring in better recruits on the defensive. It would give them a chance to get more INT's and sacks. BVG just can not adjust to an up-tempo offenses and does not put the players in position to make plays. We are stuck with him this year but we have to be looking around.

 

[Irish Insanity]

http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/06/texas-is-end-of-brian-kelly/

Not saying I agree with it, just posting.

 

[philipm31]

In the Bob Diaco era, the Irish had a total of two games where they gave up over 40 points. In just two years and one game, this is the sixth game under VanGorder where the Irish have given up over 40 points.

 

[OlympiaIrishFan]

The more I think of it, BK has an enormous ego and I can't believe he is allowing this to happen. His loyalty to BVG is clouding this. He says he is in the meetings and what not with the Defense, what is he looking at. This is a historically bad defense, the last 3 games alone are absolutely embarrassing. When BK says tap the breaks and slow down, maybe he needs to be the one paying more attention to the train wreck of a defense he is in charge of.

We will just to get embarrassed by good teams, it happens over and over. Defensively that is.

 

[stlnd01]

Texas Loss Marks Beginning of Kelly's End At ND - Her Loyal Sons

Not saying I agree with it, just posting.

That was a pretty short piece for so provocative a headline and basic premise.
Basically, he's saying the program under Kelly has peaked. That may be. Or we may be in a natural bit of a down year after losing a metric ton of talent. Either way, that's a different question than the future of BVG. Diaco and Charlie Molnar may have a different sense of how loyal Kelly is to assistants than we do. And just because BVG didn't get fired on the spot or publicly thrown under the bus doesn't mean BK is cool with the defense. Patience.
There are good questions to be asked about our ceiling, but I wouldn't write BK's obit just yet.

 

[Guest]

I think Kelly brought in BVG think a more aggressive defense would bring in better recruits on the defensive. It would give them a chance to get more INT's and sacks. BVG just can not adjust to an up-tempo offenses and does not put the players in position to make plays. We are stuck with him this year but we have to be looking around.

Yes BK said as much in interview leading up to TX game. I don't have a problem with the philosophy but BVG is just not the right guy.

 

[Irish Insanity]

http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/06/texas-is-end-of-brian-kelly/

Not saying I agree with it, just posting.

The opposite perspective:

http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/07/this-is-not-the-end/

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

Any ND fan who wants BK fired is nuts. See: Davie, Willingham, Weis. Overall, BK has done a remarkable job at ND all circumstances considered.

He hired a long time friend to be his DC and it isn't going well, but it's not worth his job. Eventually he'll have to get a new DC and he knows that.

 

[irishff1014]

Any ND fan who wants BK fired is nuts. See: Davie, Willingham, Weis. Overall, BK has done a remarkable job at ND all circumstances considered.

He hired a long time friend to be his DC and it isn't going well, but it's not worth his job. Eventually he'll have to get a new DC and he knows that.

It was a questionable hire to begin with and it's done nothing but go down hill. If Kelly waits on "Eventually" he will be in trouble.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

It was a questionable hire to begin with and it's done nothing but go down hill. If Kelly waits on "Eventually" he will be in trouble.

By "eventually", I mean after this season if the defense finishes ranked somewhere between 40 and 60 again.

 

[Guest]

The opposite perspective:

This Is Not The End For Brian Kelly - Her Loyal Sons

This article admittedly doesn't discuss the defense or BVG, which are all the ultimate responsibility of the head coach. That was hardly an objective, comprehensive piece either. Also the article points out ND great recruiting, but at the same time fails to challenge why this recruiting has resulted in defensive depth and performance issues and lack of appropriate succession planning on key positions overall.

 

[Wingman Ray]

That was a pretty short piece for so provocative a headline and basic premise.
Basically, he's saying the program under Kelly has peaked. That may be. Or we may be in a natural bit of a down year after losing a metric ton of talent. Either way, that's a different question than the future of BVG. Diaco and Charlie Molnar may have a different sense of how loyal Kelly is to assistants than we do. And just because BVG didn't get fired on the spot or publicly thrown under the bus doesn't mean BK is cool with the defense. Patience.
There are good questions to be asked about our ceiling, but I wouldn't write BK's obit just yet.

A metric ton of talent that didnt win one game against very good competition

1) Clemson - loss
2) FSU - loss
3) OSU - blowout

Can you tell me what this metric ton of defensive talent has done? Beat Navy? Beat a bad Texas team?

 

[Booslum31]

I disapprove of this thread.