Brian Kelly Revisited (RIP BOZO)

Brian Kelly Revisited


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Irish#1

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This move actually gives me the most hope for the near-term future of the program since the 2017 shakeup. In the past, Kelly didn't make the hard choices to move the program forward. This team has gone 32-6 with Chip at OC, and by some metrics the offense has been outstanding, notably in my mind very few turnovers, red zone scoring efficiency, etc.

But anyone really watching this year knows the offense wasn't getting it done this year. Long wasn't the only problem, between lack of running back talent, injuries, etc. But we've seen what the right coaching can do on the defensive side of the ball in the last few years, and changes needed to be made.

As far as Reesus I don't know if he's the man for the job but Kelly has been working with him since 2010. There's no one on earth more qualified to judge Rees football chops then Kelly, so at bare minimum he deserves the benefit of the doubt. And if the rumors of Rees taking over playcalling at the tail end of the season are true than it's a somewhat promising start.

+1
 

spoonidentity

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No lying, he says BK was really involved in some recruitments that didn't work out (Clark Phillips) and others he didn't get involved with until later for some of the WRs. Loy's OPINION is that he thinks it would have made a difference in some of the WR board. Nothing I read as particularly bad.
 

IrishLax

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No lying, he says BK was really involved in some recruitments that didn't work out (Clark Phillips) and others he didn't get involved with until later for some of the WRs. Loy's OPINION is that he thinks it would have made a difference in some of the WR board. Nothing I read as particularly bad.

It's important to remember hindsight is always 20/20. There are some misses -- like Sam Hubbard and Ezekiel Elliott -- that I find unforgivable because of massive errors in judgment. Nitpicking an offer or no offer when they ultimately ended up recruiting the position well is where I'll give them a pass, because it's not like ND had gaping holes at WR. I'm not going to gnash teeth over a player from Fresno or players that signed with Ohio State. Ohio State pitches people very different than ND, and one of BK's flaws is that he is not that kind of wire-to-wire salesman. Is what it is. ND signed three very talented WRs in this class and was going to take a 4th at max.

Clark Phillips was never going to end up at ND. Just my read on the situation, unrelated to anyone else's opinion. I've heard like 3 or 4 different stories about "what went wrong there" but kids with work to do academically AND who need well orchestrated pressure recruiting to get them to make an early declaration rarely work out for ND.
 

greyhammer90

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such as??? for us poor folks

Basically just indicates that Loy thinks we would have had a better shot with some recruits (such as McMillian) if BK was more involved, and that's what separated ND from some other schools down the stretch. But like someone else said, Loy also indicates that BK was heavily involved on some kids we missed, so everything is just conjecture. No one knows for sure how much of a difference an extra phone call or two from BK would've made.
 

Irish#1

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I am always skeptical of stories that recruits would have chosen differently if not for one thing.

Right, and a lot of times that one thing might get a kid to land, but is he going to stick?

Basically just indicates that Loy thinks we would have had a better shot with some recruits (such as McMillian) if BK was more involved, and that's what separated ND from some other schools down the stretch. But like someone else said, Loy also indicates that BK was heavily involved on some kids we missed, so everything is just conjecture. No one knows for sure how much of a difference an extra phone call or two from BK would've made.

Anyone who's been paying attention to recruiting knows it's impossible to know what a teenage boy is thinking from one minute to the next. Some want constant attention and others can live without it. As mentioned before, constant pressure like a car salesman rarely works out in the end. Good ol' Vanderdoesn't is a good example as is the kid (Robinson?) from Georgia who surprised everyone and ended up at Cali.
 

PraetorianND

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Basically just indicates that Loy thinks we would have had a better shot with some recruits (such as McMillian) if BK was more involved, and that's what separated ND from some other schools down the stretch. But like someone else said, Loy also indicates that BK was heavily involved on some kids we missed, so everything is just conjecture. No one knows for sure how much of a difference an extra phone call or two from BK would've made.

So.... pitch forks or no? I feel like a good old fashioned riot would be good for the program. It's been too steady of late.
 
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ND88

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The real issue is Irish Envy’s failure to recruit two more homers to make it an even 200 on the vote count for Kelly. Can’t be the only homer annoyed by this.
 

dad4aa

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The real issue is Irish Envy’s failure to recruit two more homers to make it an even 200 on the vote count for Kelly. Can’t be the only homer annoyed by this.

I tried voting again but it won't let me
 

notredomer23

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Daniel Snyder is on his way to South Bend right now to pry Brian Kelly away.




Just kidding his daughter goes to ND.
 

Irishize

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That my school has had both Bryant and Saban is something I'm very thankful for and realize was a very unlikely bit of good luck.

No doubt. Remember how close you were to getting Rich Rod? That was a done deal until Rich Rod went Rich Rod and got more money from WVU. Bama, like any school; went panic mode at that point. They loaded up the Brinks truck and got Saban. Worked out pretty good.

SEC has to love Rich Rod. Not only for bama but for what he gifted LSU. All they had to do was beat a Pitt team w/ a losing record and they play for the BCS NC. Instead, his QB is playing w/ a bum hand and can’t get any offense going. They lose giving Les Miles a back door to the NC game for which the won.
 

Bishop2b5

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No doubt. Remember how close you were to getting Rich Rod? That was a done deal until Rich Rod went Rich Rod and got more money from WVU. Bama, like any school; went panic mode at that point. They loaded up the Brinks truck and got Saban. Worked out pretty good.

SEC has to love Rich Rod. Not only for bama but for what he gifted LSU. All they had to do was beat a Pitt team w/ a losing record and they play for the BCS NC. Instead, his QB is playing w/ a bum hand and can’t get any offense going. They lose giving Les Miles a back door to the NC game for which the won.

I'm still not sure what happened at that time, but here's my theory that fits the events:

Saban was our AD Mal Moore's first choice, but kept turning down the job, so Moore hired Rich Rod. The next day RR announced he'd changed his mind and would be staying at WVU. My immediate reaction was that after we announced RR, Saban's agent Jimmy Sexton called Moore and said Nick would take the job as soon as the NFL season was over. This meant we had to dump RR, but Moore allowed RR to save face and say HE'D been the one to back out.

I remember telling my sister (and CFB fanatic) that if Moore immediately started the search process over and tried desperately to hire whoever he could get, then I was wrong, but if he stepped back and said, "No hurry" then he had an agreement with Saban/Sexton and just had to wait until the NFL season was over. Moore announced the next day that he was going to slow the whole search process down, take a few weeks, and find the right hire instead of just any hire. I felt 99% certain at that point that Saban was going to be our next HC.

As soon as the NFL season was over a few weeks later, Saban accepted the job without Moore having shown much if any effort to find anyone else in the meantime. I can't believe Moore essentially did nothing during that time unless he already knew he had his guy. I could be wrong, but I've always believed it's likely that Saban's agent told Moore that if he'd make the RR hire go away and wait until the end of the NFL season, Saban would take the job, and Moore backed out of the RR deal and let RR save face by withdrawing his name.
 

Irishize

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I'm still not sure what happened at that time, but here's my theory that fits the events:

Saban was our AD Mal Moore's first choice, but kept turning down the job, so Moore hired Rich Rod. The next day RR announced he'd changed his mind and would be staying at WVU. My immediate reaction was that after we announced RR, Saban's agent Jimmy Sexton called Moore and said Nick would take the job as soon as the NFL season was over. This meant we had to dump RR, but Moore allowed RR to save face and say HE'D been the one to back out.

I remember telling my sister (and CFB fanatic) that if Moore immediately started the search process over and tried desperately to hire whoever he could get, then I was wrong, but if he stepped back and said, "No hurry" then he had an agreement with Saban/Sexton and just had to wait until the NFL season was over. Moore announced the next day that he was going to slow the whole search process down, take a few weeks, and find the right hire instead of just any hire. I felt 99% certain at that point that Saban was going to be our next HC.

As soon as the NFL season was over a few weeks later, Saban accepted the job without Moore having shown much if any effort to find anyone else in the meantime. I can't believe Moore essentially did nothing during that time unless he already knew he had his guy. I could be wrong, but I've always believed it's likely that Saban's agent told Moore that if he'd make the RR hire go away and wait until the end of the NFL season, Saban would take the job, and Moore backed out of the RR deal and let RR save face by withdrawing his name.


I think that makes perfect sense. You’d know the details better than me. Was that Moore’s 1st HC hire? Much like ND w/ Davie, Willingham & Weis; Bama had a questionable run of HC hires. Mike Dubose was promoted from the staff. Then I think it was Dennis Franchione who did okay but left for TAMU so you knew something was up. Then Mike Price never made it any further than the strip club so they settled for Mike Shula. I always felt a bit sorry for Shula as he inherited sanctions IIRC and that did him no favors. I probably screwed that timeline up so feel free to correct me where needed.

Just proves most blue blood programs had a rough patch which shows there’s an art & a science to hiring the right HC. The one blue blood who has seemingly avoided disastrous hires is Ohio State (at least in our lifetime). I know Earle Bruce & John Cooper got canned for not beating scUM on a regular basis but both had impressive records. Cooper was always good for a 9-10 win season back when they only played 11. Quite impressive that every HC starting w/ Hayes is in (or soon will be in) the College Football Hall of Fame.
 

yankeehater

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The team deserves a lot credit for sticking together, but I also think this season has to rank up there with one of Kelly's best. This team could have quit and packed it in after the Michigan game, but instead stepped up and moved forward in the right direction. How many people, especially ND fans, thought the team would go undefeated after that Michigan loss. Yes, you could say the competition wasn't great, but that had not stopped ND teams in the past from playing down and losing to lesser opponents.
 

Old Man Mike

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Coach Kelly is a great coach and almost the entire sports community and the coaching fraternity knows it.
 

Circa

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Coach Kelly is a great coach and almost the entire sports community and the coaching fraternity knows it.

Couldn't say it better myself...
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ulukinatme

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The team deserves a lot credit for sticking together, but I also think this season has to rank up there with one of Kelly's best. This team could have quit and packed it in after the Michigan game, but instead stepped up and moved forward in the right direction. How many people, especially ND fans, thought the team would go undefeated after that Michigan loss. Yes, you could say the competition wasn't great, but that had not stopped ND teams in the past from playing down and losing to lesser opponents.

Amen. So many people were calling for Kelly's head after Michigan, and it did suck, but it was not indicative of where this team was. I still doubt there's a better coach for ND out there right now. Dabo and Saban may have more wins in the last 10 years, but it's impossible to predict how successful they'd be in Kelly's shoes given the same restrictions and challenges.
 

ACamp1900

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His energy after the game sure didn’t feel like someone ready for the offseason or someone thinking of stepping down soon. I keep assuming his days are numbered simply because he’s been here for as long as he has and what the general ND coach lifespan has been over the years. Maybe he breaks all that,... stays well past ten years.
 
K

koonja

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Whatever happened, this team finished perfectly strong and focused after the Michigan embarassment.

Lots of teams would have dropped one more and these guys didn't. BK has some flaws that hold us back, but he's in charge and gets 100% credit for how this team rebounded and dominated.
 
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