Brian Kelly Revisited (RIP BOZO)

[Some Irish Bloke]

I honestly don't think it's possible. I think he could win the next five national championships and he still wouldn't be Rockne.

Now, as you said, to be above Holtz and on the Mt. Rushmore with Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian I think he would just need to win 2 titles.

Have to agree here. It's hard really compare apples to apples when we are literally talking about a century old comparison, but Rockne was such an innovator, not just within the game of football itself but the way he got ND nationally relevant without the regional prowess of the B1G. He literally made ND the Yankees of CFB in the 20s and every coach since was building off of that success and brand recognition.

 

[tussin]

I honestly don't think it's possible. I think he could win the next five national championships and he still wouldn't be Rockne.

Now, as you said, to be above Holtz and on the Mt. Rushmore with Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian I think he would just need to win 2 titles.

Just two titles? Ezpz.

 

[Old Man Mike]

What I'd like:
To beat Syracuse
To beat Wake Forest
To beat Clemson again
To beat whoever's third
To beat Alabama
To then build Coach his well-earned statue.

Mount Rushmore doesn't need to be limited to four anyway.

...... and as to Rockne: he didn't just win a lot of games. He was continuously innovative. Arguments can be made that in terms of play, management, and the application of Brains to football, Rockne MADE football. Sure they throw the ball a lot now ... but he invented it.

Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler ... who?

There is no Rockne but Rockne.

(he would have liked Lou and Brian --- my good Notre Dame Boys, he would have called them ... and they would have been delighted to sit and talk with The Patriarch.)

 

[Huntr]

What I'd like:
To beat Syracuse
To beat Wake Forest
To beat Clemson again
To beat whoever's third
To beat Alabama
To then build Coach his well-earned statue.

Mount Rushmore doesn't need to be limited to four anyway.

...... and as to Rockne: he didn't just win a lot of games. He was continuously innovative. Arguments can be made that in terms of play, management, and the application of Brains to football, Rockne MADE football. Sure they throw the ball a lot now ... but he invented it.

Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler ... who?

There is no Rockne but Rockne.

(he would have liked Lou and Brian --- my good Notre Dame Boys, he would have called them ... and they would have been delighted to sit and talk with The Patriarch.)

Well, the Wake game is off, so one less hurdle for him.

 

[Irishize]

I was just thinking back to BK’s first season. I vividly remember sitting in my recliner at home watching ND FINALLY beat SC in the rainy slog at the Coliseum.

It wasn’t pretty to be sure. SC was starting Mitch Mustain. ND rode out the rest of 2010 w/ Tommy Rees. I still remember the SC WR dropping a sure TD pass down the seam. How sweet it was when Harrison Smith intercepted the final desperation heave.

It was cathartic to watch ND’s winning drive. Power football w/ Robert Hughes willing himself down the field and finally into the EZ for what would be the game winning TD.

It was by no means a season to brag about but it was the beginning of the BK era and ND finally got the SC monkey off their back that had been there since 2002.

Fast forward & BK is on the cusp of his third undefeated regular season at the helm & the kid that led ND to that SC victory over a decade ago is calling plays for them now. What a ride!

 

[phork]

I think Rockne is untouchable. But with a NC he becomes 2nd, in my mind.

 

[gkIrish]

I am the biggest BK hater there is but if he wins a championship he is indisputably a top 5 coach at ND all time.

A conversation about surpassing Rockne is completely pointless right now they are so far apart. I swear you guys have the shortest memory.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

I am the biggest BK hater there is but if he wins a championship he is indisputably a top 5 coach at ND all time.

A conversation about surpassing Rockne is completely pointless right now they are so far apart. I swear you guys have the shortest memory.

I remember 1924 like it was yesterday

 

[Old Man Mike]

I remember 1924 as if it was 96 years ago.

good times.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

I think he's arguably top 5. It would come down to him and Devine.

1. Rockne
2. Leahy
3. Parseghian
4. Holtz
5. Pick your poison b/t BK and Devine. Devine won the Natty but hard not to be impressed by CBK's success given the restrictions the program has 40 years later when he was hired. Devine came in off of Ara's coattails, but no doubt he led a great regime so I'm not knocking that. However, CBK came in with a program in shambles after a full decade (and change) of misery.

IMO, if he wins a natty (big if) ....he is #4, jumping Holtz.

 

[phillyirish]

A title would certainly put Kelly above Devine. Devine was a really solid coach, in 6 years he had just the one great season, and a single "meh" year going 7-4. In all other years he was 8/9 wins with 2-3 losses. Funny, on an ESPN article last year, Kelly was rated one spot behind Devine as the 89th greatest coach in NCAAF history, so perception is already close.

On paper, Kelly would probably look real close to Holtz's record here, however i think he would be a step below still. But Idk, going by that Presidential Medal of Freedom Thread, seems like some posters here would take Willingham over Holtz.

Edit: Another great thing about Kelly, is that like Holtz and unlike Devine or even Parseghian, Kelly has dominated USC in his tenure here with a current 7-3 record. That should always be taken in consideration.

 

[RDU Irish]

Holtz won 1993 as well - two 'ships in my book. Screw that Bobby Bowden career sympathy award.

Holtz brought us back from a bad time too - much quicker. Kelly has some work to do to surpass Holtz in my book.

 

[pumpdog20]

Yeah, BK isn't surpassing Holtz. But I want him to get that statue damnit.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Holtz won 1993 as well - two 'ships in my book. Screw that Bobby Bowden career sympathy award.

Holtz brought us back from a bad time too - much quicker. Kelly has some work to do to surpass Holtz in my book.

Much quicker?
Kelly took ND to a championship in year 3 same as Lou.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Irish YJ]

Much quicker?
Kelly took ND to a championship in year 3 same as Lou.

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just a bit different

 

[phillyirish]

Much quicker?
Kelly took ND to a championship in year 3 same as Lou.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Except one of those seasons ended with a foot on the pedal, the other one ended with a foot on our throats.

 

[Irish YJ]

Except one of those seasons ended with a foot on the pedal, the other one ended with a foot on our throats.

in 88, we also beat 4 top 10 teams, 3 of which were top 3 teams.

our best win in 2012 was over a 3 loss OK ranked 8th at the time, or an OT win over Stanford.

 

[NDRock]

Holtz won 1993 as well - two 'ships in my book. Screw that Bobby Bowden career sympathy award.

Holtz brought us back from a bad time too - much quicker. Kelly has some work to do to surpass Holtz in my book.

Agree, only reason we lost ‘93 was widespread voter fraud amongst the AP voters.

 

[317Irish]

Agree, only reason we lost ‘93 was widespread voter fraud amongst the AP voters.

Illegals and dead people?

 

[Old Man Mike]

Zombies from Cuba ... the only possible solution.


... more seriously, that was the most clearly obvious theft of a "trophy" to honor some guy, that they had great affection for, that will be experienced by any of us. > and there were aspects of Bowden teams which were hardly honorable on top of that.

 

[NDRock]

Zombies from Cuba ... the only possible solution.


... more seriously, that was the most clearly obvious theft of a "trophy" to honor some guy, that they had great affection for, that will be experienced by any of us. > and there were aspects of Bowden teams which were hardly honorable on top of that.

That was just the nature of college football, matters as much when you lose than who you lose to. We drop that BC game early in the year, then we would have been voted champs. Same as ‘89. Almost impossible to lose that late and still win the title. Sucks.

 

[Irishize]

That was just the nature of college football, matters as much when you lose than who you lose to. We drop that BC game early in the year, then we would have been voted champs. Same as ‘89. Almost impossible to lose that late and still win the title. Sucks.

Correct but the voters contradicted themselves when looking at 1989 vs 1993.

1989: #1 ND travels to Miami and lose to 1-loss Hurricanes. When it came to bowls, ND faced #1 undefeated Colorado and beat them soundly yet Miami was awarded the NC by both polls

1993: #1 FSU travels to ND and lose to what would end up being a 1-loss Irish game. When it came to bowls, FSU faced #1 Nebraska and beat them w/ a last second FG and were awarded the NC by both polls.

“Can’t have it both ways!”....but the pollsters did.

 

[MNIrishman]

Correct but the voters contradicted themselves when looking at 1989 vs 1993.

1989: #1 ND travels to Miami and lose to 1-loss Hurricanes. When it came to bowls, ND faced #1 undefeated Colorado and beat them soundly yet Miami was awarded the NC by both polls

1993: #1 FSU travels to ND and lose to what would end up being a 1-loss Irish game. When it came to bowls, FSU faced #1 Nebraska and beat them w/ a last second FG and were awarded the NC by both polls.

“Can’t have it both ways!”....but the pollsters did.

Same thing with 1993 vs 2012. Two teams, same record, one owns the head-to-head but has a loss to a lower-ranked team.

 

[gkIrish]

I remember 1924 like it was yesterday

I was referring to BKs career

 

[NDRock]

Correct but the voters contradicted themselves when looking at 1989 vs 1993.

1989: #1 ND travels to Miami and lose to 1-loss Hurricanes. When it came to bowls, ND faced #1 undefeated Colorado and beat them soundly yet Miami was awarded the NC by both polls

1993: #1 FSU travels to ND and lose to what would end up being a 1-loss Irish game. When it came to bowls, FSU faced #1 Nebraska and beat them w/ a last second FG and were awarded the NC by both polls.

“Can’t have it both ways!”....but the pollsters did.

In both cases ND lost their last regular season game and didn’t have time to make it up in the polls. Just the way it always worked. At the time, I didn’t think we got screwed either year, more frustrated that we blew our chance.

In 1977 we lost in week 2 and eventually worked our way to #1 over five other schools who also ended up 11-1. If that loss came at the end of the year (to the same team) then we don’t end up #1.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Another undefeated regular season. Well done BK.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Another undefeated regular season. Well done BK.

First Notre Dame coach with three undefeated regular seasons since....Frank Leahy?

 

[IrishLax]

Two undefeated regular seasons in three years is pretty freaking great.

 

[Irish YJ]

well done.

now pretty please win a CC, and at least one game in the playoffs.....

OK,, just don't get blown out in either, and I'll be happy.

 

[Riddickulous]

Unquestionably a successful tenure at ND. Time to finish the job and get that NC.