History has shown that when the head football coach at Notre Dame throws his heart and soul into the job, there are tremendous results but it also takes a significant toll. Look at Leahy, Ara and Lou. They understood and embraced the importance of the role, and at great personal sacrifice made Notre Dame great. They left the job physically and emotionally drained but they were incredibly successful and became legends.
The tell for Rasputin that Kelly didn't embrace it is that he spent 12 years in what is a physical and emotional meat grinder for the fully committed, but good ole Bri' just strutted off to LSU like Foghorn Leghorn without any scars. His tank wasn't empty. He had more to give. For that he will forever be Brian Kelly the Good, but not a legend. He was never all in.
I don't think Kelly gave his heart and soul to ND, but he did win games, brought the program back to respectability, and his foundation raised a ton of money. He did make a lot of mistakes and it's unfortunate he left the way he did, but it's not like he left a smoking crater behind. However, it's kind of understandable all the "hate" because he never comes across as genuine. Which may or may not be the truth.
There is an interesting thesis/documentary/study/message board post to be explored here.
BK was exactly what ND needed post-Weis. It needed someone who could harden himself to outside influence, distraction, and pressure, and treat the foundational rebuild as 'strictly business.'
But hardening himself to EVERYTHING, the ND mystique included, also put a firm limit on how high he could elevate the program (outside of getting lucky at QB, of course... which he never really did).
If you want to break through the ceiling at ND, you need to embrace all of the things that come with it, and use it as motivation whenever/wherever possible. It will drain you, and run you into the ground, and maybe even burn you out... but it's necessary for ND's identity. BK was unique in avoiding/distancing/ignoring those things, and getting through as long as he did. But it was a 12-year study on how close you can get without reaching the mountain top.
Freeman will full embrace ND and use it to his advantage, and has already proven that, imo... the question is if he has the coaching chops, and staff-building skills, to deliver before he burns out.