BVG Fired

[phgreek]

“They're not ready for this kind of scheme, and now that I have put in what I believe to be something that they can handle, it changes the view from this perspective,” he said. “Now there isn't that insulation of the answer. Now there's no excuse why they can't be on the field.”

Kelly aims to lean on ND defensive depth against Orange

So can we all now agree, that

1) what BVG was trying to do was too complex for kids who actually have to study and go to class?

2) That Joe Schmidt was a VERY smart football player...we'll see joe with a headset in the next decade...and he'll be very good?

3) That BVG might very well do some awesome things later at a Junior College, or the NFL where you can treat football like a profession? BUT

4) That ND pissed away opportunity with the likes of Sheldon Day and Jaylon Smith on the field while the NFL experiment damn near burned down the lab...

NOW WHAT...

won't happen all at once...but this defense will start to do fundamental things better...and in all reality, those fundamentals alone would have them sitting at MAYBE one loss. I don't give a flying shit about "college teams score more"...make the plays that are gimme plays, and most teams find a way to get behind the chains... IF you make the basic plays.

35 points a game from BK's offense should be plenty 95% of the time. If you win at that rate...

Anyway...now we'll see guys who played HS ball fast be fast on ND's defense...It is about time! Defensive Line will start to feed on the back end play and get home (totally ass backwards, but it will happen)

By season's end this Defense will be respectable...

Squeeze some oranges boys.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Was he any different under Diaco? I can't say for sure on the timelines but didn't Kelly force Redfield into the starting lineup for the Pinstripe Bowl only after Diaco had left for UConn?

Upon further thought, you are correct. So now the question is why has he always been completely hands off with the D?

 

[loomis41973]

Anyone know if Montgomery VanGorder is still with the team?

 

[stlnd01]

Anyone know if Montgomery VanGorder is still with the team?

Why wouldn't he be?

 

[loomis41973]

Why wouldn't he be?

His father was fired and may be as butt hurt as his sister is.

Pretty simple question.

 

[stlnd01]

His father was fired and may be as butt hurt as his sister is.

Pretty simple question.

Maybe. But he's also a scholarship football player at the University of Notre Dame with 80-something teammates counting on him. I'd hope he's big enough to get over being butt hurt about his dad's job.

 

[loomis41973]

Maybe. But he's also a scholarship football player at the University of Notre Dame with 80-something teammates counting on him. I'd hope he's big enough to get over being butt hurt about his dad's job.

I hope so. He's a great kid.

 

[philipm31]

Some truth to this...but today's game is about recruiting too. I think a Name / Identity helps rapidly turn a defense...

Like I said earlier I could live with someone less known who can build a defense with lesser players, and sustain it through injuries and departures, but they still need to be a mad cruiter to make the defense impactful every couple years.

Barry was one of the main recruiters and his defenses were probably the best in recent ND history, other than Diaco. There is no reason to think you need a "name" for DC. That is just silly.

 

[phgreek]

Barry was one of the main recruiters and his defenses were probably the best in recent ND history, other than Diaco. There is no reason to think you need a "name" for DC. That is just silly.

Getting a DC with a name/identity/reputation is desirable and even preferable...not silly, that is very basic understanding of how you turn things around quickly.

Its like the jackass star argument...having higher rated kids consistently leads to more wins...can you win with lesser athletes...boy don't the ND faithful know it...but odds are the talent wins

...same in coaching

 

[BeauBenken]

So I know he is getting pretty old now, but dude, Frank Spaz is still coaching football. He's currently only collecting $150,000/year at New Mexico State.

 

[zelezo vlk]

So I know he is getting pretty old now, but dude, Frank Spaz is still coaching football. He's currently only collecting $150,000/year at New Mexico State.

He would sure know which Ohio OLB that the staff passes on will be the next Luke Kuechly.

 

[PANDFAN]

Digging Deeper on Hudson - Irish Sports Daily

good free read

 

[irishff1014]

Digging Deeper on Hudson - Irish Sports Daily

good free read

Very interesting.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

From Zaire's thread, but it belongs here, too!

Kelly's body language made it pretty clear, at least to me, MZ is the backup going into the game and the QB decision may have created division within the locker room.

This question and answer from today's presser...

Q. Lou Holtz was on a radio show this week where he said in his own times he had to look and probe closely to see if there was player dissension within the ranks, whether it's -- it can be taking sides on the quarterback or anything like that. Have you been able to gauge anything on that front?

Brian Kelly: We're 1-3. We're 1-3. Our players aren't that bad. Our coaches are pretty good coaches. I've been doing it for 27 years. Obviously, we're working through some things. We're working through some things and our guys are working through 'em. We're working through 'em, and we think we're going back in the right direction. So I think I've answered that question.

Now we are getting somewhere!

How many of you watched the Cuse presser?

I got the impression from this question, and a number of others including when Kelly talked about how once you considered firing someone it was the real world; how people had careers, mortgages to pay, etc.

I just about got from the presser that the divisions in the locker room, were more coaching oriented, (BVG), than player. In fact, Kelly went on to describe how more players would be playing, because one of the problems (and every case he brought up was a defensive player) was that certain players were being overworked. And when it happened, they were more likely to make a big mistake.

Also, he went on to talk about how much simpler his defense would be, how these kids only had twenty hours to study football, and they had to carry a full course load.

My impressions were that BK saw the problems with the defense, BVG was on the way out the door, maybe at the end of the season. That BK thought the talent was enough to overcome the strife, and the problems. And most importantly, that Kelly had thought about the problems enough to formulate solutions, from pickling Hudson to replace BVG, to simplifying the defense, to playing many more players, to changing some positions, to dealing with the specific weaknesses of BVG's defense against up tempo offenses.

BK was fairly confident with his rollout. Maybe he learned you don't sacrifice your team for a friend. Because that is really what it looks like happened.

Oh, and did BK point the ultimate finger in questioning why Jay Hayes didn't get more play time, by questioning it himself?

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Onwualu: “There’s some changes that the coaches have made to put players in the best position to make plays."</p>— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGInews/status/781178072280231936">September 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">James Onwualu: “Obviously everybody was talking about (firing BVG). Even our student section seemed to have a strong stance on that.”</p>— Irish247 (@NotreDame247) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotreDame247/status/781177008466251780">September 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Onwualu thankful for opportunity VanGorder gave him on defense. Will keep in contact with him.</p>— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/status/781177590841217024">September 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LB James Onwualu: "Giving some of the twos and threes serious reps engages everybody." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a></p>— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJStankevitz/status/781178830060945408">September 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[IrishBroker]

Digging Deeper on Hudson - Irish Sports Daily

good free read

So if it all implodes...Kelly is putting himself out there like this?

Ballsy

 

[ab2cmiller]

I believe strongly that no change in scheme or which players play will result in any substantial change in our defense for the rest of the current year.

The only substantial change that can take place given this mid-year change is from a mental stand point. This is what BK has tasked Hudson with. If he can motivate and inspire these kids to believe in themselves and in each other, to play with passion and excitement, maybe then we can see improvement. I will admit my expectations are very low as mid-year coaching changes rarely bring about significant improvement.

 

[koonja]

Does Greg Hudson have a twitter? I cannot find one.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Does Greg Hudson have a twitter? I cannot find one.

This one looks like his. He wore number 59 at Notre Dame anyhow. Almost no tweets and his account hasn't been active since Sep 2015.

https://twitter.com/GHudson59

 

[NDRock]

I believe strongly that no change in scheme or which players play will result in any substantial change in our defense for the rest of the current year.

The only substantial change that can take place given this mid-year change is from a mental stand point. This is what BK has tasked Hudson with. If he can motivate and inspire these kids to believe in themselves and in each other, to play with passion and excitement, maybe then we can see improvement. I will admit my expectations are very low as mid-year coaching changes rarely bring about significant improvement.

I agree that it's unwise to expect vast improvement. This reminds me of Weis going "back to basics" a few weeks into the 2007 season. Unfortunately, that team just sucked. I have a feeling that this year's defense may be similar. On the plus side, lots of young guys will get experience.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I am thinking not so much (about the defense sucking.)

Something sucked, but not the defensive talent.

Maybe it had to do with waiting so long to make some changes.

 

[gkautz10]

From Zaire's thread, but it belongs here, too!

I found his statements in the pressed to be very odd. It almost sounded like over the past few years he gave complete control over defensive decisions to BVG. I mean if BK felt as strongly as he made it sound about the right players not being on the field, th scheme being too complicated, play re getting too many reps, players feeling like they are not being given chances why the hell did he not step in and tell BVG to change? It's like he had no clue what he as going on from a defensive standpoint. It just seems very odd.

As a side note, I am calling absolute bullshit on BK when he said that is was "absolutely his decision to fire BVG". Everything he said in reference to BVG up to that position it contradicts that.

BK is also wearing on me very quickly. So let me get this straight. You don't think a press conference is the time or place to call out a coach who is getting paid to coach for a living and nothing else. But it is the proper time to call out a 20 year old kid who is going to school, being an upstanding citizen, representing the university the way he should, being a team leader and plays football in the mean time and doesn't get paid should be called out during the press conference? And then you double down at your Tuesday press conference and say he essentially isn't living up to your personal expectations so he deserves that criticism? And then you are going to come out and say when a reporter asks you if that is that is the proper way to motivate a player and you say no? That pisses me off and is absolute bullshit. If it wasn't for kizer BK your team would have been beat by 3 touchdowns at least and your ass may be gone. Maybe your expectations are bullshit and need to be brought into perspective.

 

[kmoose]

I found his statements in the pressed to be very odd. It almost sounded like over the past few years he gave complete control over defensive decisions to BVG. I mean if BK felt as strongly as he made it sound about the right players not being on the field, th scheme being too complicated, play re getting too many reps, players feeling like they are not being given chances why the hell did he not step in and tell BVG to change? It's like he had no clue what he as going on from a defensive standpoint. It just seems very odd.

As a side note, I am calling absolute bullshit on BK when he said that is was "absolutely his decision to fire BVG". Everything he said in reference to BVG up to that position it contradicts that.

BK is also wearing on me very quickly. So let me get this straight. You don't think a press conference is the time or place to call out a coach who is getting paid to coach for a living and nothing else. But it is the proper time to call out a 20 year old kid who is going to school, being an upstanding citizen, representing the university the way he should, being a team leader and plays football in the mean time and doesn't get paid should be called out during the press conference? And then you double down at your Tuesday press conference and say he essentially isn't living up to your personal expectations so he deserves that criticism? And then you are going to come out and say when a reporter asks you if that is that is the proper way to motivate a player and you say no? That pisses me off and is absolute bullshit. If it wasn't for kizer BK your team would have been beat by 3 touchdowns at least and your ass may be gone. Maybe your expectations are bullshit and need to be brought into perspective.

Lay down the hero worship and back away slowly......... Kizer has made enough mistakes this year to take a little heat. No one is saying that he sucks, or that he isn't a great talent. But he HAS made a number of mistakes, and anyone could see that better QB play might have been able to overcome all of the other issues against Duke and resulted in a W. Lighten up, Francis. BK didn't "throw Kizer under the bus". He rightly said that Kizer could be playing better. You think Vince Lombardi didn't unload on Bart Starr once in a while?

 

[Free Manera]

Lay down the hero worship and back away slowly......... Kizer has made enough mistakes this year to take a little heat. No one is saying that he sucks, or that he isn't a great talent. But he HAS made a number of mistakes, and anyone could see that better QB play might have been able to overcome all of the other issues against Duke and resulted in a W. Lighten up, Francis. BK didn't "throw Kizer under the bus". He rightly said that Kizer could be playing better. You think Vince Lombardi didn't unload on Bart Starr once in a while?

I'm with you. Everyone needs to relax with the whining that "he threw players under the bus!" It is getting blown way out of proportion now. Give Kizer and the others some credit. They are men. Football players. I really doubt they are crying in their lockers because coach said they aren't playing great football. Despite how it appears to us, maybe Kelly actually does know how to motivate his players. If the players get pissed, maybe that's not such a bad thing considering the team has played flat, disinterested football for a few weeks.

 

[stlnd01]

I don't know why - seven years in - people persist in taking the things Brian Kelly says in press conferences at 100 percent face value.

 

[gkautz10]

Lay down the hero worship and back away slowly......... Kizer has made enough mistakes this year to take a little heat. No one is saying that he sucks, or that he isn't a great talent. But he HAS made a number of mistakes, and anyone could see that better QB play might have been able to overcome all of the other issues against Duke and resulted in a W. Lighten up, Francis. BK didn't "throw Kizer under the bus". He rightly said that Kizer could be playing better. You think Vince Lombardi didn't unload on Bart Starr once in a while?

2 things here. The reference to Bart star is 2 professionals being paid to play football. It's allowed in that sense.

I agree he has made mistakes, I don't disagree with calling someone out. My issue is with him saying a press conference is not the time or the place to call out a paid professional but it is the time and place to call out a student athlete. This isn't an issue of me not thinking did or didn't make mistakes.

 

[Valpodoc85]

Seems to me Kelly suffers from lack of passion. His pressers are a snoozer. Maybe it's contagious