Serious question...have you coached or played before? Because you keep downplaying injuries and suspensions to quality players as if it's not really a big deal. Well, it is. It is HUGE. I think people that have played sports get this. I'm sure you've played, so I'm wondering why you keep acting as if injuries aren't an acceptable reason for the team regressing.
This next man in mantra is awesome to have, but it's not that easy. Not even close. I've played on teams and coached teams that have lost key players, and too many injuries affects team performance, no matter how great the coach.
You can't lose a possible 2nd round talent at CB right before the season, and then lose his back-up and have to start basically your 4th string soph DB (Butler) and expect to be the same. You can't lose both your starting DT's, and then lose one of their back-ups and expect to show progress. You can't lose the QB of your defense the player your d-coordinator relied so heavily on and called "the smartest player he has EVER coached" and replace him with two green-ass freshmen and expect to show progress. I could go on and on. Sports just doesn't work that way.
I don't think Elston is a good coach, and I've said that for over a year, so you'll get no argument from me there. But the other coaches...I feel for them because they are working with an unbelievable amount of extremely young talent. And it's killing the defense right now.
And as for Kelly being a "decent" coach, well, you completely lost me there and I won't even get into that bc that's a waste of time.
Yes I have played, and I realize that injuries have taken a tremendous toll on the team.
However, not all the struggles are injury-related, that is my point.
And when injuries inevitably come, then you need to be able to adjust quickly, moreso at ND because of their rigorous approach to academics and athletics, which leaves them thinner than most elite teams.
Still, the coaches know this, and I think their ability to adapt their schemes, etc. has been somewhat lacking. Do I think the staff and team are playing with the deck stacked against them due to things beyond their control? Yes. Has that significantly hampered what ND could do on defense? Yes.
Still, KELLY KNOWS THIS and still tries to play uptempo every game despite our extremely thin defense, resulting in us wearing down the defense to a nub and forcing our offense to try to outscore teams like his 09 Bearcats, who played a much easier schedule.
So, yeah, Kelly is a "good" coach, but he needed to actually adjust his approach to the situation on the sidelines and training room more adeptly than he has, and I feel that just as much of the Irish's struggles have to do with coaching than injuries.
Also, BVG should have probably installed a scaled-down version of his NFL style defense, so if ND did get into this kind of situation, then we could at least have most people closer to understanding the scheme.
Sure, talent is fantastic to have, but ND does not have elite talent at every position, and consequently need to have
elite coaching talent at nearly every level to combat that inherent obstacle to football success.