ND Coaching Changes 2016

[ulukinatme]

Pete Thamel is reporting that Denbrock has taken the Cincy OC job. Can't embed tweet on phone

Interesting....if that's true, that's not even a lateral move. I mean, I know he was a co-OC or associate OC or some such, but this is UC we're talking about. Maybe the next OC wasn't going to share duties? I think Denbrock has done well with our receivers, so hopefully we can find a good replacement. I'm not worried so much about play calling duties.

 

[STLDomer]

The Kendal Briles rumors must be true!

 

[Valpodoc85]

Can confirm
https://notredame.rivals.com/news/report-mike-denbrock-expected-to-take-cincinnati-oc-job

 

[GBdomer]

This just pretty much puts a stamp on the rumors that this will be Jeff Quinns and BK's offense

 

[BGIF]

Can confirm
https://notredame.rivals.com/news/report-mike-denbrock-expected-to-take-cincinnati-oc-job

A report copying another reporter's story, even verbatim and with affirmation, isn't confirmation.

If three more services report the same story again, it's still not confirmation.


I think it's a possibility as anyone on Kelly's staff with a mortgage should be anxious.

 

[ND Fan Vancouver]

A report copying another reporter's story, even verbatim and with affirmation, isn't confirmation.

If three more services report the same story again, it's still not confirmation.


I think it's a possibility as anyone on Kelly's staff with a mortgage should be anxious.

Regarding Denbrock, I'll miss him as a recruiter first and foremost. I'll miss him as WR coach as I'm sure our current WR's an commits will. I sure WONT miss him as a play caller though. He was TERRIBLE last year. Seriously. I feel confident we'll find solid rellacements. Obviously coaching was not up to par last year and changes need to be made. I do wish he stayed as WR coach and OC assistant but doubt he'd accept a demotion. This hurts Cali recruiting but hopefully Polian and our new WR coach can help pick up the slack. I wonder what the full story is???

 

[GBdomer]

Regarding Denbrock, I'll miss him as a recruiter first and foremost. I'll miss him as WR coach as I'm sure our current WR's an commits will. I sure WONT miss him as a play caller though. He was TERRIBLE last year. Seriously. I feel confident we'll find solid rellacements. Obviously coaching was not up to par last year and changes need to be made. I do wish he stayed as WR coach and OC assistant but I don't think he would've taken the demotion at ND....but it looks like he may have taken a slight demotion.....to go to Cincinnati?? I wonder what the full story is???

Don't think there is much of a story man. He wasn't going to call plays here next year, ND moved on a minute ago. He was gonna be the WR coach, he got offered to call plays at Cinnci and left.

 

[ND Fan Vancouver]

Don't think there is much of a story man. He wasn't going to call plays here next year, ND moved on a minute ago. He was gonna be the WR coach, he got offered to call plays at Cinnci and left.

Hmmm. I did think this may happen but I thought him and Kelly were super tight and would stick together. Again, he was a good WR coach and recruiter but his AWFUL play calling blew it for me. 4 straight fu$&ing passes on 1st and goal in a hurricane at NCst. Horrid.

 

[GBdomer]

Hmmm. I did think this may happen but I thought him and Kelly were super tight and would stick together. Again, he was a good WR coach and recruiter but his AWFUL play calling blew it for me. 4 straight fu$&ing passes on 1st and goal in a hurricane at NCst. Horrid.

I don't think Denrbrock was always calling those plays. I think Kelly had a lot more say in this offense then people think.

Also Lou from rivals basically said there were to many cooks in the kitchen this year and people needed a change.

 

[ND Fan Vancouver]

I don't think Denrbrock was always calling those plays. I think Kelly had a lot more say in this offense then people think.

Also Lou from rivals basically said there were to many cooks in the kitchen this year and people needed a change.

This is true. I'll always be very curious as to how the play calling went down this year.

 

[BGIF]

Hmmm. I did think this may happen but I thought him and Kelly were super tight and would stick together. Again, he was a good WR coach and recruiter but his AWFUL play calling blew it for me. 4 straight fu$&ing passes on 1st and goal in a hurricane at NCst. Horrid.

I responded to a post by GB in the Silly Season thread about Denbrock's role. I knew the job titles but I didn't know the actual management diagram. Did Denbrock and Sanford make the game plans ... and the then get to work that plan? Or, did Kelly call the nonscripted plays from the sidelines?

Which pass was the AWFUL call against NCS, the first, second, third, fourth, ... all our four? I'm a proponent passing at the goal line using height, girth, and deception at the goal line. Take the tall receiver into the corner for a fade, same guy across the play of the end zone. Same play to the tall guy at the back of the end zone with the TE releasing late on a drag. Play action and a WR brush block and release on delay. If we're pass happy, fake the pass for a QB delay. Denbrock and Sanford were supposed to be innovative, misdirection and such. How much misdirection did ND run this year?

The Chiefs ran a 325 beast in the wildcat last night and he ... threw for a TD. In the fuckin' NFL where everybody is too talented, too fast, and too smart for that to happen. But it did.


I joked in the Silly Season about this opening the door for Quinn. Quinn's offense at UC was more aggressive than Kelly's past six years at ND. Will Kelly let Quinn or any other OC call plays? I don't know.

 

[ND Fan Vancouver]

I responded to a post by GB in the Silly Season thread about Denbrock's role. I knew the job titles but I didn't know the actual management diagram. Did Denbrock and Sanford make the game plans ... and the then get to work that plan? Or, did Kelly call the nonscripted plays from the sidelines?

Which pass was the AWFUL call against NCS, the first, second, third, fourth, ... all our four? I'm a proponent passing at the goal line using height, girth, and deception at the goal line. Take the tall receiver into the corner for a fade, same guy across the play of the end zone. Same play to the tall guy at the back of the end zone with the TE releasing late on a drag. Play action and a WR brush block and release on delay. If we're pass happy, fake the pass for a QB delay. Denbrock and Sanford were supposed to be innovative, misdirection and such. How much misdirection did ND run this year?

The Chiefs ran a 325 beast in the wildcat last night and he ... threw for a TD. In the fuckin' NFL where everybody is too talented, too fast, and too smart for that to happen. But it did.


I joked in the Silly Season about this opening the door for Quinn. Quinn's offense at UC was more aggressive than Kelly's past six years at ND. Will Kelly let Quinn or any other OC call plays? I don't know.

Great post dude. Who knows hey? I hope it shakes out well. Lots of talent on that offense.

 

[ThePiombino]

This just pretty much puts a stamp on the rumors that this will be Jeff Quinns and BK's offense

I remember desperately wanting this back in '10. Sucks to lose Denbrock, however.

 

[arrowryan]

This just pretty much puts a stamp on the rumors that this will be Jeff Quinns and BK's offense

Does Jeff Quinn know how to run the football

 

[OCIrish]

Damn, I was afraid of this.......and not because of losing him as a playcaller, but his recruiting on the west coast. I'm sure this will be picked up by Polian, so hopefully there shouldn't be any drop off. Good luck to him in Cincy!

 

[OCIrish]

Does Jeff Quinn know how to run the football

I don't really care necessarily, as long as they're scoring an awful lot of points and Coach Elko's D is lighting people up on that side of the ball!!

 

[Irish#1]

Does Jeff Quinn know how to run the football

I don't really care necessarily, as long as they're scoring an awful lot of points and Coach Elko's D is lighting people up on that side of the ball!!

I do, because regardless of what offenses have morphed into over the last 10 years, running the football is always the foundation to winning football games.

IIRC Polian is a pretty good recruiter, so losing Denbrock shouldn't be a big loss.

 

[ND Fan Vancouver]

I don't really care necessarily, as long as they're scoring an awful lot of points and Coach Elko's D is lighting people up on that side of the ball!!

Great attitude. I'm trying to look at it with a simple approach. They went 4-8 last year. Kelly runs a good program. Fire the bad apple assistants and bring in new ones. I like it. I love the Elko hire and I have looked deeply into his scheme and believe it works perfectly with our personnel. Gilmore hadn't shown really any success. DL just weren't performing or improving (see Tillery, Trumbetti). Brian Polian landed some of our best all time players and was just a head coach. He coached ST at Texas A&M and Stanford. Great hire. I'm sure Kelly will make more great hires. Denson and Lyght were fantastic Kelly hires as well. Great recruiters and players love them.

 

[OCIrish]

I do, because regardless of what offenses have morphed into over the last 10 years, running the football is always the foundation to winning football games.

IIRC Polian is a pretty good recruiter, so losing Denbrock shouldn't be a big loss.

I agree, but it just isn't the same as it used to be. If you look at what Oregon and Baylor has been able to do over the past 5-7 seasons, yes, they run the ball, but it's almost set up by the pass, or the utilization of RB's out of the backfield.....ie, swing passes, etc, which, anymore are considered by coaches as a running play. So, yes, you are correct in that they'll need to run the ball, I guess I should've said I don't care what it looks like in how they accomplish that goal.

 

[irishff1014]

Pete Thamel is reporting that Denbrock has taken the Cincy OC job. Can't embed tweet on phone

This sucks. He is a good recruiter and a good coach IMO. Leaving ND with for Cincy OC job is a down grade.

 

[OCIrish]

Great attitude. I'm trying to look at it with a simple approach. They went 4-8 last year. Kelly runs a good program. Fire the bad apple assistants and bring in new ones. I like it. I love the Elko hire and I have looked deeply into his scheme and believe it works perfectly with our personnel. Gilmore hadn't shown really any success. DL just weren't performing or improving (see Tillery, Trumbetti). Brian Polian landed some of our best all time players and was just a head coach. He coached ST at Texas A&M and Stanford. Great hire. I'm sure Kelly will make more great hires. Denson and Lyght were fantastic Kelly hires as well. Great recruiters and players love them.

Well.......I've said my peace about Kelly. I have to admit, I was stunned by the Elko hire.....I really was. I don't think he could've hired a better DC. I think in a few years, Elston will be ready, as I think he could learn an awful lot from Elko, in how to get the most out of the kids you have. I haven't seen a coach get more with less than Mike Elko. Maybe if Kelly spends more time with the offense as he should, they'll not be nearly as sporadic as they were this past season.

 

[OCIrish]

This sucks. He is a good recruiter and a good coach IMO. Leaving ND with for Cincy OC job is a down grade.

It's a downgrade only on terms of school......but, he's gonna actually get to be the playcaller in Cincy, so, it'll be his baby. I look at that as an upgrade

 

[Blaise]

It's a downgrade only on terms of school......but, he's gonna actually get to be the playcaller in Cincy, so, it'll be his baby. I look at that as an upgrade

Yep... By the writing on the wall, Kelly wants to take back the offense. He hires Elko and gives him the control so Kelly can just focus on Offense. With that, Kelly will be calling plays and Denbrock would be moved back to a position coach full time, so going to Cinci as an OC and calling plays would be an upgrade for him in terms of his goals to be a HC one day

 

[IrishLax]

Some food for thought.... the opening a couple series that all worked so well this year were basically scripted by Denbrock a collaboration with Sanford and Kelly. The watch-Kizer-struggle-to-throw-it-all-over-the-field in the middle/end of every game was Kelly overruling Denbrock and taking over play calling. Denbrock and Kelly had a falling out mid-season over this... Denbrock wanting to run it more, Kelly not trusting the OL to get it done (despite obvious success when committed to the run early in some games). And that's why Denbrock is leaving for what is almost a certainly a significant pay reduction... autonomy to run the offense. Much more than other stuff, it's things like this that convinced me that Kelly was a problem and needed to be replaced, but oh well.

 

[TheChosen1]

Football scoop added this:

Last night Pete Thamel of SI reported that Notre Dame associate head coach / wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock was expected to be the new offensive coordinator at Cincinnati for Luke Fickell. It is our understanding that Denbrock has not decided to accept another position at this time. Will update as more is clear.

 

[koonja]

Geez, with so many assistants coming off of the books, you could have almost justified firing Kelly financially this year.

 

[Cackalacky]

Some food for thought.... the opening a couple series that all worked so well this year were basically scripted by Denbrock a collaboration with Sanford and Kelly. The watch-Kizer-struggle-to-throw-it-all-over-the-field in the middle/end of every game was Kelly overruling Denbrock and taking over play calling. Denbrock and Kelly had a falling out mid-season over this... Denbrock wanting to run it more, Kelly not trusting the OL to get it done (despite obvious success when committed to the run early in some games). And that's why Denbrock is leaving for what is almost a certainly a significant pay reduction... autonomy to run the offense. Much more than other stuff, it's things like this that convinced me that Kelly was a problem and needed to be replaced, but oh well.

Pretty much confirmation of what I thought about the scripted plays and BKs involvement over the course of the season. Also confirms why the two OCs are gone now. No one wants to work with someone who wont let you do your thing that got you there in the first place.

 

[koonja]

I think Denbrock is a great recruiter, but I think this whole 'did so great in Cali' narrative is overblown. For all of the 'great recruitment' in Cali, I remember coming 2nd or 3rd most of the time. There's ESB, who else in recent memory? Aaron Banks is all in because of HH, so don't credit Denbrock there. DJ Morgan? 3-star that we wanted more than any other big program, most didn't want him.

We'll recruit Cali just as well without Denbrock, which is still not good enough. We'll be fine in Cali.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Some food for thought.... the opening a couple series that all worked so well this year were basically scripted by Denbrock a collaboration with Sanford and Kelly. The watch-Kizer-struggle-to-throw-it-all-over-the-field in the middle/end of every game was Kelly overruling Denbrock and taking over play calling. Denbrock and Kelly had a falling out mid-season over this... Denbrock wanting to run it more, Kelly not trusting the OL to get it done (despite obvious success when committed to the run early in some games). And that's why Denbrock is leaving for what is almost a certainly a significant pay reduction... autonomy to run the offense. Much more than other stuff, it's things like this that convinced me that Kelly was a problem and needed to be replaced, but oh well.

.

 

[koonja]

Couple sources on twitter reporting 'I'm told nothing is confirmed/accepted'. Probably protocol so Denbrock can reach out to those he's recruiting to ND to let them know before they find out on elsewhere.