ND Coaching Changes 2016

Irish#1

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I don't think they would force the coaches on the new head guy. The new guy would probably have the option to retain them or else ND would buy them out. That is just a necessary evil and the assistants' buyouts pale in comparison to what a head coach buyout would entail.

That's my point. Given these coaches are getting multi-year contracts, it's going to be a significant chunk of money to buy these guys out. Granted it may be less than a HC, but why would Elko and the others come if they didn't have a nice guaranteed contract?
 

Whiskeyjack

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So we're not trying to hire a top tier coach? Greeeeeeeeeeeat.

Those guys are white whales. They've coached in the college game for decades and are notorious control freaks, so of course they'd clean house and bring in all their own guys. Whereas candidates like John Harbaugh or Bill O'Brien would also be "top tier", though I could easily see one of them retaining Elko, Hiestand, etc. I think Swarbrick et al have taken a calculated risk here in favor of stability over the next 3 years, and given that our options this winter were guys like Fleck, Narduzzi or D'Antonio, I can't say they made the wrong call.
 

Southside Sully

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So, your saying it is all becoming clear now?



Well, I think it is actually change for necessities sake.

Guys, Brian Kelly isn't getting it done, won't be getting it done, doesn't want to get it done. All good 'ol Brian Kelly wants is as much money as he can get, and to land on his feet.

On the other had, ND wants to avoid a huge payout.

And by the way, since Kelly refused to give his best effort, (not handling the BVG situation is all the PROOF you need,) why should the school pay an exorbitant amount of money for such a do nothing loser. If you need look any farther, check and see how many members of the 2017 class he has contacted.

Pardon me if I respectfully disagree with the idea of putting any more money in his pockets!

No, I think ND should just use him to resolve the heat until they can get a better coach in the next cycle.

Isn't this all relative though? If the product you keep putting out is crap, then you lose interest of a fan base, who will potentially not come to games/stimulate the SB/ND economy in the fall until change is made. Conversely if you are winning, you are making more money, putting out a better product, getting the bowl money etc, hence being able to pay out contract buy outs, and hire coaches for more money. At least that is my dumbed down view of the economics of it.
 

NDdomer2

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The whole avoiding BKs buyout doesn't make any sense if ur going to hire another coach next year and have to pay the future obligations to ur new stuff hires from this year. keep Kelly one more year limits his buyout, but all we did was add future obligations to elko, lea, long, and Alexander.

Seems like net nothing.
 

Whiskeyjack

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The whole avoiding BKs buyout doesn't make any sense if ur going to hire another coach next year and have to pay the future obligations to ur new stuff hires from this year. keep Kelly one more year limits his buyout, but all we did was add future obligations to elko, lea, long, and Alexander.

Seems like net nothing.

I'd agree with that if the goal was to simply mitigate Kelly's buyout by a single year. But I think the idea is to do well in 2017 so that Kelly can jump to a new job immediately, which means ND doesn't pay any of his $25m buyout. No idea how realistic that is, but if they can pull it off, saving that kind of money would make a serious difference in the sort of coaches we can pursue next year.
 

zelezo vlk

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I'd agree with that if the goal was to simply mitigate Kelly's buyout by a single year. But I think the idea is to do well in 2017 so that Kelly can jump to a new job immediately, which means ND doesn't pay any of his $25m buyout. No idea how realistic that is, but if they can pull it off, saving that kind of money would make a serious difference in the sort of coaches we can pursue next year.

He'd have to make the playoffs or more to get a team to pay for that whole buyout. Maybe an arrangement is made?
 

Whiskeyjack

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He'd have to make the playoffs or more to get a team to pay for that whole buyout. Maybe an arrangement is made?

Buy-out provisions often go both ways. If ND fires Kelly now, they owe him $25 million. And presumably, if Kelly left for another school, ND could demand a large chunk of change since he's still under contract. But since ND is looking to get out of the first provision, they could offer to waive their right to second. I assume Kelly and Jack have hashed this out, and since Kelly wants to continue coaching, they've both agreed it's in his best interest to do well in 2017 and jump to a new school without crashing his career trajectory. That way Kelly's still making millions annually, he still looks like an attractive coach (if you squint really hard), and ND avoids a $25 million loss.
 

NDdomer2

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I'd agree with that if the goal was to simply mitigate Kelly's buyout by a single year. But I think the idea is to do well in 2017 so that Kelly can jump to a new job immediately, which means ND doesn't pay any of his $25m buyout. No idea how realistic that is, but if they can pull it off, saving that kind of money would make a serious difference in the sort of coaches we can pursue next year.

Shouldn't the idea be too do well every year? Sounds like this was a dumb gamble.
 

Whiskeyjack

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Shouldn't the idea be too do well every year? Sounds like this was a dumb gamble.

Eating a $25m buyout to take a chance on someone like Narduzzi sounds like a better bet to you? It's definitely a gamble which may very well backfire, but given my understanding of our options last quarter, this route makes a certain kind of sense.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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Eating a $25m buyout to take a chance on someone like Narduzzi sounds like a better bet to you? It's definitely a gamble which may very well backfire, but given my understanding of our options last quarter, this route makes a certain kind of sense.

If Kelly has a full-value buyout that does not reflect well on the parties negotiating on behalf of Notre Dame.
 

NDdomer2

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I know we had shitty options but seems like if the gamble was on Kelly to perform well and leave they also didn't have to hire a whole new coaching staff. DC was a given but OC and wr weren't. So the gamble in that view doesn't match up. Make it more difficult for the guy u want to do well and increase future payout obligations.

Story just isn't quite adding up imo.
 

Calabrese's People

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If that's the case then elevate Elston and Denbrock, maintain the other assistants, hope for the best next year, and fire Kelly when shit hits the fan. ND basically installed an entirely new coaching staff (each with their own buyouts) when the HC is thought to be a dead man walking. Bizarre IMO.



I don't doubt that ND administration wants Kelly out. But the theory that they are hiring a young staff for the next coach makes no sense to me... what administration hires assistants for a future coach that isn't even determined yet?

** Puts Tinfoil hat on**
An administration that wants to hire Mike Norvell but doesnt want to pay the buyout for Kelly and to Memphis. Kelly agrees to use this season to springboard himself into a preferred spot (pretty much make or break in terms of his coaching future).

From administrations perspective, Kelly is uber-motivated to win this year and the additional year of seasoning in the AAC will be of benefit to Norvell. Plus $$$.

Handshake agreements all round

** Takes tinfoil hat off **
 

Irish Insanity

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Kelly isn't driving these hires.
Which gives me hope moving forward.

Who is then? Does Kelly know he is a dead man walking? One would think that he is vetting and approving all of these candidates.

Assuming Kelly leaves next year, it's likely that most of these new guys are gone as well. Part of me feels like... what's the point of all this? Why even do all of this when we are apparently going to flip the whole script after next year anyway.

I think it's known that he wants out as well as won't be wanted after the next year or two.
 

pkt77242

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I know we had shitty options but seems like if the gamble was on Kelly to perform well and leave they also didn't have to hire a whole new coaching staff. DC was a given but OC and wr weren't. So the gamble in that view doesn't match up. Make it more difficult for the guy u want to do well and increase future payout obligations.

Story just isn't quite adding up imo.

Agreed. I could see Swarbrick telling Kelly he needed to shake it up because he can't afford another bad year but I think it is highly unlikely that significant power was taken from Kelly or that all of these hires are being orchestrated by somebody else or most of the other theories out there. They just don't add up.
 
C

Cackalacky

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Alexander will be in southbend next week working

BREAKING: DelVaughn Alexander to Notre Dame as WR coach

So....with Alexander as a former TE and WR coach and Long as a former TE......coach we might finally get our TEs involved. I still think Alize will most likely be utilized at WR more than TE and i fully expect multiple TE sets on the field with our current and apparent lack of WR depth now.

Also if its been posted i apologize but what is the status of Gilmore and Elston?
 

PANDFAN

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Damn Sanford took some behind the scenes people from us in recruiting Dept...Thomas.. Grant
 

stlnd01

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Agreed. I could see Swarbrick telling Kelly he needed to shake it up because he can't afford another bad year but I think it is highly unlikely that significant power was taken from Kelly or that all of these hires are being orchestrated by somebody else or most of the other theories out there. They just don't add up.

+1
Feels like there was a run on tin foil around here recently.
 
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