ND Coaching Search Megathread

[tko]

I love the idea of Freeman, but is Fickell just not one of your calls right now? I know we're in a new era of college football, and while pissed about Kelly, I'm willing to see young blood get after it. I just like Fickell and his qualities as a coach and I know he's a winner. Gimme 36-0 high school wrestling record, interim at OSU, ace recruiter and disciple under Meyer, success at Cincy, family man on and on. I think he can handle all that ND demands and more. Would Freeman be willing to work with his friend again and continue to hone his craft or is it time?

 

[NDMatt91]

I really don’t get what people see in Fickell. I know he’s doing well at Cincy, but the guy went 6-7 at OSU even though the team went undefeated the very next season with literally the same roster (20 starters back). He’d basically be BK, and maybe slightly worse. A “safe” hire who will rack up wins against average teams and get blown out in big games. ND needs to swing for the fences. Reach out to big names like Meyer, and then if they say no, go with Freeman. It’s all about recruiting. Freeman is a top notch recruiter and I’d rather roll the dice that he could be the next big coach in the country.

With that being said, I fully expect the administration to go with the safe, boring, and predictable hire of someone like Fickell or Campbell. Jack and company are perfectly content with going 10-2 every year and not trying to take the next step.

 

[irish4ever]

I love the idea of Freeman, but is Fickell just not one of your calls right now? I know we're in a new era of college football, and while pissed about Kelly, I'm willing to see young blood get after it. I just like Fickell and his qualities as a coach and I know he's a winner. Gimme 36-0 high school wrestling record, interim at OSU, ace recruiter and disciple under Meyer, success at Cincy, family man on and on. I think he can handle all that ND demands and more. Would Freeman be willing to work with his friend again and continue to hone his craft or is it time?

Probably time to be HC at Cincy.

 

[Southside Sully]

What about Bill O’Brien?

 

[pumpdog20]

I really don’t get what people see in Fickell. I know he’s doing well at Cincy, but the guy went 6-7 at OSU even though the team went undefeated the very next season with literally the same roster (20 starters back). He’d basically be BK, and maybe slightly worse. A “safe” hire who will rack up wins against average teams and get blown out in big games. ND needs to swing for the fences. Reach out to big names like Meyer, and then if they say no, go with Freeman. It’s all about recruiting. Freeman is a top notch recruiter and I’d rather roll the dice that he could be the next big coach in the country.

With that being said, I fully expect the administration to go with the safe, boring, and predictable hire of someone like Fickell or Campbell. Jack and company are perfectly content with going 10-2 every year and not trying to take the next step.

"Coaches can get better."
-Brian Kelly

 

[NDMatt91]

I have a funny feeling the talent level will be taken to the next level under Freeman. Whether the x's and o's and program building can follow we'll have to see.

I agree. I think we could very well be in the top 5-8 every year in recruiting. Really the only teams that are locks to be ahead of us every year in recruiting are Bama, OSU, UGA, and A&M (oil+NIL money). I see us being in the same range as and battling LSU, Clemson, and USC in the next “tier” so to speak. It’s all about recruiting.

 

[IRISHMAN]

What about Bill O’Brien?

NOOOOOO! i get the feeling he's just waiting to get another shot at the NFL.

 

[bkess8]

This

Not to lose the big game every year!

 

[notredomer23]

Can some anonymous sources falsely leak that Fickle is the next coach to distract Cincy this weekend?

 

[Wild Bill]

Can some anonymous sources falsely leak that Fickle is the next coach to distract Cincy this weekend?

Get a burner account and get creative on the cincy mesage boards.

 

[wizards8507]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/FightingIrish/status/1465677624588607492[/TWEET]

 

[DCDomer]

Cant decide if I want Freeman to lock him up long-term, or get Fickell and keep Freeman on staff for now.

 

[ThePiombino]

Let's see how far the program (and admin) have come. Old ND would take 6 weeks to officially announce their hire. Now, with time being of the essence, and the likely next hire already in the building -- can they get this done this week so as to minimize any recruiting damage/roster attrition? Time will tell, but this will go A LONG way in telling me where we are as a program now.

 

[hungryhippo]

Quinn and Polian are going with Kelly it seems, which I think most would be totally ok with.

I haven't scoured the twittersphere or other pay sites. Is there a source on this?

 

[NorthDakota]

Cant decide if I want Freeman to lock him up long-term, or get Fickell and keep Freeman on staff for now.

If Fickell comes isn't Freeman just gonna go to Cincy?

 

[GATTACA!]

I think anyone who wants Tommy Rees gone right now is nuts. This isn't a program that needs to rebuild, it's a perennial powerhouse that should be prioritizing continuity above all else. Give Freeman the HC not but do what you can to keep TR as OC.

The problem with this is that he’s terrible at his job. Idc how many players like him his offense is shit and he’s not a very good recruiter either. Give me a real OC who has HC experience that can help mentor Freeman.

 

[wizards8507]

...get Fickell and keep Freeman on staff for now.

I don't think there's any way this plays out where Freeman isn't a head coach somewhere next season.

 

[CrystalHead]

Starting to hear talk now that Freeman may be a done deal.

 

[BeauBenken]

Copying my own post not because I'm pretentious but because it also relates maybe more to this thread than the BK one....

Here's my guess on everything: Kelly and ND had agreed to some form of Kelly retiring at ND within the next few years plan with some of the newly injected blood taking over, back in 2016 this made sense to Kelly and all involved, but then he goes out and succeeds beyond even Kelly's expectations. Now he's invigorated with the desire to keep on as the head boss, but the powers that be know that the only way to keep Freeman and probably just get him here in the first place (the game-changer) is if he becomes HC eventually and sooner than later as people are already calling to gauge his interest in big time jobs like VT. ND tries to tell Kelly that they have to stick to the original script but he thinks he's got more than a few years and sees this somewhat forced end to his career as a bit of a slight. LSU comes in offering big cash and for it to be his show and his show alone and the rest is history.

Kelly will try to keep what he has determined to be his crew at ND (the guys who have a history with him prior to 2016 and/or who he believes are irreplaceable ie Elston, Tommy, etc.), but there are going to be those that are loyal more to Freeman than Kelly (Mickens) and some who know if they stick around they will get promoted internally at least for the time being. (Maybe Elston and Taylor)

The ND admin aren't going to be happy having to promote Freeman sooner than expected, but I think that's what they feel they have to do. They also won't like that a guy like Fickell is out there who would be big, but I think they believe continuity with our recruiting efforts and culture is key. And if you hire Fickell (as good of a hire as that would be) Freeman is outta here and so is half the team and recruits. You have to think, you didn't just fire a guy, you're headed to the playoffs AGAIN (in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year) and your recruiting is on a new level. There is nothing needing to be fixed that you need to hire a "culture changer" or "program builder" like Fickell.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Promote Freeman, retain Elston and Taylor. As far as I'm concerned, they're the irreplaceable ones.

Sent from my SM-J337U using Tapatalk

 

[RDU Irish]

Starting to hear talk now that Freeman may be a done deal.

Saw someone quoting players that Freeman was announced - wonder if that meeting had better attendance than the 7AM one?

 

[NDBoiler]

Had a co-worker ND alum just tell me that Swarbrick had recently given BK a 3 year ultimatum to win a NC or GTFO. No more raises until that happened. TIFWIW, no idea if this is true.

 

[wizards8507]

The problem with this is that he’s terrible at his job. Idc how many players like him his offense is shit and he’s not a very good scrunched either. Give me a real OC who has HC experience that can help mentor Freeman.

Notre Dame has a top-30 offense despite having exactly ONE elite player on that side of the ball. Their offensive problem isn't scheme, it's talent.

 

[Wild Bill]

This all makes sense if you concluded that Meyer would be a home-run, which I do not.

This makes sense tbh.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Notre Dame has a top-30 offense despite having exactly ONE elite player on that side of the ball. Their offensive problem isn't scheme, it's talent.

So um...bring in better talent?

And it's at least 2, Mayer and Kyren

 

[irishff1014]

Had a co-worker ND alum just tell me that Swarbrick had recently given BK a 3 year ultimatum to win a NC or GTFO. No more raises until that happened. TIFWIW, no idea if this is true.

I am not saying that it isn't true but if that's the case that dumb.

 

[wizards8507]

So um...bring in better talent?

That's my point. Freeman HC should be able to do that, which would give Rees some better toys to play with.

 

[CrystalHead]

Saw someone quoting players that Freeman was announced - wonder if that meeting had better attendance than the 7AM one?

Would be awesome to trump the goodbye speech with head coach announcement! Sends a solid message that no one person is above the program itself.

 

[NDdomer2]

Had a co-worker ND alum just tell me that Swarbrick had recently given BK a 3 year ultimatum to win a NC or GTFO. No more raises until that happened. TIFWIW, no idea if this is true.

lol sounds like sour grapes to me.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

If Fickell comes isn't Freeman just gonna go to Cincy?

Yes. Unless Freeman doesn't feel he's ready (fat chance) and wants to DC for Fickell for a few more years on a bigger stage, I don't see any way that we get Fickell and also keep Freeman. And if you forced me to pick between them, I'm going with Freeman. Fickell is a safer pick and the most Kelly-like replacement we could find. But Freeman has the recruiting chops to take us to next level. With how strong the program is top to bottom at the moment, now is to time to gamble on the guy who has the best shot at taking us over the top.