Next year's coach!

ulukinatme

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I'm not sure where you are getting your information from, but the information I'm looking at says Kelly is tied for 10th in salary with six other coaches at 4 million a year. That put's him ahead of both Dantonio (3.7 million) and Patterson (3.5 million).

I'm tired of the chicken little's bemoaning the possibility of ending up with another "Weis or Willingham" as a reason to hold on to Kelly from now until eternity. If you are happy with 8-5 seasons....then Kelly is the guy for you. I'm not happy with 8-5 seasons and would risk the off chance that we end up with another turd than sit through another under performing and unorganized bunch under Kelly.

Yes, there have been injuries, but Brian Kelly himself as coach and coordinator has just been horrible down the stretch from personnel decisions to play calling, both of which have nothing to do with logic and everything to do with his ego. If he doesn't win next season then he can take his ego and GTFO.

I'm going off USA Today's figures that were posted for 2014. Obviously the private school coaches like Kelly aren't accurate in those figures, but the state school coaches are fairly accurate. In any case, my point is that the names people are throwing out like Dantonio, Stoops, Meyer, and even Patterson are somewhat silly and not likely. Those guys are already making pretty good bank, and it's unlikely we're going to pay them much more to leave their current jobs to coach at ND. The bigger question, money aside, is "Why would they leave?" All four guys have their programs in pretty good position in their conferences and for the most part they are in much better shape as big bowl contenders than we are.

As far as being happy with 8-5 seasons, obviously nobody is, but neither do I want to see this program slip back to 6-6 or 3-9. If you're going to oust Kelly, you need a suitable replacement that will at least do as good or better than he did. You're most likely going to have to pull the candidate from a successful mid level program or possibly lower, and it has to be someone with good history and is willing to deal with the BS of Notre Dame expectations, pressure, speaking engagements, and academics. Good luck.
 

Grahambo

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I'm going off USA Today's figures that were posted for 2014. Obviously the private school coaches like Kelly aren't accurate in those figures, but the state school coaches are fairly accurate. In any case, my point is that the names people are throwing out like Dantonio, Stoops, Meyer, and even Patterson are somewhat silly and not likely. Those guys are already making pretty good bank, and it's unlikely we're going to pay them much more to leave their current jobs to coach at ND. The bigger question, money aside, is "Why would they leave?" All four guys have their programs in pretty good position in their conferences and for the most part they are in much better shape as big bowl contenders than we are.

As far as being happy with 8-5 seasons, obviously nobody is, but neither do I want to see this program slip back to 6-6 or 3-9. If you're going to oust Kelly, you need a suitable replacement that will at least do as good or better than he did. You're most likely going to have to pull the candidate from a successful mid level program or possibly lower, and it has to be someone with good history and is willing to deal with the BS of Notre Dame expectations, pressure, speaking engagements, and academics. Good luck.

When it comes to finding another coach, the problem stems from who are you going to get? As most point out, like you, the big name coaches like Urbie just aren't going to come. They didn't come last time and nothing makes me believe they will come this time. You MIGHT be able to entertain Bob Stoops but that's about it, assuming you consider him elite. Then you have to ask, well, who's next at the 2nd tier of coaching and BK would be on that short list. Just doesn't make sense.

He has earned the right to make adjustments for next season with his coaching staff, strength and conditioning staff, and personnel. Next year is the big year for him and will really tell us what we need to know. If people are quick to toss 2012 as a fluke year then you have to at least admit this season could be a fluke season as well. Not using injuries as a crutch but it does play a crucial role.

You need to allow him a year to make adjustments. If he stays status quo and next year is another bust year, then you can start looking around. One can expect the injury bug to be far less intrusive then this season, one can also assume that another academic scandal will not appear, and you CAN return key starters in KVR, Ishaq, and possibly DD.

Gotta be fair all the way around.
 

Who'saWildManNow

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One thing we all can agree: ND football is playing lifeless for the last two decades and a half. This team is painful to watch...the defense is often soft and the offense dont smash any small programs. What was the last time ND put more than 50 points in a game?This program need someone to bring some swag and life to South Bend, otherwise, the next few years will be mediocre again. I think someone like Art Briles would do that.

Oct 11 2014 against UNC.
 

CarrollVermin

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So this is ignoring that over the last 5 to 10 years, ever since Willingham left, we have pretty much consistently had top 20 recruiting classes. We can get the talent that it takes to be a perenniel top 15 team. Our schedule's a crapshoot since we aren't in a conference. Some years it's tough, some years, like this year, it's not. We can get the talent. We have 5 stars on this roster. Jaylon, Redfield, we had Ishaq, we had Gunner Kiel, we had Aaron Lynch, we had Stephon Tuitt. We've got guys who were at the top of their position like Nyles Morgan, Greg Bryant, Elijah Shumate, Russell, Golson, Koyack, Hegarty, Daniels, Lombard. There is talent on this team. We've seen guys like Manti Te'o choose Notre Dame. We've had guys drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. I'm not buying the talent bit. Furthermore, I'm seeing guys who were 3 stars carry teams to big bowl games and win awards. I've seen it happen at ND. There can be winners at Notre Dame.

A Top 20 class is VERY different from a top 5 class. LSU was young this year - they got much better as the season went on because they were elite athletes. Look at the youth at Alabama, FSU, Tennessee, etc. The young talent we have is just that. Its young. Tranquil would not see the field in the SEC outside of Vandy. Same can be said for so many of our guys. You are wearing blue and gold glasses if you see it otherwise. We don't have elite pass rushers, still cannot attract the end-all-be-all stud on the defensive line, and elite running backs and wide receivers pass on ND all the time. And when they do decide to come to school here, they miss a year because they end up cheating to get by. I don't doubt we get talent...but elite talent that can win championships, is a different story. Talent that can win 7,8,9 games a year, absolutely.
 

Irish Houstonian

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When it comes to finding another coach, the problem stems from who are you going to get?...

Yep. IMO, you hang on to Kelly awhile longer until somebody marquee either becomes available of shows himself. There's just nobody out there right now. And they're certainly not going to be there soon enough for next year.
 

tko

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Paul Johnson has taken 2 star athletes at Navy and marginally better athletes at Georgia Tech and turned them into solid football players. "Just think what he would do at Notre Dame with 4 and 5 star players."
 

Irish Insanity

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Yes I think the lack of a stylistic identity hurts. Oregon has its brand of football, Alabama has its brand of football, Baylor has its brand of football. We need ours.


We have one........and it includes soft and uninspired. It's not good.

Next year's coach will be Kelly minus some assistants.

Hopefully it will be plus some assistance. Like a real OC

The thing I absolutely hate, offense and defense, is that we have players on the team for multiple years that still don't get 'the system'. This is CFB. You get these players for 4 years. There shouldn't be some elaborate system that take 4 of those years to master. Make is easier for then to contribute and succeed. Its your job as a coach to put this team in a position to succeed.
 
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Catholics_Rule

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Some others have stated here and I'd like to agree with it, but going 8-5 every season with the exception of one isn't good enough for me and shouldn't be good enough for ANY Notre Dame fan or alum.

Next year is going to be the most important year for Brian Kelly at Notre Dame. It's time for him to deliver.
 

Cali_domer

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We have one........and it includes soft and uninspired. It's not good.



Hopefully it will be plus some assistance. Like a real OC

The thing I absolutely hate, offense and defense, is that we have players on the team for multiple years that still don't get 'the system'. This is CFB. You get these players for 4 years. There shouldn't be some elaborate system that take 4 of those years to master. Make is easier for then to contribute and succeed. Its your job as a coach to put this team in a position to succeed.
Swarbrick should demand some changes (like they did to Hoke).
 

Grahambo

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While we are at it:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>One NFL source convinced Raiders are the favorite to trade for HC Jim Harbaugh, but Jets also known to be keeping a close eye on situation.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/539082440447655936">November 30, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

Irishbounty28

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Bo for DC!
No! Absolutely and emphatically NO! He is the epitome of a coach that believes his system can overcome all. Against Wisconsin he was in a Nickel package for a large portion of the game, and 400 or some odd yards later by Melvin Gordon he still didn't adjust.
 

IrishLax

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Oh, forgot to add Rich Rod to the "reasonable" list.
 

KD in CT

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I guess some people have forgotten the caliber of coach ND was able to attract for the 15 years prior to Kelly.
 

dang227

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Wouldn't hate that at all. Very likeable guy IMO. Think Bob Davie, but with actual coaching skills.


Good coach but he is known to be one of the bigger dicks in the coaching profession.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

IrishLax

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I guess some people have forgotten the caliber of coach ND was able to attract for the 15 years prior to Kelly.

Davie was natural successor, Willingham was (laughably) a first choice, Weis was second fiddle to some other candidates from what I've heard, Kelly was top choice.

So only once have we not been able to go out and get the guy we wanted since Holtz.

Again, I'm just saying IF Kelly is gone there are about 10 rather reasonable candidates I'd be happy with.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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Davie was natural successor, Willingham was (laughably) a first choice, Weis was second fiddle to some other candidates from what I've heard, Kelly was top choice.

So only once have we not been able to go out and get the guy we wanted since Holtz.

Again, I'm just saying IF Kelly is gone there are about 10 rather reasonable candidates I'd be happy with.

Don't forget Willingham only got his shot after the George O'Leary fiasco.
 

Grahambo

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Davie was natural successor, Willingham was (laughably) a first choice, Weis was second fiddle to some other candidates from what I've heard, Kelly was top choice.

So only once have we not been able to go out and get the guy we wanted since Holtz.

Again, I'm just saying IF Kelly is gone there are about 10 rather reasonable candidates I'd be happy with.

Have I missed your list?
 

Grahambo

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Hah that article is staying in the hopper until Kelly leaves...

Here are the guys I don't think would be significant downgrades from Kelly that I'm fairly sure we could get with minimal effort: Andersen, Wittingham, McElwain (just a case of money and paying that buyout), Addazio, Paul Johnson, Ken Niumatolo, Narduzzi... none of these guys would be hard at all to get.

Then "reach" candidates... Gruden, Patterson, Mullen, Sumlin, Malzahn, and many others are unreasonable unless we want to open the wallet and get wild.

Andersen - Good defensive minded coach. I would be okay with him and I agree, I don't think he'd be a hard pull.

Wittingham - Not sure I would like him. Seems to have been pretty mediocre at Utah after Urbie's kids left. He had a good run from 2008-2010 but average since.

McElwain - I'm a McElwain fan. Would not mind him at all.

Addazio - Hmm..not really sure about him. He seems to be a good coach and has obvious ties to ND.

Johnson and Niumatolo - I highly doubt ND would bring them aboard.

Narduzzi - I would love Narduzzi to come aboard. Not sure what he's waiting for honestly. Also not sure ND is a place for a 1st year head coach but if he was able to bring in a strong OC, almost head coach type of an OC, then I could see it work.

I would add Bob Stoops to the reach candidates. His time at OU seems to be closer to the end and it might time up with BK heading to the NFL or getting canned if next season doesn't turn around. I want no part of Gruden and think he is overrated, not to mention how long he has been out of coaching. I also think he is waiting for an NFL gig like Oakland or one of the NY teams. I don't see Patterson leaving TCU.

I would not mind Malzahn just not sure why he would leave Auburn. Dan Mullen would be an interesting candidate. Offensively he is good and not sure how he would be with recruiting without having an open wallet. I want no part of Sumlin. I think he is highly overrated and think his system won Johnny Football the Heisman.

You could argue that BK fits in to the same tier as the realistic possibilities you had laid out as I do think he is a good coach. I believe next season is the season which will determine if Swarbrick keeps BK or let's him go elsewhere without a fight.
 

NorthDakota

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I'm still on team Kelly.

IF we don't have Kelly though, for whatever reason.....give me McElwain.
 
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