11/23/24
December 10, 2009
Notre Dame Hires Brian Kelly as Head Coach: Notre Dame has hired Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly to be its next head coach, Sporting News is reporting this afternoon. Kelly, 34-6 in three seasons with the Bearcats, led the team this year to a 12-0 record, Big East title and a Sugar Bowl berth against Florida. An assistant will coach the team's bowl game, Cincinnati sports talk host Lance McAlister wrote on Twitter.
Oh good, it always works out well when they rush in and sign someone before bowl season. Cue Kelly resume scandal in 3, 2, 1 . . .
To be fair, isn't that how most college football programs roll with new hires? And IIRC, it's because of ND's waiting the search process that allowed Florida to nab Meyer before ND could.
Still, I wonder if the situation would be any different had Texas lost and Cincy was playing for the national title.
posted by jmd82 at 06:01 PM on December 10, 2009
Hey, I'm happy for the ex-Chippewa coach.
posted by NoMich at 06:03 PM on December 10, 2009
Notre Dame had to jump on a hire. They couldn't afford to have several big names get floated in the media and then publicly turn them down. Kelly seems like a pretty good fit for them. Anyone who can put Cincinnati in the championship hunt should be able to bring Notre Dame back to the elite, considering its much greater resources.
posted by rcade at 06:12 PM on December 10, 2009
I'm completely uninformed on this, beyond knowing who Kelly is. I don't know that anyone can make ND a national power again, so I'm frustrated they couldn't even manage to get Gruden off my TV.
posted by yerfatma at 07:18 PM on December 10, 2009
I think its pretty fucked up for him to take Cincy this far and then drop them before the bowl game. To me it just shows a complete lack of respect for the players that worked so hard for him, and the prospects that committed to Cincy because he was the coach.
posted by irunfromclones at 08:25 PM on December 10, 2009
Kelly seems to be a terrific coach. He has been successful everywhere he's been and the programs he's taken over haven't been anywhere near Notre Dame in talent (yes I just said that) and prestige.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:27 PM on December 10, 2009
He has been successful everywhere he's been and the programs he's taken over haven't been anywhere near Notre Dame in talent (yes I just said that)
Actually, as far as I can tell, you're not completely crazy. ND still recruits decently- maybe not to the level of Florida and USC, but well enough. According to Rivals.com, Notre Dame is still ranked #12 for recruiting class, even though their football program has sucked in the last few years. As far as raw talent goes, ND still gets the recruits. However, it seems to be the coaching and development of that talent that's lacking, of which Kelly has a proven track record of.
posted by jmd82 at 10:39 PM on December 10, 2009
To me it just shows a complete lack of respect for the players that worked so hard for him, and the prospects that committed to Cincy because he was the coach.
Yep.
Really, the announcement couldn't wait three weeks? Really? I wish Notre Dame all the success that they had the last time they hired a noted coach out of Cincinnati Gerry Faust
posted by tahoemoj at 02:16 AM on December 11, 2009
Agreed, he should have stayed on to coach that bowl game for the good of all, because that program had a thing going on that was worth watching. The players had a great connection to the coaching staff and it showed on the field.
Notre Dame has not solved its defensive problems with this hire. They should probably get ready for some 48-45 ballgames.
posted by beaverboard at 06:14 AM on December 11, 2009
Really, the announcement couldn't wait three weeks?
No. That's three weeks in which Notre Dame isn't getting commits from recruits, other schools are using the coaching vacuum against it and the media is portraying it as a job no one wants.
I wish the NCAA had a rule that prevented coaching moves during the bowl season. But until it does, poaching big-name coaches before their bowls is the way the game is played.
If you're Kelly, as much success as you have achieved in Cincinnati, I don't see how you can get the much higher profile Notre Dame job without abandoning your players. Notre Dame wasn't going to wait around.
posted by rcade at 07:58 AM on December 11, 2009
Part of the problem I see with the timing is the huge wait between the end of the regular season and the start (and end) of the "Bowl season". It leaves the schools looking to change coaches in a bit of a lurch because, as stated above, this is a prime time to be getting new student commitments. Which they have a harder time doing without a coach.
posted by opel70 at 08:54 AM on December 11, 2009
Cincy's players already have a problem with the way Brian Kelly left the Cincy job by thanking them for putting him in this position and he also already changed his Twitter page to represent Notre Dame.
posted by BornIcon at 09:02 AM on December 11, 2009
Well, he is an employee of Notre Dame now. Makes sense that he would reflect that on his Twitter page.
posted by NoMich at 09:49 AM on December 11, 2009
beaverboard made the same point I was about to: ND just dumped one coach who was an offensive mind but had a completely useless defense for another coach whose team has a great offense and no defense. While I like Brian Kelly, I don't see this working out. You can win playing shootouts in the leagues he's been coaching in, but in major college football programs, you will occasionally run into teams with defenses that can slow down or stop the best offenses.
posted by TheQatarian at 10:43 AM on December 11, 2009
Well, he is an employee of Notre Dame now. Makes sense that he would reflect that on his Twitter page.
But of course. Isn't that where we all get our information from anyways?
posted by BornIcon at 11:00 AM on December 11, 2009
poaching big-name coaches before their bowls is the way the game is played.
Fair enough, and I guess I know that. Seems like Urban Meyer's departure from Utah was quite similar, if I recall. It still sucks.
posted by tahoemoj at 11:49 AM on December 11, 2009
Oh good, it always works out well when they rush in and sign someone before bowl season. Cue Kelly resume scandal in 3, 2, 1 . . .