He got the school to relax some of its admissions standards, which hadn’t happened since Holtz and ND is relevant again, but he reached his ceiling and I am ready to move on as long as they don’t hire Matt Campbell.
Yesterday my team zoom checkin had Lincoln Riley chatter and today it’s Brian Kelly. I credit cfb for being more entertaining than NBA free agency this past year. Quite an accomplishment. Anyway, someone mentioned the most important coach for you guys to keep is your DL coach. That sound right?
It’s two fold. Sentiment is to keep Freeman as HC because he can hold the program together, and in that case hopefully Elston becomes DC even though he’s a Kelly guy. He’s the only one outside the S&C guy that hasn’t sucked. edit: To add, ND doesn’t allow transfers the way most schools do, so if the next hire isn’t accepted by the players, they can leave but they can’t just run to the portal and restock like other schools.
It is pretty impressive what he was able to accomplish there. But fans were ready to move on from the all-time winningest coach in program history? The elephant in the room is the legit question: would any other coach even be able to match, let alone surpass, Kelly’s ceiling at ND? Seems unlikely. And of the very few that could. Will ND actually be able to hire them? Also not likely based on what ND is willing to pay and recruiting restrictions. Not taking any shot, but seems like the program will take a step back until the administration makes some fundamental changes to how they approach football. And willing to change isn’t something ever used to describe the Catholic church.
Kelly dragged a lot of that forward, he couldn’t drag it across the line, our hope is the new guy can take his model and crank it up a bit. Also not sure where the money thing comes from, Kelly was making 7-8m and Freeman was supposedly offered 2.5 last year and we matched or topped that,
I get the point you are making but if the designs are to be a top ten program forever, then you keep him and win 10-11 games, make the expanded playoffs every year but never win a title. ND thinks they can win a title, so they have the best foundation they have had in 30 years and find the guy that can recruit at a higher level (especially QB) and take your shot. It all depends on the next hire, but in the last five years Kelly has changed from a rigid coach too loyal to older players and average coaches to a players guy that is actively part of the entire program. It’s not weird that his best run at ND coincided with this. Whether ND can win a title is debatable. They think they can, If they are wrong we’ve seen many once great programs fall to mediocrity because their eyes got too big. ND didn’t bail on Kelly. Kelly left for what he saw as greener pastures. I suspect he will find out it’s easier to make excuses when you can play the education card than it is to be on a level playing field, but we’ll see.
We just need a guy that isn't a lazy recruiter and doesn't settle for 6'1" noodle arm qbs every year. An elite QB is the #1 thing that could get make us competitive with elite teams and we are never anywhere near involved with top QB recruits.
There are rumors that our administration has hated him for jilting us in the past, so if anything I think what happened this year was a cherry on top. Not the straw that broke the camel’s back. I think that happened years ago.
You make it sound so easy. If Kelly tried harder and didn’t settle then ND would be in the mix for the elite 5-star QBs.
DJ Uiagalelei was literally quoted saying he would’ve loved to have been recruited by ND, but they never gave him any attention whatsoever. This was actually the norm under Kelly.
One guy saying he would’ve loved to be recruited by (not attend) is the exception not the rule. Guessing Kelly didn’t put in the time with the big names since he didn’t think he had a legit shot. But yeah I can understand wanting your coach to take the chance no matter how small. Especially when he is paid so well to do just that.
A team coming off of 2 playoff appearances in 3 years and no proven talent in the way had to reach down to Steve Angeli ranked #16. Penn State, Florida State, Missouri, Texas, Michigan State, Tennessee and Utah all have guys ranked higher. Yes if Kelly tried harder we would be in better shape at qb
Someone like laxjoe can explain it better, but you have to be in a graduation track grade and course wise, so a kid taking low level courses at another university may not get in to ND. I’m sure there’s more nuance to it, but my understanding is that if you couldnt get into ND the first time around they can’t take you as a transfer.
We won’t take kids whose credits won’t transfer. They need to be on track to graduate in 4 years or less. If they have the ability to, we’ll take them. It’s just not often with college football player curriculums at other schools. As someone who has transferred as an undergrad to ND from a halfway decent school, I lost a ton of credits and was forced to take 18+ credits every semester at ND to graduate on time.
Agree with you 100 percent there. But that wouldn’t entitle you to be in the mix of 5-star quarterbacks. Guess you’ll see if you’re right with the next coach. I’m not trolling by any means. I’m just saying that a lot of these elite QBs don’t even have ND on the radar. Not because of the coach’s lack of interest. But because they want to have a more consistent path to play for a title, they want to play in and get the exposure that top power 5s provide (like playing in big time conference championship games), they want to play with other elite players (that might not qualify or have interest in ND), they may not have academics as a priority, the campus and campus life doesn’t compare to other schools, etc. There’s plenty of reasons why you don’t get elite QB commits. Brian Kelly’s recruiting was just one small part of the bigger picture.
The most catholic of men. He even speaks at catholic mens’ conferences. I can’t imagine a better fit.
To the bolded part, he never even tried. He would take the guy he identified first and take him and move on. This year is a great example. Identified a kid that threw well at a camp, then passed on Drew Allar who had interest at the last time. Also rarely took more than one guy and let them compete, which is how you end up with Jack Coan, a transfer who doesn’t fit your system.
The more I think about it Brian’s protégé, Chuck Martin, is probably the safest hire. It’s like Brian Kelly 2.0: GVSU head coach? Check. ND experience? Check. Directional Michigan experience? Check. City in Ohio head coaching experience? Check. Uncanny.
If the playoff committee has any integrity they’ll put Cincinnati and Notre Dame at 2 and 3 and let them battle it out on the field for Fickell.
Real Talk- Chuck Martin has been told to go find another job from Miami, they won't fire him though cuz of the money. So he has one year left on his contract which will just end in 2022 or he can go find another gig this offseason, many believe in Oxford he is going to try hard for a P5 Coordinator role which would be higher paying than what Miami is giving him.
Feldman's list for ND. lol at the Narduzzi mention. Spoiler Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach: The 42-year-old from Ohio was in the mix for the USC job right before Lincoln Riley jumped on it Sunday, but that twist by Notre Dame’s arch rival could work out well for the Irish. Campbell is a terrific developer of talent who gets everything out of his roster. He has won Big 12 Coach of the Year three times since 2017. Last year, he got the Cyclones to a program-best No. 9 in the country last year. ISU took a step back this season, going 7-5, but that did include a win over No. 8 Oklahoma State. Since 2017, his teams have knocked off four top-10 opponents. Given what he’s been able to accomplish at a place that has had just little success, Campbell’s qualifications for the job are strong. The Cyclones now have had five consecutive winning seasons in a row. Prior to Campbell’s arrival in Ames, ISU only had five total winning years in the previous 26 seasons. He figures to get a long look from the Irish. Luke Fickell, Cincinnati head coach: This option probably should just be labeled: Wait. As in, Notre Dame likely would have to wait another month if it feels like Fickell is its guy, since he’d seem certain to want to coach his team through the College Football Playoff before engaging in any talk of him leaving Cincinnati. The 48-year-old former Ohio State star has strong Midwestern roots and has not been in a rush to leave for just any good job. But word is, Fickell views this job similarly to how he sees his alma mater: as a dream. It’s worth noting that the last Irish coach, Kelly, also came to South Bend from Cincinnati. His work elevating the Bearcats after it fizzled out under Tommy Tuberville has been impressive. The Bearcats are 43-6 after his shaky, 4-8 first season. If Notre Dame does opt to wait for him, his buyout would only be $3.5 million by January of 2022. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame defensive coordinator: The first-year Notre Dame defensive coordinator was one of those staffers tabbed with talking a lot of recruits off the ledge in the hours Monday after news of Kelly’s expected departure broke. The 35-year-old Freeman, who has proven to be a very good recruiter, ranked second in the country for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports, is seen to have a very bright future as a coach by his peers and colleague. After a rough start to the 2021 season, his defense has shined. The Irish rank No. 32 in fewest yards per play allowed, but they’re up to No. 5 in the nation over the past month, even without standout safety Kyle Hamilton, one of the best players in the country. A very bright, charismatic figure, Freeman almost ended up at LSU himself less than a year ago after his coaching stock skyrocketed, but instead he turned down a lucrative offer from the Tigers to sign with Notre Dame. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern head coach: The former Wildcat great has been terrific for his alma mater, leading Northwestern to five Top 25 finishes in the past 10 years, which is really impressive given the school’s history. The Chicago native is highly regarded in coaching circles and knows what it’s like to build a program at a high-level academic institution. It’s been thought by some folks close to him that Fitzgerald might only leave his school for the Chicago Bears head coaching job, but this one might also be tempting. Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh head coach: Another Catholic coach from the Midwest, Narduzzi’s stock is hot after leading the Panthers to a 10-2 season. Narduzzi’s been a consistent winner, but he’s never had a breakthrough season like 2021. The fiery former Michigan State defensive coordinator has done well at developing talent and getting a lot out of his players. Mike Elko, Texas A&M defensive coordinator: He has been up for other Power 5 head coaching jobs and is expected to be in the mix for Virginia Tech. Elko spent the 2017 running the Irish defense where he improved them 20 spots up, to No. 25 in fewest yards per play allowed. The Aggies rank No. 9 in yards per play allowed this season. The 44-year-old former Penn safety has worked at several high-academic schools and might get a look from the Irish for this job.
Of all the coaches in CFB who get some kind of love from media types, the Pat Fitzgerald love confuses me most. I get it. His job is really hard and they're really lucky to have him at Northwestern. But at no point have I ever watched a Pat Fitzgerald team and thought to myself "that guy would kill it at a major program or in the NFL."
The NW job is so cushy. Win and everybody praises him, lose and "oh its Northwestern, he's still doing great" There's no media pressure to succeed.