If Kelly isn't coming back in 2017 I understand the lack of statement/communication from the athletic department. If he will be back though, Swarbrick needs to make a statement today. Not tomorrow before the weekend of championship games when it gets buried in the news cycle, not over the weekend, and definitely not next week when the CFP are announced. The longer this lingers, the worse for Notre Dame and this recruiting class which is almost as important as getting the right coach. We've seen what happens when there are gaps in recruiting classes and this one could either be really strong or completely fall apart yet.
ND has already lost Werner but looks like Simmons will be a good replacement. ND is on the verge of losing Hicks though too and we've seen the state of the secondary the last few seasons. On top of that, this class could really use another OL, a playmaking WR, and a pass rusher (stop me if you've heard that one before). ND will need another DB if Hicks decommits as expected as well. In an ideal world, we'd add Cage's little brother too.
All of that becomes more and more difficult by the day as other coaches hammer away at the commitments about the future of Kelly and staff.
Note, I am not advocating for retaining Kelly, but if that is the course of action that's going to take place, then a statement needs to be made. If this is all part of some grand plan that nets Notre Dame an elite head coach, it all becomes moot but it doesn't at least appear as there are any elite coaches available ether.