IF Kelly is back in 2017, Swarbrick needs to make a statement today
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.
Replies to: IF Kelly is back in 2017, Swarbrick needs to make a statement today
The dickhead already made a statement
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No offense CC. He said that when we were fucked. Now we're really really fucked.
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Soredick probly ain't saying nothing. Sadly, in his mind, he's already spoken-----until Jenkoff
squeezes his balls regarding Kelly's future.
Can he just make it a statement of resignation?
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Perhaps the new coach or top target is coaching this weekend?
And doesn't want any announcements?
As an AD, you can't rush things to save a few recruits.
Which would all be fine
My post was IF Kelly is coming back he needs to make a statement. IF Kelly isn't going to be the coach next year no statement is needed right now.
I think Jack may be over-thinking this.
The lack of a statement seems to indicate that he's happy to let Kelly explore getting another job, perhaps to soften the financial blow to ND.
The bottom line is no school is going to pay Kelly more than he's making now. Kelly's only leaving if he thinks he has no choice.
Swarbrick needs to decide if Kelly is his guy, yes or no, than either fire him or issue a statement that he's coming back.
No he doesn't
Denying that ND is not going to fire Kelly has already been stated. There is no pressure to say it again. If Swarbrick is looking, there is no rush because there are almost no competing openings (and no, ND is not going to be competing with Oregon for the same guys.) However, if there is any change, it will likely happen in the next 10 days.
A change in head coaching is unlikely to move recruits one way or the other this late in the process, especially for ND. A statement of support isn't going to change recruits' minds either.
At worst, he is viewed as a lame duck and he won't make any significant changes to his methods/approach/staff. ND may lose a couple, gain a couple but there really are few guys that are going to be difference makers still out there anyway. A dynamic new coach is unlikely to move the needle for recruits and I am not sure I would feel all that bad about losing a few guys for what may not be all the strong of a class or or the kind of guys Kelly seems to be settling for.
By the way, there are really only three "elite" coaches in college right now anyway: Saban, Meyer, Harbaugh. The trick is identifying the next one.
Notre Dame has lost recruits in each of the last two transitions
Recruits care who will be coaching them.
Meyer reportedly is already using the uncertainty surrounding Kelly against ND.
Coaching changes anywhere always result in 'lost' recruits
My point is the timing isn't as immediate as now! The kids that might be entertaining other places aren't going to be swayed to stay because Swarbrick today says the guy we have is the guy we want. Meyer et al will still use Kelly still shaky status as well as his documented dalliances against him anyway, i.e., "the guy might be there in 2017 but he doesn't want to be there anyway and he apparently isn't all that good of a coach".
Any kid who is truly still tight with ND, likely because they are focused on the school not the coach despite our abysmal year, isn't going to bail in the next 10 days. There aren't a horde of kids out there thinking "gosh I'd go there if Kelly wasn't there" nor are there a chunk of our verbals looking to bail. The options they have now for other schools will be the same options they have for other schools if ND makes a change within 10 days.
If there is a change in head coaches, the recruits we win/lose will be a wash. There are very few left on the fence for ND and 2or 3 kids aren't going to make a difference for a new coach. There isn't going to be a huge surge of 4/5 stars flipping to ND because of the new coach, unless you are delusion enough to thing it is going to be Meyer, Harbaugh or Saban.
Why do you think ND would not be in competition for same coach as Oregon?
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Oregon and ND are two completely different types of programs
Oregon is a regional conference program that will accept virtually anyone. It doesn't have near the national profile/aura or the $ surrounding it that ND does. Helfrich's firing attracted 10% of the notice that Strong has been getting all year as well as the hiring of Herman. Their higher profile under Chip Kelly is mostly an aberration. Their current profile is driven by Phil Knight money and the Chip Kelly offense. Historically, they have had a hard time getting recruits to come. Kelly's extensive use of paid recruiting services (and likely payoffs to recruits as well) that earned him his show cause ais evidence of this. It is an attractive place to work as a coach because of the $ surrounding it.
Exhibit A: their two top targets right now are Kiffin and Fleck, neither of whom should be in ND's list now.
Fleck should be on ND's list
Not at the top of the list, but definitely on the list.
His next step is not ND, for both his sake and ours.
I don't understand the fascination with him re: the ND job.
He has done a wonderful job at WM but be Jerry Faust re-incarnated.
The MAC is a significant step up from HS
Comparing him to Faust is ridiculous. I don't know that Fleck is ready for ND. He's probably not, but I think his upside is better than Kelly's at this point.
ND is a bigger step up from MAC
Don't get me wrong in that he has shown to be very capable at the MAC level but there is no way he is prepared for ND at this point.
Few coaches would be prepared from Day 1
Fleck would be a learn-on-the go hire, and a risk for sure. That said, I don't know that there are many better options out there that would accept the job.
This is the reality of ND football in 2016 after 4 failed hires in a row, one of which (Kelly) has an impeccable reputation among his peers. Nobody that checks all the boxes wants the job.
Nature abhors a vacuum
But the media love one as do rival coaches.
I think Frankie is exactly right.
Soon perhaps but why today? I agree that if this
drags out like a Frozen Five cluster fuck then we're all fooked.
Because the college football news cycle is such the next week or so that after today, it'll get lost
You don't release news on a Friday unless you want to sneak it in and have people forget about it.
Saturday are the conference championship games and with the CFP intrigue it'll get buried.
After the championship games we'll have the CFP announcements and then all of the angling and complaining about who's in and who's out.
If you don't do it today, the next day where the news will be really relevant will be mid next week which could be an eternity with this class hanging in the balance.
What is he going to say that he hasn't already said?
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He hasn't given his coach a vote of confidence since October
Meanwhile reports continue to surface that ND is letting Kelly explore his options and questioning his long term status. Reports that are hurting Notre Dame on the recruiting front. In the same situation in 2008, he made a statement.
A different version of the same article is written every 10 minutes
Just the overall morale of the program is down right now. Maybe they are just weathering the storm while the cycle passes, but it'd be nice if something definitive happened, whatever it is.
I think perception matters in this case
Kelly said during his PC he wasn't interested in another job. Then the reports came that he was looking. He issued a statement that restated what he said hours earlier. Imagine if he hadn't responded at all. That'd be a big deal I think.
No announcement, What does that tell you?
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Who cares?
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Recruits considering decommitting
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Re: IF Kelly is back in 2017, Swarbrick needs to make a statement today
Excellent post. Swarbrick needs to put on his big boy pants and speak about the situation. The silence is not good.
Or the silence means something is in the works
Jack has been down this path before with a coach left twisting in the wind in 2008. In that instance, the news broke by Tuesday night following the final loss of the season that Weis would be back. We're now at Thursday...