If Notre Dame had fired Brian Kelly after the 2016 debacle and was replaced by a coach who:
1) Made the college football playoff in 2018;
2) Beat a #1-ranked team;
3) Lost to no teams that were clearly inferior;
4) Went 41-6 and was 8-0 in his fourth season;
5) Gradually but noticeably improved recruiting and the S&C program,
we would all be ecstatic. And that's pretty much what happened after 2016. But Notre Dame didn't fire Brian Kelly. Brian Kelly fired Brian Kelly. And thank goodness he did.
...the Michigan debacle. That team may not have been clearly inferior, but they were middling (got totally stomped by OSU a few weeks later), and the shellacking we took was inexcusable. Other than that, though, I agree with you and am happy with Kelly —but I NEED him to win it all!!!!!!!
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Kelly gets way too much credit for his "improvements" to the program. There is this false narrative the Weis created a mess when Weis actually inherited a disaster. Weis fought a lot of battles to modernize the program that sowed the ground for Kelly to reap the benefits. For example, he fought for a "training table", improved Strength and conditioning programs , expanded staffing, rebuilt the recruiting structure that TY destroyed, etc.
Kelly hadn't worked at a Power 5 program until he got to ND. It's not as if he had this depth of knowledge about how to run a Power 5 program.
I'm not singing the praises of Weis by any means, nor am I dissing Kelly, who has come far, but let's not pretend that Kelly was a savant who rescued the program.
Kelly saved ND football. Period Exclamation point - even if he never wins a NC - we owe him a huge expression of graditude
while you're praying (at least I hope that's all you're doing) at your Kelly shrine in your basement?
By the way you forgot "fat!"
It was more than the fubar that Weiss inherited - The rings that Charlie wore worked some magic early however, Charlie was an imposter - an American Studies major at ND ( known as cut and paste) who didn't even play interhall football - I know, I would have played against his sorry ass. He lucked into a position with the best HC and saviest QB in NFL history - he knew shit. His arrogance alienated everyone at ND. Screw Charlie he shouldn't even come back for a reunion.
I don't post often but I do have a very strong opinion regarding Charlie - he was an arrogant asshole
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We have heard a million times that ND needs an experienced HC who's a proven candidate for the HC position. Lou said it. Ara has said it. So has everyone else. Yet, Ryan Day had no HC experience when he took over at OSU other than an audition as acting HC. Dabo had no HC experience either, before he got his opportunity at Clemson. Those are big time programs. What makes ND so much different?
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after growing pains, elevated QB play and Venables changed everything for Clemson.
ND's experience w/first time HCs is less compelling, as anyone who suffered through Faust, Davie and Charlie can attest.
That said, there is no reason a Co-ordinator/Associate HC would necessarily fail at ND if the program continues to thrive,
especially if a transition year audtition was planned for and well executed like Ryan Day.