Yep, we're the very, very last to 'report' this. And very proud of it.
Not once did we announce some other candidate (well, we did try to get the "Louis Nix as Player-Coach" thing going). We didn't just keep guessing, calling it fact, and we didn't make anything up and 'report' it. (Yep, I'm tooting the HLS horn here, because I think we're 1 of 3 that didn't get all mixed up in it.) MANTRA was great, it served its purpose. I'm really happy it's gone.
We're 1 for 1 in calling who this would be, cuz we're calling it now: Brian Kelly.
Lots more to talk about - with the search and the selection - but for now...Welcome to the Notre Dame family Coach Kelly!
(ps - if Kelly Green isn't the formal ND fan color for games now - if we can't rally the fans to all wear that color now- it will never, ever happen)
By Ska December 11, 2009 - 4:08 pm
Please no green for ND Home-Michigan State games. It actually happened a couple of years ago. As an ND grad, I can say, great academics/smarts sometimes terrible common sense. Hard to believe watching the student body flowing in green and Michigan State on the field. Whoever thought that one up is not likely working in the PR industry today.
Brian Kelly welcome to ND!
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By DeepTeaKup December 11, 2009 - 4:57 pm
Congrats on the HC hire, looks like you guys got a good one. I think Kelly is definitely a top 10 (maybe 5?) HC in the NCAA right now. Any thoughts on the parallels to RichRod?
1) Great record over a 3 year stretch in the Big East.
).
2) Leaving current school before a BCS game (where is your outrage Biscuit
3) Perceived offensive genius, but actually had pretty good defenses most of their careers.
4) Annoying so called “problems” in their past: cheerleader vs. racist.
5) Coming into a school as an “outsider”, maybe some transition issues as he acclimates to the school.
6) Serious issues on D that a lot of people are overlooking.
I think Kelly is good enough to take ND to 8-9 wins next year. He’ll be a much better game day coach but won’t recruit quite as well as Weis. (He’ll do better than expected but I think Weis was seriously underrated by national folks as a recruiter).
PS. Just emailed domer proof of payment on the bet.
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By The Biscuit December 11, 2009 - 5:28 pm
DTK, don’t even try to compare Kelly to RR. It’s insulting to logic. To the world over. To Brian Kelly. To me. Let me address these ‘similarities’ you just fabricated, one by one.
1) BK has a great record going back 19 years. Not 3 seasons. 19 years as HC, 1 losing season. Absurd records at traditionally crappy programs. That’s Kelly. RR had a few decent years at WVU and then SUCK.
2) No outrage, bc he didn’t run out in the middle of the night, lie, shred papers, steal recruits and/or leave a pregnant cheerleader behind. This transition has been about 4000% cleaner/easier/neater than RR’s to UM. And, for the record, ND showed that they finally know how to do a coach search. Horrible in the past, but JS did a good job here.
3) IS an offensive genius, RR is not. He sorta sucks. Look at you guys, you’re a mess.
4) That ‘racist’ thing is the biggest bunk in the world. And you know it. Cheerleader thing? 100% true.
5) For RR this was 100% true. But Kelly has been an ND fan his entire life. He’s Irish. He’s Catholic. Not an outsider, other than not being an alum.
6) False. He returned 1 starter on defense, and has traditionally had decent but not steller defenses. This will come down to the DC. And no one is over-looking it.
PS – thanks. unlike 99% of “Michigan Men” you’re aight DTK. but your school and everything it stands for still SUCKS!
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By Craig December 11, 2009 - 5:35 pm
The biggest difference I see between Kelly and Rodriguez is the degree to which each needs specialist players to run their system. Kelly seems to have a system that fits a typical set of players, while Rodriguez seems to need specialists. RR may be equally successful once he gets his players in place, but the transition was rocky at WVU and it’s even more rocky at M.
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By DeepTeaKup December 11, 2009 - 5:57 pm
No Biscuit, I don’t know the cheerleader thing is true. Apparently google filters out tin foil hat theories from my search results.
I was actually kidding about the similarities, but good to know you are this sensitive about your new leader (who I really do think will do well at ND).
You still got the “Return to Glory” shirts left over from when CW or Willingham took over?
Craig, that is partially true but more than anything he (like all coaches) just needs talent. We’ll see, 2010 will tell the tale for RR.
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By DagerOne December 11, 2009 - 6:18 pm
Eh, most everything I wanted to say has been said. Except this: that’s a lousy job on that tie, Coach.
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By The Biscuit December 11, 2009 - 7:06 pm
DTK, you need to know the rules here, and you should by now. Nothing DMQ or I write isnt with a smile on our faces, or at least a smirk. Dont be so sensitive about thinking I’m sensitive, eh? And we all know the cheerleader thing is true. Why? BC it’s RR! All the proof we need.
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By El Kona December 11, 2009 - 7:49 pm
Congrats on being the last to report it! I thought the Web was all about speed and getting info out there lickety-split (and that bloggers could break news without the MSM), but I must have missed something.
That said, the reporting on the coach search was awful. Every newspaper covering the search screwed up along the way. The South Bend Tribune showed its ass a couple times with stories that were straight-up wrong (Edsell, anyone?) and then pissed on other outlets’ reporting. The editors up there must be asleep as they edit Hansen’s copy.
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By The Biscuit December 12, 2009 - 2:14 am
Kona, that was our point. We’d rather be way late and right than way early and wrong like 99% of digital options. Mostly we’re just poking fun at everyone, cuz that’s just sorta what we do.
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