Could there be a more precarious perch upon which to sit than that of head coach of a FBS football program? Some, the great ones, are enshrined in their school’s pantheon before they’ve taken their final curtain call. Others are treated with all the care of an America’s Got Talent wannabe. In this installment of Know Thyself…, we look at our head coach, Brian Kelly.
THE IRISH: BRIAN KELLY
Entering his fourth season at the helm of the Fighting Irish, Kelly enters a new campaign with a roster filled with elite talent, almost all of which is now of his own hand. Last season, a season in which the Irish started with a question-mark at quarterback and outside AP’s Top 25, saw Kelly garner just about every coaching award for which he was elligible. This season sees him moving his team forward, though still answering questions about the past.
In a recent interview with Dan Wetzl, Coach Kelly responded to challenges as disparate, and uniquely Notre Dame, as ResLife and flirtation with the NFL. Still, his record over three full seasons is begining to move him into a position of prominence within Notre Dame’s storied history: with Lou Holtz, one of only two coaches to win twelve games in a season; with Dan Devine, one of only two coaches to win eight or more games in his first three seasons; highest post-season ranking since Holtz’s 1993 season.
Still, he won’t be living this down for quite some time:
http://youtu.be/-60gcbtoXiU
THE ENEMY: DAVID SHAW
Lacking the gaudy win numbers and longevity of a Bob Stoops, Stanford’s David Shaw is, along with Brady Hoke, one of the young head coaches our program will have to deal with for years to come. Shaw, a 1995 graduate of the school he now leads, has built upon the success he inherited and has The Tree primed to avenge its stinging loss at Notre Dame last season.
Shaw is the 2012 and 2011 PAC-12 Conference Coach of the Year and was a runner-up for the Bear Bryant Award last season. Like Kelly, he won 12 games last year, on his way to taking the PAC-12 title and a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. Heading into the 2013 season, his Cardinal sits in fourth place, on the shoulders of a terrifically talented defense and a very capable defense that will look to wear down all comers.
Still, for all his greatness, his reaction to the gut-wrenching loss (for Stanford) at Notre Dame last season, in which he blamed phantom whistles and a shooter on the grassy knoll, was not entirely gracious. That being said, there’s no arguing with the man’s knowledge of the game and, I don’t think, that he is going to be a thorn in our side for many seasons to come.
Can you imagine, say, five more years of these:
I’m in.
If it were between Hoke and Shaw for a protracted period, I’d honestly be more worried about Hoke. Thankfully, though, we’re finally kicking th skunks to the turf and we wont have to deal with them after 2 years from now. Shaw hasnt really proven that HE is the cause for Stanford’s ascension and Stanford, as a whole, has never proven they are really capable of much sustained success in football. The best run of success I can see looking at their history are a few 3-peats as Pac-8 champs under Walter Camp, Pop Warner, and Claude Thornhill. In the modern era of CFB(post 1990), Bill Walsh, Ty Willy, and Shaw have all won one Rose bowl. Other than that, they have been pretty awful both before and after those seasons.
Hey Trey! Last year, I picked Stoops for this piece, deservedly so. This season, I felt it was between him, Hoke, and Shaw. I don’t think Shaw is the reason for Stanford’s ascension. They owe that to Harbaugh, if they owe it to any one person. The Cardinal was very tough last year and look to be the same, if not more so, this year. Compare that to Michigan, who looked adrift at times last season. Their victory over us two years ago had nothing to do with them and everything to do with us melting down like a sugarcube in hot water. Their loss last season was a comprehensive fail for the Skunkbears. If we beat them again this season, and we should, listen for the “Hoke’s a Joke” drumbeat to begin, especially when they get stomped by tOSU. That’s why I picked Shaw. I also seriously considered picking Kiffin, if only for the rage it would have caused.
Please use spell check!
Please walk in front of a semi