Brian Kelly

Can Kelly Coach Quarterbacks?

March 7, 2016 by Bayou Irish

In today's piece, I respond to a comment made by loyal reader Irishize that called into question Brian Kelly's ability to coach the quarterback position. In six seasons since Brian Kelly came to South Bend, the Irish have played in, and lost, one national championship game and one major bowl game. They've won fifty-five games and lost twenty-three. But what does this mean for Kelly's success with the quarterbacks? To answer the question of whether or not Brian Kelly can coach quarterbacks, I ...

Don’t “Trade” Malik Zaire

March 4, 2016 by andrewwinn

If you were the general manager of Notre Dame, would you trade Malik Zaire for Florida Gators' linebacker Jarrad Davis and wide receivers Joshua Hammond and Dre Massey? David Kenyon, a Bleacher Report columnist, suggested this in "Ten College Football Trades We Wish Could Happen This Spring." Kenyon acknowledges there's no such thing as trading college football players (although Kyler Murray & Trevor Knight did a switcheroo that looked like one.) Kenyon's caveat was that his trades ...

credit: ucasports.com

Irish Add Harland Bower

March 1, 2016 by Bayou Irish

Per sources, the Brian Kelly coaching tree just put out a new leaf. Harland Bower, who played linebacker under Brian VanGorder at Georgia Southern after transferring from, you guessed it, Central Michigan, has joined the staff as a defensive analyst. Born in 1988 and hailing from Edison, New Jersey, Bower majored in exercise therapy and graduated in 2009. Bower is definitely a coach on the come. Before his previous job as Central Arkansas' outside linebackers coach, he was the defensive ...

via @LTorbin

Top Fifteen Plays of the Kelly Years

February 29, 2016 by Bayou Irish

Last week, we gave you the Top Five Games of the Brian Kelly Years. Last night, you watched The Oscars. This morning, for your consideration and viewing pleasure, we present the Top Fifteen Plays of the Brian Kelly Years. @SupermanTDJesus helped with this project. I am grateful for his technical abilities and efficiency. Let's face it, though. There have been a lot of plays in five seasons of football. And, if we're being honest, a lot of booze chased away the memory of the bad ones. ...

Brian Kelly’s Top 5 Wins As Notre Dame Coach

February 24, 2016 by Fresno Domer

Fresh off the six year extension, Brian Kelly is set to become one of the longest tenured coaches in Notre Dame history. He earned the chance to make history by winning some pretty important games since arriving in South Bend in 2010 (though you could argue, not enough since 2013. But that’s for another post). None more than these five: #5 USC - 2012 (22-13): While USC was toiling under the mismanagement of Lane Kiffin, there is no denying that the circumstance makes this game a top five ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: Bad Question

February 12, 2016 by Father Sorin

Last weekend was that big football game which millions ignore to watch everything else that goes on around it. A lot of defense was played and a quarterback of mature years seemingly concluded his career on a high note. One of the several occurrences that people found more interesting than the game itself was the press conference during which the defeated quarterback was laconic, surly, and dismissive before dismissing himself from the press conference. I’m told this fellow attended no fewer ...

Does Notre Dame Have a California Problem?

February 12, 2016 by tricerapops

I'm admittedly a fan of prospects out of California that go on to become great college football players. I especially love it when they buck the trend and go out of state, and take a chance on Notre Dame. From my days of cheering on Kory Minor, I have always had a soft spot for guys on our roster from the Golden State. Fresh off signing day 2016 and the anticlimactic Caleb Kelly announcement, I wanted to know how Brian Kelly has fared recruiting wise compared to his predecessor, Charlie Weis. ...

"11 Things" is a semi-regular feature.

San Diego Chargers Name Tommy Rees as Offensive Assistant Coach

February 10, 2016 by IrishElvis

On Tuesday afternoon, the San Diego Chargers hired Tommy Rees as an offensive assistant coach. That got us thinking: does Tommy have a coaching future at Notre Dame? ...

Illustration by @phillykelly

There Will Be No Brian Kelly Statue

February 5, 2016 by andrewwinn

Last week, Notre Dame announced it had extended the contract of head football coach Brian Kelly through 2021. Kelly already has 55 wins at Notre Dame and has the most career victories of any coach currently coaching a FBS subdivision program (226). If he stays for the entirety of his contract*, it's likely he could eclipse Lou Holtz for games coached (132) and Knute Rockne for wins (105). But there will be no Brian Kelly statue erected outside Notre Dame Stadium when the coach ...

Photo courtesy of Student Sports

Jonathan Jones Saved ND’s Class of 2016

February 4, 2016 by Fresno Domer

Jonathan Jones, the three-star linebacker from Florida, became the key to Brain Kelly’s 2016 recruiting class. I doubt that anyone who followed this class would’ve have said that before Signing Day. But given that Caleb Kelly committed to Oklahoma - despite the Irish pushing hard until the end - and Ben Davis signing with Alabama, Jones “saved” the class, at least on the defensive side of the ball. Daelin Hayes, a 247sports composite four-star OLB and early enrollee, is certainly the ...