Dan Devine

Brian Kelly

The Case for Brian Kelly…Grows Stronger

May 2, 2016 by Bayou Irish

Corbett Family Head Football Coach Brian Kelly can look back on 2016 and enjoy the moment. With seven players selected in the most recent NFL draft, a solid recruiting class (ranked twelfth by Rivals, sixteenth by ESPN), and a ten-win season behind him, the case that Coach Kelly belongs in the pantheon with Lou and Ara and Knute has only gotten stronger. In addition to the seven drafted players, which included Notre Dame's highest pick since 1993, Ronnie Stanley, six players signed free agent ...

Picture courtesy of Robert Pernett (via Flickr)

Let’s Give ‘Em Something To Talk About: Notre Dame Coaches at 65

April 17, 2015 by andrewwinn

Brian Kelly is, by my amateur analysis, the worst coach Notre Dame has ever allowed to oversee its football team for at least 65 games. It’s completely unfair to compare coaches from different eras because of the college game has evolved in the past 80 seasons. There's also several issues that are beyond the head coaches' control: academic issues, injuries and transfers to name a few. However, I’m going to do it to provide an additional perspective on Brian Kelly’s tenure (Bayou Irish ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: A Tale of Two Teams

December 5, 2014 by Father Sorin

It was the best of seasons, it was the worst of seasons; it was a game of touchdowns, it was a game of turnovers; it was the inspiration for belief, it was the cause of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the autumn of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had a playoff berth before us, we had a second-tier bowl before us; we were in Heaven on earth, we were in a cold, wet Stadium of defeat. Since 1887, we’ve had worse seasons, but few as ...

Good Fridays w/Padre: Fr.’s Day

June 14, 2013 by Father Sorin

It’s important to remember that all of our greatest football coaches kept their most precious players at home…literally. Each man who has led the Fighting Irish to first place in the rankings has been a father first and foremost. I don’t mean to suggest any element of competition, but no one beats Frank Leahy and his brood of eight, though Dan Devine’s clan comes close at seven. Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz had something in common besides winning a National Championship – both men fathered ...

Where Are They Now? Vagas Ferguson

January 21, 2013 by Lisa

Although Vasquero Diaz "Vagas" Ferguson grew up in Richmond, Ind., Notre Dame was nowhere on his radar. A resourceful Notre Dame recruiter discovered him, in this small town near the Ohio border and won him over with some Fighting Irish magic. Ferguson finished his senior year as the nation's fifth-leading rusher, fifth in Heisman Trophy voting and with All-America honors. He ranks third all-time for total yards (3,472) among Notre Dame running backs, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He was a ...

A rain-soaked Brian Kelly walks off the field of the Colosseum a victor in 2010, becoming the first Irish coach to beat USC since Bob Davie. (Photo Credit: Neon Tommy via Flickr)

Brian Kelly and Year Three

August 13, 2012 by Ryan Ritter

As HLS makes its transition into its third iteration, I feel that it is only appropriate that the first post in the HLS 3.0 era should be a look into the expectations that Brian Kelly carries with him into his third version of Irish football. The third year has transformed into that "line in the sand" in regards to a college coach's future at their current school. But just how accurate is that mark? And where should we place our expectations in 2012 considering that the Irish will be facing ...