Frank Leahy

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 ...

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 ...