Brown Wants Jon Gruden at Notre Dame

Notre Dame legend Tim Brown was interviewed by ESPN Radio on Wednesday to get his opinion on the open head coaching position in South Bend and the last Golden Domer to win the Heisman Trophy gave a ringing endorsement for his former NFL coach Jon Gruden.

jon-gruden
Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown told ESPN Radio on Wednesday that he thinks Jon Gruden is the man for the open Irish head coaching job. (Photo - IconSMI)

Gruden, a onetime obsession of Notre Dame fans during the coaching search of 2001, hasn’t come up much at all during the latest coaching search, but that didn’t stop Brown from recommending his former coach to take over at his alma mater.

“Absolutely,” Brown’s answered when ESPN radio hosts Waddle and Silvy asked if he felt Gruden was the best candidate to replace Charlie Weis. “I spent a lot of time with him not just with x’s and o’s but in personal time talking to him about how he feels about certain things. I think his willingness to motivate young players – motivate players period – is something that I believe is the key ingredient missing from the Notre Dame coaching for the last 15 years or so.”

The concerns with hiring another NFL coach are the same they were for Charlie Weis – recruiting and adjusting to the college game where development is more important than game planning and scheming. Brown thinks at least one of those, however, would not be an issue for his old coach. “I think if a guy like that would come, recruiting would be a joke because if Little Chucky walks into your living room , it’s going to be very difficult for you to tell him no.”

Brown also thinks that “Little Chucky” would realistically be interested in returning to the place where his father coached under Dan Devine. “He has some ties to Notre Dame. His dad coached there. He had a couple years growing up in South Bend. From what he tells me, his room was the Notre Dame campus. The Golden Dome and the stadium and everything was painted on his walls so it’s in him that’s for sure,” Brown said. “It’s just a matter of whether or not he’d be willing to go back and do that grunt work that he would have to do to make that happen.”

Past comments from Gruden about his appreciation for Notre Dame back up Brown’s statement that “it’s definitely in him”.

When asked if Brown had begun trying to recruit Gruden to South Bend, he said that he thinks there is interest there based on his dealings with Gruden over the year. “We’ve had some conversations, but we’ve had conversations over the years and Jon is a guy that is very respectful of other coaches and is never going to say anything while someone has a coaching job there, but I think that there is some interest. I can’t say that 100% sure because he’s being a little coy with me, but he hasn’t told me no so I think there’s a shot.

If you read between the lines there, it sounds as if Brown is saying that he and Gruden have talked about the possibility of Gruden coaching at Notre Dame over the years.

Brown even went so far as to say that should Notre Dame look at Gruden, he would want to be a part of a potential Jon Gruden staff in some capacity. “If he takes the job, you can bet that in some kind of way I’m going to be on that staff.,” he said. “It may not be as the receivers coach, but you can bet there’s no way Jon Gruden is going to go back to Notre Dame without having Tim Brown and Rocket and everyone else be a part of what he’s trying to accomplish.”

Despite his endorsement for his former coach, Brown also said on Wednesday that he stuck behind Charlie Weis until the end and was hoping he would succeed at Notre Dame. “Absolutely not,” Brown answered when asked if he was vocal about wanting Charlie Weis out at Notre Dame. “I was one of those guys that supported Charlie til the bitter end. I appreciate what he was trying to do with getting the former players back involved with the team,” he added.

Brown had plenty of opinions on why Notre Dame hasn’t been a national championship caliber teams though and put most of the onus on coaching. “If you’re going up against Navy, everybody knows you should win that game, but you still have to go out and play. You still have to go out and get it done. It seems as if we’re going into these games like it’s nothing special and we’ve got nothing. That kind of stuff is on a coach.”

The 2009 Irish squad had enough talent on both sides of the ball to win to be better than a .500 football team. “When you look at our team this year, we very talented. We had a lot of talent on the offensive side and we weren’t that bad on the defensive side; but any time a team underachieves, that is going to go to the coach.”

When asked the age old question about academic standards and how they hinder Notre Dame’s chances of winning a national championship and if that excuse is over blown, Brown said he said he isn’t sure if it’s overblown but that it does exist. “It’s real, but when you look at our team this year we had enough talent to win 9 or 10 games. For that to happen, it’s not because the guys are smart. It’s because we just couldn’t make it happen on the field.”

Based on the criteria laid down by athletic director Jack Swarbrick earlier this week, Gruden wouldn’t appear to be a viable candidate. Swarbrick hinted that the next coach would have a defensive background and said several times that he wanted a coach that has experience building and sustaining a division 1 football program.  Gruden doesn’t fit either of those two characteristics.

From a PR standpoint and a wow factor, Gruden would seem like an outstanding candidate. On the heels of the Weis Era though, a coach with a NFL pedigree, no matter how successful, will probably have a hard time getting serious consideration.

That being said, it’s hard not to get a little excited about the idea of “Little Chucky” roaming the sidelines of Notre Dame Stadium after listening to Tim Brown make a case for him. Before listening to Brown’s interview I thought I was firmly of the belief that Notre Dame needed a proven college coach, but now I’m having a hard time keeping myself from leaping onto the Gruden bandwagon.

Thanks Tim. As if I needed anything else to fixate on this week after the Stoops frenzy that has been going on across all of the Notre Dame sites, blogs, and forums. Thanks a lot.

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105 Comments

  1. FYI – Speaking of defense, here’s what ND averaged on offense and defense way back in 1988

    Offensive points scored – 32.75 per game
    Defenseive poiunts allowed – 13 per game

  2. nd nation i have important news: im from northeast indiana and live around the hype of nd football and all the discusions. I found out this morning as im sitting in school right now that bob stoops signed secretly on saturday but nd will announce it this week. This is coming from a sons dad of the team which leaked to where i live through certain people. im not making this up or lying about this, this is what i have found out and thought i would share it with you guys. any questions feel free to ask.

    1. You say you live around the “HYPE” of Notre Dame football, and this story is exactly that…hype. If it’s legit, that is GREAT, I’d be thrilled, but I have a hard time believing your statement that Stoops has already signed and is our next coach.

      I, personally, am on the Gruden wagon. I want a coach that will light a fire under some asses (much like a guy by the name of Lou Holtz). I think Gruden would make a difference in a great way. Unfortunately, we’re not a deciding factor and we’ll have to wait and see what Swarbrick decides.

  3. Not sure why ESPN and the Tribune are reporting an early announcement tomorrow. It seems insane to think ND has their guy unless Bob Stoops pr John Gruden have pulled one on us.

  4. Although not fully confident in Kelly, how many of his players, offense or defense, would supplant his ND counterpart. My point, even on offense CW did a poor job. This guy would have averaged 50 points a game at ND, unless you believe that Tony Pike, et al are superior to Clausen, Tate, Floyd, Rudolph, hey is that a future NFL pro bowl roster, maybe.

  5. It is just my hopeful list. I was a big Kelly guy until I saw this last game. 1st and goal on the 2 yrd line and 3 consecutive passes…

    1. I’m just giving you a hard time because you have 3 actual people listed. And three sets of question marks.

      Mind you 2 have zero D-I experience (which swarbrick has said is a must) and the other guy is Urban Meyer.

      You know, the guy who wants nothing to do with coaching at ND. (oh but only for the foreseeable future, after that it’s totally his dream job)

    2. Kelly just went 12-0 at Cincy and he is not your guy because of 2 passes from the 3. He just went 12-0 at Cincy frikin natti!!! Say that 2 or 3 more times to let it sink in. He has won nearly 200 games as a coach plus 2 national titles. Did I mention he just went 12-0 at Cincinnati. And he is going to another BCS game at Cincinnati. Who knew Cincy even played football.

      1. Two D2 titles. Big Deal!! Chuck Martin is doing a better job at Grand Valley State than Brain Kelly. Should ND go offer him a job?

      2. Big Deal?? Do you honestly think our beloved ND could win a D2 title right now?

        Winning is winning. Tressel did it at Youngstown St. and proved he could do at OSU. Experience is real, and Kelly is proving it at Cincy.

        I don’t know if he is the guy or not, I personally would like Gruden. But to say that his record is irrelevant because it was at D2 is rather naive.

  6. im watching cincy vs pitt and how is cincy any different from nd? great offense terrible defense especially run defense. It makes ZERO SENSE to bring Kelly in. At least we could say weis could recruit. Kelly is not even proven in that area.

    I SAY BRING IN BUTCH DAVIS!!!!! Recruits everywhere. Has been successful everywhere (in college lol browns dont count). Has great defenses. How is he not perfect?

    I’d prefer stoops but i dont think hes coming also.

    1. Brandon, after watching the Pitt/Cinci game, I believe you have your head where the sun doesn’t shine. There were so many reasons to like Brian Kelly very much. True Irish fans and supporters can only hope he will become the HC at Notre Dame. Regarding his defense, you need to remember he had 10 players from last year’s defense graduate…this was a rebuilding year.

      1. WHAT!!! Not all “true irish fans want him.” You should take your own advice about pulling your head out..

        He lost to UConn in 2008 and 2007. His team was blown out 3 times in 2008. The “he lost 10 starters” in 2009 excuse is BS because he has actually done better this year than last.

  7. No comment on my suggestion that we dig up Lloyd CarrV. I admit it was originally a joke. But the more I thought about it…may not suck.

    1. Reports out of Michigan suggest Lloyd Carr is suffering from alzheimers. This is a serious post. Presumably insiders were aware and it is why he retired.

  8. I am out on kelly.

    1st and goal on the 2. 3 consecutive passes. No Defense to speak of.

    Kelly over Gruden would be border line insanity.

    There is a reason the NFL runs a basic offensive and defensive system.

  9. Again I can’t watch the Stoops offense. I am Not saying that he isn’t a great coach with great results and that he maybe a Genius constantly putting his team in a good play, But that constant resetting on the line of scrimmage goes against my football creed.
    I like great physical defense, power ball control offense. Boring- with smart play and great execution.
    Discipline, Tough, Intelligent, Conservative Football. No Hero’s..

    Yes I know old school and boring with just the right amount of creativity to beat the really good teams…

    1. So let’s see, you said Stoops is a great coach with great results and maybe a genius constantly putting his team in a good play. But that constant resetting of the line of scrimmage goes against YOUR football creed. Wow, dude go get a cup of coffee.

  10. What if Nebraska beats Texas and Cinci winds up playing for the national title?!!

    Holy Sh!t! We could have a very long wait, folks.

      1. Cincinnati would jump ahead of TCU by beating a 15th ranked team in Pittsburgh tomorrow.

  11. I still question Gruden’s coaching, more because I wonder if Gannon ran the Oakland team while he was there (much like Manning is now with the Colts). And when Gruden went to TBay, it was him managing a team that was ready to win a championship (didn’t hurt that his final playoff win was in the Superbowl againest the team he had coached 11 months before).

    Something that crossed my mind last night while watching the ‘Civil War’:
    Mike Riley was head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Canadian Football) prior to his HC stints in the United States. Well, Tom Clements played in Winnipeg for sometime as well….He was also considered (supposedly) for the ND HC job in 04. Why not hire Rilley and some of his staff, see if he’ll bring in Clements to run the offense, keep a few assistants, reload the program basised on wins, and not hype – I can’t figure out if this is a viable scenario or not, but for some reason it sounded good???

  12. Joey, let the alumni do the recruiting work? That is an absolute full speed ahead to major NCAA sanctions. Wake up my friend and be aware of what you say should be.

    1. Ted, My point was missed. The tradition & former players (alumni) have a major factor in how a recruit views the program. The premiere HS players go to such & such schools – star LBs go to PSU etc. How many QBs or players picked ND based on Joe Montana …well at least one for sure …probably a lot.

    1. I got the no bowling off ESPN, if you lose 50% of your regular season games it would stand to reason that you have a greater than 50% chance of losing a bowl game if you face a quality opponent (top 30ish).

      1. It’s been reported that there are now 34 bowls. if that is correct, then 78 teams get to go bowling. Out of 119. can’t be right.

        If they go, they’ll win.

        But really who cares if they go or don’t go.

        What I find laughable is ESPN the network that declared ND irrelevant. Would report it this way: Notre Dame goes to a bowl then they don’t desreve it. Notre Dame chooses to stay home and they are arrogant. I guess since ESPN owns the airwaves, and a large beer fridge for all the Norm’s turned analysts, they can say whatever. what a waste.

        I will say that if I were on the team, I’d vote no bowl.

      2. It works out because of the teams who 114 teams that schedule at D-IAA opponents and the teams that have miserable records. There are more 0-3 win teams than there are 0-3 loss teams.

        It might be close, but it usually works out that there are more bowl eligible teams than there are slots.

        I’d do the math/research, but it’s friday, we dont’ have a coach, company christmas party is today, and we’re drinking beer at the office. Goodnight and Goodluck.

      3. Bill,

        How many analysts does espn have for every sport. The other day I am watching SC and they have a horse trainer on the top 10 plays. They are a bunch of idiots. Herbstreet suckass QB at Ohio State when they sucked, Corso got his ass kicked in the 70’s, May played for Pitt big F-ing deal. they all suck. F’em

  13. I’ve always hoped Chucky would be in the new hiring mix. Can you imagine the intensity this madman would bring to the ND nation !!!He’s proven himself on the field ,he has ND ties,he knows how to get his players jacked up !! The only question is if he could put up with the bullshit from the administration !!I’m gettin’ goosebumps… GO GET THE “CHUCKSTER” GRUDEN !!! GO IRISH !!

  14. I have no idea who the next coach should be but one of the most important jobs will be embracing the tradition @ ND and the former players. It’s what separates ND from the pack of non-BCS teams. Let the tradition and alumni of ND do a lot of the recruiting work.

  15. Did a little late night research the night Charlie Weis’s hiring was imminent or had just happened as I was on line with a couple of classmates (’79) and on the ND site for something unrelated. Any idea who the last successful coach at ND who did NOT have success running another then-substantial collegiate program first was? Try ROCKNE! (Both Leyden and Leahy went elsewhere for a couple of years with decent success before taking the helm at ND.) Any idea how many coaches with substantial major college success elsewhere have NOT succeeded at ND over the same time span? One — Willingham. (Didn’t count O’Leary.) Devore or Kuharic may have had some collegiate success first but was primarily a pro coach for the majority of their career. Of course Devore pretty much did ND a favor – twice – holding the seat for Leahy during WWII and returning in tough times when he was nearing retirement. Oh, apparently Charlie didn’t break the pattern.

  16. Stoops is not coming……. Daily Oklahoman reported today, “He’s been in California on a recuiting trip, and said he will definately be at Oklahoma next year.” Stoops stated, ” I woke up today in California and heard my name mentioned at ND by ESPN and wondered where the heck am I today….” “Then reality set in and I’m here in California.” He’s not going to ND!! Bring back the “MAN” …..Lou Holtz…..

  17. I think I got this coaching thing figured out. Let’s see, we want a defensive minded coach. One that likes to run the ball. One that runs a clean program. One with experience running a major college program and being in the spotlight. Wouldn’t hurt if the guy had a chip on his shoulder. Something to prove. Maybe a hatred of one of our traditional opponents.

    Simple. Anybody got Lloyd Carr’s phone number?

  18. I’m not a real big ND fan, but I would instantly become one if Jon Gruden became their coach. How can you not love the enthusiasm he has for the game and for life. He instantly motivates me and I’m way past my football prime. Although it’s not likely, I would love to see Gruden leading the Fightin’ Irish!

  19. It’s almost too much at this point. The rumors are flyin’ out faster than unemployment checks in Detroit! I guess there are some really important consiglieres to Stoops and Swarbrick on this board.

    A supposed 8 year contract valued at 4 mil. a year hunh? Hmmm, seems interesting.

    Well, hope it’s true, but I won’t be holding my breath….lol.

  20. The fact that these are former ND superstars speaking out on Gruden’s coaching and recruiting abilities,as well as giving him his props for enthusiasm, motivation, football knowledge [pro as well as college]then you throw in his work ethic and love of ND he is just what is needed desperately at this time,this university let him get away once before HUGE MISTAKE!! if they let it happen again,contracts b-damnned it can and should be done!!! Please no more perfect fits on the side-lines or ND is doomed to mediocrity. Hire someone who truly understands the meaning of PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Why stop with Stoops, Mike Romo? I mean, maybe Swarbrick is meeting with the spirit of Vince Lombardi and he’ll agree to coach the Irish. Or, maybe Joe Paterno has discovered the ultimate anti-aging cure and he’ll leave Penn State and coach ND, something he’s always wanted.

      As Herbie said, there is the wish list and then there is reality. Stoops makes almost $4mm at OU right now. Why would he leave for at best a lateral move? I know, it’s ND and all, but Stoops didn’t go there and has limited ties to it. Perhaps his Catholicism would make him curious, but I cannot believe he’d leave OU for ND at this stage in his career.

  21. Congratulations Golden Tate for being named to AFCA Coaches All-American Team. If you haven’t seen it yet, go to http://www.und.com and click on the football page and watch the 5 minute highlight film that was made showing his incredible plays for 2009.

  22. look at us.. Poor swarbrick. How is he going to make up his mind?

    Gruden is a fiesty energetic coach who won at the most competitive level with multiple strategies, which makes him a very unique coach..

    oakland> passed the ball 50 times a game
    Tampa> amazing Def. and brad johnson was amazing under gruden. which was wierd b/c otherwise he was just ok..
    Tampa> ball control running team who lost to superbowl champions giants with a Qb that no one wants..

    Should of won a superbowl with the raiders it took a bizzar play for him to lose against a worthy opponent.

    But he has to be truly motivated to do the job

    Charlie Weis was all hype not proven. romeo– mangini other coordinators that didn’t work out so well.

    when you work under a football genius and your QB is tom brady that doesn’t make you a great head coach.

    1. I think the point here isn’t NFL v college or OC/DC v HC… Weis’ problems started and ended with thinking that he could out smart people. In the NFL that is a must, in college the talent disparity exists that you just have to out-execute to beat lesser opponents. More to the point, in college you can dictate what happens on the opposite side of the ball, whereas in the NFL they try to outsmart each other.

  23. I use to be on the Gruden bandwagon but now I am not. I want a proven college head coach who wins. Nothing less will suffice.

  24. NO to Gruden. We do not need or want another damn 5-year experiment in failure. If Gruden wants to coach at the collegiate level, he needs to start in lower classifications and work his way up in the same manner as Brian Kelly.

    1. Ted,

      That comment seems a bit naive. There’s a difference between saying WE don’t want him because he lacks College head coaching experience, and saying he should start in DII. I’m pretty sure Gruden’s proven he can be a head coach. He was the last coach to have any success in Oakland (2 strong playoff runs losing to the eventual superbowl champions). He also has a superbowl ring as a head coach.

      He might not be the right coach for ND, but don’t even think about suggesting that he’s an incapable head coach or that he should start at the bottom of the college game. (emphasis on might)

      1. Bill, I don’t believe my comment is naive at all. What has Gruden accomplished that gives him more background than Charlie Weis had? Head coach in the NFL? That is as different as night and day compared to major college football. Bill, you should also be aware that Gruden signed a new contract to continue his present employment. I agree with Matt Fairchild and many others who want the major college EXPERIENCE FACTOR.

      2. It is a lot different being the HC vs. being the OC. As we saw with CW, all he could handle was the offense at ND. The defense was a mess for 5 years, along with the special teams unit. Some guys can handle being the #1 guy while others are comfortable as a good #2. Obviously CW is a great #2. Chucky has proven he can handle the demands of sitting in the big chair.
        Chucky would be great, hope it happens.

      3. Well, for one… His HEAD COACHING BACKGROUND. Also, he was a successful HC at TWO different locations. Let’s be clear, he took 2, TWO, teams to the playoffs as a head coach. (HEAD COACH).

        I’m not saying we must go get him. In fact I said he may in fact not be the right guy for ND.

        But to sit there and say, ‘Oh he’s never coached in college, he should drop down to DII to get College Coaching experience’ is Naive. It is. He’s clearly got more than enough experience to be a D-IA coach.

        You can’t just sit there and say: well if Coach X isn’t what we want, he needs to earn his stripes in D-II. when clearly Coach X has more than earned his stripes.

        Also, I KNOW he’s happily employed at ESPN. I never said he was our guy, or that we’re GOING to get him. I just said that he doesn’t need to ‘Prove’ himself in D-II before coaching in D-I. I’d say he proved himself in the NFL.

        *if my post seems redundant, it’s supposed to.
        *if it seems angry, it’s not. Maybe a touch frustrated, but not angry.

  25. Does Gruden have the intensity that’s required? I know Carroll came from the Sunday league, but so often, NFL types (and definitely not just Weis) cannot figure out the college game. Callahan at Nebraska comes to mind. Hopes were pretty high with that hire. He did next to nothing and went out with a whimper. Weis was the same way.

    There is a lot to it. Definitely, though, one key ingredient is intensity. The coach has to motivate the kids everyday in college. That is a hard attribute to figure out.

  26. I’d love to have gruden.

    The only things i know about kelly are that he’s won at cincy and he looks like an a$$ in interviews. Really turns me off.

    I vote gruden.

  27. I didn’t see if someone had mentioned this already or not, but Gruden just signed a fat contract extension to sit and watch and talk about football games in a nice warm booth on MNF. Why on earth would he pass that up. I think the only option is Brian Kelly. Yes he has suspect defense, but that is what hiring coordinators is for.

    1. A name that isn’t mentioned much is Brian Billick. The guy engineered a high power offense in Minny and a high power Def in Balt. He played to his strengths and is a smart and energetic guy. Stressing a college coach is overduing it. We just need a guy that can coach.. Recruiting will fall into place. Pitt has nothing but 2-3 star Def linemen, yet their Def front is solid.

  28. Gruden would be a great higher…we need strength on both sides of the ball- if the offence struggled and the defense was good we would be flip flopping our needs. A good HC hires a strong DC and a strong OC…that is where Charlie went wrong…he can thank Tenuta for his walking papers…

    I’m starting to warm to Kelly however if it was between Kelly and Gruden…Gruden hands down…and the bonus would be having tim brown, the rocket all part of the rebuilding. Could you imagine Tim Brown (Heisman winner) in the living room of Prater…saying “…come to ND…” be tough to say no…

  29. Hey, the game to watch is USC vs. Arizona this weekend. Zona wins and you could be witnessing the unraveling of the Pete Carroll era. Mr. Cool has already been exposed as a Clintonesque fraud. He cries about Stanford for hitting a 2-pointer on him like no one’s ever done that. Then in the UCLA game he unloads a bomb with 56 secs left to run up the score. He just let everyone know that whatever Pete Carroll does is OK. He’s above the rules. Let’s you know when he denies violation of the NCAA rules, he really believes they don’t apply to him. Coaches are gone, and maybe the market value has dropped. Now the NCAA could hit him with the required sanctions. Plus maybe alone, he’s just the coach he was in the NFL.

    1. Don’t forget about the book that he is supposed to release
      soon “Winning Forever” (except this year of course)
      But that’s all Sanchez’s fault for not staying for his senior year. Coach Carroll had every right to be indignate, after all he did for the kid. The kid owed him after all. How dare the young man persue his dreams.
      At least he doesn’t have that pesky Charlie Weis raiding his own backyard for recruites any more. That had to be a real pain in the ass for him.
      But in Charlie’s defense, he only took the smart one’s.

      1. I believe Charlie had to be replaced, but it will be along time before we have a HC who can recruit like Charlie. Even the biggest CW hater in the NDNation must admit that.

  30. I don’t think we know enough to say specifically whether one is right or wrong among gruden or Kelly. Or Stoops, Davis, Edsall, Peterson, Whittingham ( Utah ), Harbaugh, etc. Yes there are some I mught be wary of.

    but Swarbrick has to look these guys in the eye and determine whether they have the stuff. Chucky and Kelly have THE CHIP. Edsall might too. Harbaugh could have it. In Harbaugh’s case sometimes bitter rivals become best of friends as in Magic and Bird.

    When I think of it. Whatever happens next week or next month, no question is going to be answered until game 7 or 8 of next year. THE COACH will stop the swoon before it happens.

  31. We had some pretty good defenses under Ty. His first year, he was carried by the defense, but his offense was horrible. We need a guy that can bring a mixture of both. If ND had a Top 50 defense, we would be talking BCS right now, not a coaching search.

    Kelly has the most sizzle right now for a number of reasons. First, the guy is a proven winner. Secondly, he gets his players to play hard. Third, he seems to be able to develop the talent he has to accomplish the team goals. Finally, did I mention he is a proven winner and not a one year wonder. He has a personality that ND has been missing for the last 8 years. This guy gets his voice heard in the media and I think he would make the ND coaching position enjoyable again.

    As far as his comments on the radio, he said he was staying. He said “why would I leave?” I do not believe ND has spoken to him and won’t until Sunday. Once they offer him a contract, he will have his answer to why he should leave.

    1. Scav,

      I agree that Kelly is our guy. He WANTS this job and he is a great, PROVEN COLLEGE COACH. He will bring a new fire to the program and won’t take shit from the Pete Carroll’s of the world. Is well versed on both sides of the ball and can handle the politics that come with the job at ND. Would I reject Meyer, Stoops, Gruden…no way. Do I want to smack people that suggest Davis, Edsall, Tuberville, Billick, Dungy, Ferentz, Coughlin, Fitzgerald, Muschamp, Johnson…seriously give me a break! We have ONE more shot to get this right before the program is lost in mediocrity forever!

  32. We need a defense not an offense! Cinci’s defense sucks! Again, Top 50 defenses do not win championships…that’s a fact! Look at the points they gave up last week. It’s ND all over again. We need to stay focused on the problem. Building a defense!

    1. Gregg,

      Again, read above. He has a defensive background which evolved him into an offensive coach. They replaced 10 starters on defense this year!! TEN!!

    2. Gregg,
      Kelly has a defensive background. As Dublin smartly pointed out, UC replaced 10 starters on D. But, that being said, a coach’s “background” doesn’t necessarily translate into their present/future strengths anyway. Example:
      Jim Tressel at Ohio State was a quarterback and was only an offensive positions coach his entire career. Yet, as head coach of OSU, his teams consistently have some of the best defenses in the nation.
      He hires GREAT assistants and that is the key.

      Kelly has shown the leadership/motivational capabilities he has time and time again- THAT is what ND needs. But bringing in the right assistants is key to building a great defense.

  33. Brian Kelly also does not fit the “defensive minded”, “build and sustain” a division 1 team requirements. He comes from the offensive side of the ball and he’s not a proven recruiter. He was at Central Michigan for 3 years and is at his fourth at Cinci. He can obviously coach well enough to improve current players but can he consistently recruit top players.

    1. the reason i favor kelly is because he gets more out of his players wherever he goes. to me that shows if we miss on an occassional recruit, he will coach the others to over achieve. he was a linebacker and started as a defensive coordinator. he knows defense. he replaced 10 starters on defense this year and is still undefeated.

      there are some things he has yet to prove, but his accomplishments are very hard to ignore.

    2. Um, actually Kelly is a defensive guy…he played defense, and Cincy’s defense is actually pretty good. Top 50 in total defense and top-20 in points allowed, despite losing starters on that side of the ball.

      He’s turned every team he’s coached into a winning team, that’s the most important fact you should educate yourself on about Brian Kelly.

      1. What are you talking about.. Cincinatti’s defense was ranked #37 last season, and now they’re ranked #47 this season. But don’t forget that in 2007 Cincinatti’s defense was ranked #50.

        In Dantonio’s last season they were ranked #30.

        So technically their defense did get worse under Brian Kelly. You also have to take into account the quality of opponents. they have the 77th ranked schedule in the country, so the fact that their defense doesnt stop teams that are relatively weak is not a great sign.

    3. Kelly’s roots are defensive. He was a linebacker, linebacker coach, and defensive backs coach for years. While he helps run the offense currently, he has a strong defensive background.

      I don’t know if he’s the silver bullet for ND or not, although I think he’s definetely the best choice out of the list we’re looking at.

      But to say he isn’t “defensive-minded” is not really correct…

  34. 1 thing i did like about his statements was the fact that him and other former irish players seem to want to start getting involved. that would further help recruiting. could you imagine rocket on the sidelines/locker room firing the players up! nothing better than his storytelling of the brawl with miami and when he did his impression of lou, priceless.

    1. Amen
      We need a Rocket, a Craig Hentrich, A Tim Brown,
      the Zorich destroy and intensity demeanor and all.
      We need it-==AND we COULD get it!
      We REALLY could!
      If that means Gruden bring it freaking on! NOW
      GO IRISH!

    1. MAn I dont know what your talking about but John Gruden Is the Perfect coach that we need someone that will come in and kick these players in the butt

    2. I strongly disagree, he could recruit the best players, because he’s energetic, charismatic, motivational, intense, he’d be perfect for college football. not to mention he has a Super Bowl ring actually as a Head Coach, not a coordinator…He’d be alot like Pete Carroll I think. Plus he’s got a golden dome.

    3. I have to comment on this. gruden would turn the program inside out right away. Recruits would respond the same way as they did at Tennessee last year with Lane Kiffin, people decommitted and came to UT. Gruden is young and charismatic..people follow that type of person, plus and most important. Gruden is the only candidate that could get a proven and talented NFL caliber Defensive coordinator to follow..( alla the same Lane Kiffin did ). Flip it and spin it as you want..Gruden is the best fit..I’m from Cincy and love Brian Kelley..but there is no D in Cincinnati, Ohio or Bearcats..check the spelling

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