5 reasons Notre Dame should fire Brian Kelly

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Oct 8, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly leaves the field following the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. NC State won 10-3. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Bad defensive strategy

Kelly cut his teeth as a defensive-minded coach. He won at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, and Cincinnati with defense. He’s tried to do that in Notre Dame, but frankly can’t recruit the type of athletes he needs to win at a high level in Notre Dame.

Top defensive backs and defensive linemen aren’t going to qualify academically at a school like Notre Dame, plain and simple. The best defensive player Kelly has had in South Bend was linebacker Manti Te’o. Te’o was great in college, but is a below-average NFL linebacker for the San Diego Chargers.

So how do difficult recruiting optics set forth by the university negatively impact Kelly’s perception as a head coach? Shouldn’t he be getting the benefit of the doubt? At first, maybe a bit, but he’s not using elite defensive strategy with his players.

An elite defensive coach can overcome vulnerabilities on that side of the ball. Elite defensive coaches coach up their players and put them in positions where they can succeed. If he can’t land the cornerbacks or defensive linemen he needs, wouldn’t Kelly build his defense around solid linebackers and safeties?

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There are ways to play tight defensive football without elite pass rushers or cover corners. For Notre Dame to be successful, Kelly has to do a better job at positioning his defense. Former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder may be gone as the scapegoat, but there is nobody left to blame Notre Dame’s horrid start on than Kelly.

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