College football head coach rankings: Dabo or Saban? Who is the best young coach?
By Dante Pryor
- Career Record (17 yrs.): 145-59
- Conference Titles: 3 (Big East, MAC)
- National Titles: 0
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has raised the floor and returned the Fighting Irish to national championship contenders. With the run that the Irish are currently on, anything less than nine wins should be considered a disappointment in South Bend.
Kelly has the Irish amid their best run since the Lou Holtz era. Notre Dame has won 10 games three years in a row and four of the last five seasons. Kelly’s resume includes a BCS Championship Game appearance and a National Semifinal appearance.
Many followers of college football forget what the program was like before Kelly arrived in South Bend. Meyer and John Gruden had jilted them. Charlie Weis ended up being more sizzle than steak and Ty Willingham was not the Irish’s top choice.
Then there was the George O’Leary fiasco. He resigned five days after being hired. The Irish went from being one of college football’s elite to a punchline. This is, according to Kelly himself, is his dream job. Since he’s been at Notre Dame, he’s taken full advantage.
On the recruiting trail, Kelly has done a great job of targeting premium talent and mixing that in with developmental players that fit Notre Dame’s philosophy.
Overall, the Irish recruit at about a top 15 level nationally, but they do have their limitations because of academics. One area that Kelly and his staff have done a great job with is identifying linemen. They’ve done a masterful job of developing NFL-caliber offensive and defensive linemen since Kelly’s been there.
Kelly’s coaching tree is a bit more extensive than one might think. Butch Jones, who succeeded Kelly at Cincinnati, was Kelly’s offensive coordinator at Central Michigan. Chuck Martin, head coach at Miami (OH), was Kelly’s defensive coordinator at Grand Valley State.
Bob Diaco was Kelly’s defensive coordinator on three different occasions and coached UConn. He currently coaches the defense at Bowling Green. Autry Denson, who coached running backs, is the head coach at the College of Charleston.
Kelly has recalibrated his philosophy on recruiting. He feels they can recruit at a top-five level. They’ve become more aggressive on the trail as they attempt to break through and become one of college football’s elite.