Well...Brian Kelly, lauded here as recently as six weeks ago, as remotely as 2007 when the undersigned predicted he would become "the next great coach in college football," is the subject of much discontent this Sunday afternoon.
On accounta the "Lakers" are now 2-5.
On accounta they lost to Stanford in Notre Dame Stadium Saturday 17-10.
On accounta the "Trees" were without Big Tree Christian McCaffrey. "Lakers" still couldn't beat 'em.
On accounta they lost to N.C. State last weekend in a hurricane-produced lake of a stadium in Raleigh.
On accounta Kelly fired his defensive coordinator a couple of weeks ago, on accounta he publicly blamed his center after a bad snap in the Laker's Mistake at NC State, on accounta the only teams Notre Dame has beaten so far are Nevada and Syracuse.
On accounta, on accounta, on accounta.
Professor Kelly is in his 7th season at Notre Dame. Took his students to the National Gridiron Final Examination a couple years back. Took the silver medal in that one. Alabama's scholars led 28-0 at the half. Not a good "look." A bit tarnished, that silver medal.
Went 10-3 last year. Has not had a losing season by the Lake. Will this year.
Is "prickly." Raged at his own strength coach on the sidelines (and on national TV) last year, attacked the guy, really. Charged at him and grabbed/pushed him. Tres embarrassing. Raged at the same guy Saturday, who is now the strength coach at Stanford, after the game when the guy brushed past Kelly and said "bye bye." Comment on Kelly's tenure at ND, that was, or that's how Kelly took it anywho.
"Arrogant." "Brusque." Two of the terms used to describe his temperament. "Miserable human being" is another.
Notre Dame does not approve of that temperament. They're Notre Dame! Last time they had a coach to whom those terms of endearment could apply was Lou Holtz. Last time they won a national championship was under Sweet Lou, too.
Notre Dame has made some bad-ass hires over the years: a high school coach (I am not making that up), Charlie "Decided Schematic Advantage" Weis. Just got finished paying off Charlie, they did. Fired him in 2009. Just got finished paying him off.
Notre Dame extended Brian Kelly's contract in January of this year. He's paid up through the 2021 season. At at least $4,000,000 per that's at least $20,000,000. Notre Dame doesn't want to pay Brian Kelly $20,000,000 not to coach them the way they paid Decided Schematic Advantage not to coach them. It's not a bottomless lake.
What to do, what to do. Winning another national championship, which, whenever that comes, will be the first since 1989, is no longer required at Notre Dame, I don't think. I think they've said that. They play the toughest schedule in the country and if they are "competitive" I think the ND administration is satisfied. I mean they just extended Kelly's contract after his sixth year and the most impressive bowl win they have is, I guess, the Sun Bowl. It's between the Sun, Pinstripe and Music City bowls. Hasn't won a national championship. Will NOT win a national championship this year. That'd be seven years without a national championship. Doesn't look like he's even gonna get to play in a Sun, Pinstripe, Music City or any other bowl this year, either.
If I am correct that competitive, like competitive-competitive, is the new normal by the Lake then I don't think they will fire Kelly at the end of this year, no matter how uncompetitive he is. And at 2-5 he's damned uncompetitive! He's been competitive-competitive for six years, come on.
But even a competitive-competitive 9-4 next year (his average before this year was 9 wins) may not cut it on accounta there are probably some other guys out there who could go 9-4 at Notre Dame without being an asshole about it.
