Ideal Coaching Staff For The Irish in 2015

[IrishInOntario]

I know this has been a hot topic lately and I just wanted to stop in quick and say that Mike Sanford was a fantastic hire. He's a fantastic recruiter and an awesome, energetic, young coach, who will relate well to ND's staff and their quarterbacks. He'll be on a fast track for a head coaching job, however, much like Diaco.

Here would be my ideal (and realistic) staff for the Irish in 2015. I'll include the regions I think they should recruit...

Head Coach: Brian Kelly (National Recruiter)
Recruiting Coordinator-Assistant head coach / WR Coach: Mike Denbrock (Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Midwest)
Offensive Coordinator / QB coach: Mike Sanford (California, Texas, Washington)
Offensive Line Coach: Harry Hiestand (Indiana, Illinois, national recruiter for OL)
TE Coach / Special Teams coach: Scott Booker (Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia)
RB Coach: Deland McCullough: (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Florida)
Defensive Coordinator / LB Coach: Brian Van Gorder (national recruiter. JUST DO SOMETHING)
DL Coach: Mike Elston (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland)
Safeties Coach: Bob Elliot (Midwest / Northwest)
CB Coach: Todd Lyght (California. Arizona, Oregon, Texas)

The first thing you'll notice is that I have multiple coaches in Ohio, Florida, Texas, California and in the Mid-West. It's important that ND attack those regions the hardest, with their best recruiters. A top class for ND will be rooted with 7-10 prospects from the Midwest. Between Denbrock, Van Gorder, Elliot, Kelly and McCullough, who is a specialist in Ohio, ND would have plenty of resources in the region. Booker, McCoullough, Sanford, Denbrock and Lyght will all be good / great recruiters, hence the reason I have them in the most competitive areas, and areas they are most tied to. Inespecially look forward to them competing with USC, UCLA, Stanford and Oregon on the West Coast.

JMO.

 

[gold ray]

Originally posted by IrishInOntario:
I know this has been a hot topic lately and I just wanted to stop in quick and say that Mike Sanford was a fantastic hire. He's a fantastic recruiter and an awesome, energetic, young coach, who will relate well to ND's staff and their quarterbacks. He'll be on a fast track for a head coaching job, however, much like Diaco.

Here would be my ideal (and realistic) staff for the Irish in 2015. I'll include the regions I think they should recruit...

Head Coach: Brian Kelly (National Recruiter)
Recruiting Coordinator-Assistant head coach / WR Coach: Mike Denbrock (Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Midwest)
Offensive Coordinator / QB coach: Mike Sanford (California, Texas, Washington)
Offensive Line Coach: Harry Hiestand (Indiana, Illinois, national recruiter for OL)
TE Coach / Special Teams coach: Scott Booker (Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia)
RB Coach: Deland McCullough: (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Florida)
Defensive Coordinator / LB Coach: Brian Van Gorder (national recruiter. JUST DO SOMETHING)
DL Coach: Mike Elston (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland)
Safeties Coach: Bob Elliot (Midwest / Northwest)
CB Coach: Todd Lyght (California. Arizona, Oregon, Texas)

The first thing you'll notice is that I have multiple coaches in Ohio, Florida, Texas, California and in the Mid-West. It's important that ND attack those regions the hardest, with their best recruiters. A top class for ND will be rooted with 7-10 prospects from the Midwest. Between Denbrock, Van Gorder, Elliot, Kelly and McCullough, who is a specialist in Ohio, ND would have plenty of resources in the region. Booker, McCoullough, Sanford, Denbrock and Lyght will all be good / great recruiters, hence the reason I have them in the most competitive areas, and areas they are most tied to. Inespecially look forward to them competing with USC, UCLA, Stanford and Oregon on the West Coast.

JMO.

YOUR thoughts are A#1 and the line-up above could prove devastating....

____GO IRISH!!!
CAN the reality of this also prove likewise? I'm buying in.

 

[NDinHouston]

Great job IIO! I like your list and I hope it comes to fruition. I hope CBK goes after Deland, he looks like a budding coach that going to be really good. Go get him CBK!

HERE COME THE IRISH

 

[dannydionne1983]

IrishInOntario RB Coach Deland McCullough from watching his interview on YouTube and reading his bio he seems like a blue collar guy that if he is given the opportunity he will not be out worked on the recruiting trail I'm really impressed what he has done with their running backs at IU

 

[theskibro]

where is Deland McCullough getting traction? I am hearing Quinn, which sux.

Would love Deland McCullough or Autry Denson Only issue I see with yuour list IIO is recruiting Florida I do not see a strong recruiter for us there Would love Denson who is local

 

[BGI User 348]

IIO...Great to hear from you!!!!!! God bless........& GO IRISH!!!

 

[IrishInOntario]

I like Deland McCullough for a variety of reasons...

1. He was a school principal and his profile would fit nicely into the type of academically-oriented student that Notre Dame desires. That will also sit well with parents, in the living room of recruits.

2. He's African-American, which helps with staff diversity. Save me the "that's racist" crap. By losing Alford and Cooks, Notre Dame has exactly one black position coach on its staff (Booker). Lyght and McCullough are well-qualified and would change that.

3. Historically, Ohio is more important than Florida is to Notre Dame recruiting. With Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh now present in the Mid-West, it's going to be harder-than-ever, for ND to get top kids out of Ohio each year. McCullough is from Ohio and has deep ties to Ohio. He's a "specialist" of sorts and that would help ND immensely.

4. I just love the guy's attitude. He's in-your-face. I think he'd recruit well in places like New York and New Jersey.

As for Florida recruiting... I'll say it. It's overrated. Tony Alford is one of the best recruiters in the entire country and still, he would only manage to grab a maximum of 2-3 players out of Florida, each year, despite spending about 80% of his recruiting time in the sunshine state. Sadly, in most instances, those guys weren't even the best guys in the Florida. A lot of them were upper-echelon guys, but outside of Aaron Lynch (who subsequently transferred and was as much Elston as Alford) and Louis Nix, it's not like Alford has been pulling players out of Florida that are soooo good that players of their talent couldn't be found somewhere else.

If the combination of Booker, Elston, McCullough, Denbrock and Kelly can't get 1-3 quality players out of a state that is as rich in talent as Florida is, they are deserve to be fired anyways. Notre Dame has too much to offer not to find a Tarean Folston, Zeke Motta, Corey Holmes, etc, etc type of kid (or three) each year.

If Lyght gets hired on top of Sanford, what you are seeing is fundamental change in Notre Dame's recruiting relative to the region it will have the strongest ties too. That makes sense given the fact that Kelly and Swarbrick made it a priority to keep Stanford on the schedule, along with USC, in order to ensure that Notre Dame was in California each year. It's obvious. Kelly thinks California is a more important state for ND to recruit than Florida is. Or at least his hires (if Lyght is hired) seem to convey that the West Coast is the priority... Sanford is an excellent West Coast recruiter. Bob Elliot has spent years recruiting the West Coast. Lyght's ties are in the West and South West. Even Denbrock, who I look to assume the recruiting coordinator's role, has deep ties to the West Coast. He's been a damn good recruiter in California / Washington for a long time.

So what's the concern about maybe getting 1 less Florida guy each year, if you get an additional 3-4 out of Ohio / California?

This post was edited on 2/11 10:52 PM by IrishInOntario

 

[IrishBlessings]

IIO Great post and summary on how ND should do things w/ their coaching staff. Seems to be dead on. Good luck w/ coaching your team this spring and upcoming season in the fall.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Actually Shaq,

I'm just passing through, and will only be here for a short period of time. I just have a short downtime between with the transition between the 2015 and 2016 recruiting seasons and the upcoming start to spring practice.

You are correct though, I do like myself quite a bit! Thanks for noticing my man. God Bless and take care!

 

[stu4don]

IIO: always pleased to see your handle and read your insights. But a man's gotta work. Post when you can. I'm a writer so unfortunately, I'm always at this damn machine and one click away from procrastination by reading posts! (I once changed my password to keep away, but alas... like the intervention my family tried, it didn't hold.) I just love all youse brilliant Irish fans too much.

I'm thinking 2015 is going to be a special year.

Final question IIO: any prognosis for the next Irish season? I like going with two QBs our own version of Urban at Fla -- thoughts?

Another thought: why not start now putting together a second-string defense who will be trained all season to just play navy. We've got the athletes. (I know, I know, I should get back to work!)

 

[Epictitus]

Notre Dame has a very good staff!

 

[IrishBlooded]

Originally posted by Shaq_Nicholson:
Thanks for your "update" IIO. Quick question... are you gonna be a drama queen again anytime soon and "quit" the message board because you're not getting enough love and adulation? Just go away. You're an egomaniac and you make your bones on this board by stating the obvious.

Pretty classy.




This post was edited on 2/13 4:08 PM by IrishBlooded

 

[IrishCrazy]

Agree Blooded, no need for a "Shaq-attack" pedestrian, 76 posts and awful big britches to start tossing stones at someone who has contributed to an enormous amount of quality info and entertainment to this board, speaking for myself and a bunch of others who would agree.

One post and to the throat you go, Shaq? Pretty ridiculous.

Originally posted by IrishBlooded:

Originally posted by Shaq_Nicholson:
Thanks for your "update" IIO. Quick question... are you gonna be a drama queen again anytime soon and "quit" the message board because you're not getting enough love and adulation? Just go away. You're an egomaniac and you make your bones on this board by stating the obvious.

Pretty classy.




This post was edited on 2/13 4:08 PM by IrishBlooded

 

[South Bender]

Like the list, but I think Lyght should recruit Ohio, Pennsylvania, NJ etc.
He's got the name recognition in the east moreso than out west IMO.

 

[1Redrum]

Does anyone know when Notre Dame plans on announcing the new coaches?

 

[stu4don]

what does recent news do to this list?

 

[Pennick4]

Originally posted by 1Redrum:
Does anyone know when Notre Dame plans on announcing the new coaches?

Everything is slowed by the vetting process of human resources and ND is extra careful due to the O'leary fiasco.