I just wanted to start up some conversion on the bye week with a few thoughts. Lots of things happening in Rockne's Roundtable, some good, some not so good, and some folks going through tough times.
Brian Kelly speculation- I'm a homer. I like being a homer. I embrace it. I don't think everything is roses at Notre Dame right now, but I still believe that Brian Kelly can get things to where they need to be. I shared this in a post earlier in the week but I think it bears repeating for those who missed it.
Here's the link: http://www.onefootdown.com/2015/5/27/8607447/lets-talk-about-brian-kelly-the-genius-offensive-mind
The part of this that article that I want to carve out is this:
"What Happened at GVSU?
Kelly's time at GVSU is still shrouded in mystery which is odd given he coached there for 13 seasons. Kelly took over for Tom Beck in 1991, as Beck left for the OC job at Notre Dame where he'd stay for just one season. GVSU was a strong program as they went 50-18 in Beck's 6 years as coach, including 21-3 over his final 2 seasons. It took Kelly a long time to improve upon this winning.
During Kelly's first 8 seasons the Lakers never won more than 9 games but were consistently among the best teams in their conference. But, he only made the playoffs in 3 out of those 8 seasons and lost in the first round each time--laying down criticism that he couldn't win the big game.
In 1999, Kelly went on the hot seat with a hugely disappointing 5-5 season and the Lakers started 1-4 to begin 2000 as it looked like they'd be hiring a new coach. But Kelly's star-studded 1998 class (for D-II standards) that took a redshirt were about to make their impact on the program as seasoned vets. From this point forward, Kelly finished his career at GVSU going 47-2."
The significance of this is that Kelly was on the hot seat at GVSU by going 5-5 in his 8th year there. Stop me if this sounds something like this year at Notre Dame. He somehow straightens things out and goes on a tremendous run that takes him to Notre Dame and doesn't really start to slow down until his this year (I know, it's subject to debate on some of his earlier years).
My point is this: The guy figured out his shortcomings, made adjustments, and leveled the competition. He can do it again. He'll be back next year and I think he comes back with a vengeance. He needs help, however. He needs a top flight defensive coordinator who is aggressive, has a manageable scheme, and puts pressure on the QB. I think most agree that the pieces for a good defense are there, somebody just has to put them together. A little synergy among the defensive coaches would probably go a long way, as well. Is Paul Longo and the S&C program a problem. I don't know, but the team is putting kids in the NFL in decent draft spots so at least some of the players are benefiting from the program.
Brian Kelly established a well earned reputation as a "program builder" and he's certainly made ND football a hell of a lot more respectable than it has been in nearly 20 years. Maybe program builders aren't championship coaches. Maybe they're just a necessary step in the evolution of putting a program where it needs to be before someone else can come in and take it to the next level. For all you business and management types out there, maybe Brian Kelly isn't the guy to take the program from Good to Great. The best leaders are called Level 5 Leaders and to be one you have to have Humility and Will. Is this Brian Kelly? Regardless, if Kelly were to depart at the end of this year, he will have left this team and this program in far better shape than he found it. He deserves our respect for that.
New Coaching Prospects? Thank you @BGI User 756 for compiling the list for us. Always a voice of reason. https://notredame.forums.rivals.com/threads/checking-in-on-all-those-candidates.97713/
Not pretty. It should be apparent that coaching only gets you so far, it's the talent that matters.
I'm very serious when I say this: The George O'Leary debacle was the worst thing to happen to ND football since Lou Holtz left. First, he was a good coach. He could have done some great things on the field. Second, he was bringing Bill O'Brien with him as the offensive coordinator. If things played out, BOB might have taken over as HC when O'Leary retired. Speaking of BOB, someone PM'ed me and asked me if I knew if he had ever been approached by ND pre-Brian Kelly. My response was no, BOB was still an OC at the time, I believe he was in New England, and Notre Dame wasn't going to go for another Patriots OC after dumping Charlie Weis.
Strength of Schedule- Let's say that ND was undefeated right now. Based on the performance of some of the teams that they would have victories over, their SOS would be so bad I'm not sure the playoffs would be a reasonable possibility. Stanford suffering its 3rd loss, at home to Colorado, 10-5. At home! That's a baseball score. NC State, 3 losses. Duke, 4 losses. Texas, 4 losses. MSU, 5 losses. Assuming ND beat those teams, add a loss to all those numbers. As for the teams we actually beat, Syracuse, 4 losses. Nevada, 5 losses. That just gives you some indication how bad things have been. Playoffs probably wouldn't be a reality without going undefeated, and even then, maybe.
As for the language requirement issue, I know a lot of people have been grousing about this, but I'm all for it. Jeter knew what he needed when he committed to ND. All of these kids do. Whether you think the language requirement is valid or not, it's a rule in place that helps to set ND graduates up for future success in the global economy. It's a decided advantage to be able to speak two (or more) languages. To get an idea of what our kids are up against in the future job market, there are more English speakers in China than there are people in the United States. Notre Dame prides itself on getting kids prepared for the world and the language requirement helps to do that.
@BGI User 3340 had a great thread on the Board of Trustees and where football fits in. Essentially, they didn't see it as a big priority and that things were fine the way they are. Definitely worth the read. https://notredame.forums.rivals.com/threads/going-to-get-crucified-over-this-but-have-to-relay-it.97633/
Football and football money helped to create and sustain the academic hamlet that Notre Dame has become. They shouldn't turn their back on it, and future football earnings will be able to increase the endowment and all the great things that come with it.
Another thread that I thought was really enlightening was @MRegan 's on the post-Stanford ND podcast: https://notredame.forums.rivals.com/threads/everyone-should-listen-to-the-official-notre-dame-postgame-podcast-after-stanford.97553/
I found it very entertaining to listen to Jack Nolan's comments. I laughed when I remembered that some folks thought that he was TJ34.
I saw this on the highway the other day and it got me to thinking. I took a few pictures, I was so impressed (relax, I was the passenger).
I didn't know that ND had this type of outreach program, but it got me to thinking. Some of the very best high school football players play for Catholic prep schools. At one point, every Catholic school kid wanted to play football at ND. If they used this type of outreach and really mined those schools they could get top quality athletes who are academically conditioned for what ND offers.
Lane Kiffen- I'm just not seeing it. Sorry, but some think he's such an innovative coordinator but, with the team he has which is essentially an NFL team, I'm not impressed. As @Rich Starkey said, had Kiffen kept the ball on the ground against OSU in the playoffs a couple of years back, Alabama would have won. OSU couldn't stop their ground game. I think Kiffen gets another Head Coaching job somewhere and does OK. Nothing more than that.
For a variety of reasons, the NFL is virtually unwatchable for me.
Baseball- One way or another, there will be a deserving team/city with a World Series Championship that hasn't enjoyed one in many, many years. A lot of good fans have a lot of excitement to look forward to over the next couple of weeks. After waiting so long for the Sox to win a WS, I feel real happiness for these fans that one of these great franchises is going to come out as champions. If this had been a Red Sox/Dodgers Series I would be miserable right now. Best of luck @LCBrasefield .
The community on this site is the best part of logging on here. Sometimes, you get to interact with people across the country on a level that you just can't do in person. More importantly, we get be part of something much bigger than ourselves. With that, I'll just say @InigoMontoya1 keep kicking ass and let us know how things are. @dbhenders , one of the real gentlemen on this site, I send my deepest condolences on the passing of your Mom. God Bless.
Have a great week everyone. We start anew on Saturday. It'll be an indication of better things to come. I look forward to your input.
Brian Kelly speculation- I'm a homer. I like being a homer. I embrace it. I don't think everything is roses at Notre Dame right now, but I still believe that Brian Kelly can get things to where they need to be. I shared this in a post earlier in the week but I think it bears repeating for those who missed it.
Here's the link: http://www.onefootdown.com/2015/5/27/8607447/lets-talk-about-brian-kelly-the-genius-offensive-mind
The part of this that article that I want to carve out is this:
"What Happened at GVSU?
Kelly's time at GVSU is still shrouded in mystery which is odd given he coached there for 13 seasons. Kelly took over for Tom Beck in 1991, as Beck left for the OC job at Notre Dame where he'd stay for just one season. GVSU was a strong program as they went 50-18 in Beck's 6 years as coach, including 21-3 over his final 2 seasons. It took Kelly a long time to improve upon this winning.
During Kelly's first 8 seasons the Lakers never won more than 9 games but were consistently among the best teams in their conference. But, he only made the playoffs in 3 out of those 8 seasons and lost in the first round each time--laying down criticism that he couldn't win the big game.
In 1999, Kelly went on the hot seat with a hugely disappointing 5-5 season and the Lakers started 1-4 to begin 2000 as it looked like they'd be hiring a new coach. But Kelly's star-studded 1998 class (for D-II standards) that took a redshirt were about to make their impact on the program as seasoned vets. From this point forward, Kelly finished his career at GVSU going 47-2."
The significance of this is that Kelly was on the hot seat at GVSU by going 5-5 in his 8th year there. Stop me if this sounds something like this year at Notre Dame. He somehow straightens things out and goes on a tremendous run that takes him to Notre Dame and doesn't really start to slow down until his this year (I know, it's subject to debate on some of his earlier years).
My point is this: The guy figured out his shortcomings, made adjustments, and leveled the competition. He can do it again. He'll be back next year and I think he comes back with a vengeance. He needs help, however. He needs a top flight defensive coordinator who is aggressive, has a manageable scheme, and puts pressure on the QB. I think most agree that the pieces for a good defense are there, somebody just has to put them together. A little synergy among the defensive coaches would probably go a long way, as well. Is Paul Longo and the S&C program a problem. I don't know, but the team is putting kids in the NFL in decent draft spots so at least some of the players are benefiting from the program.
Brian Kelly established a well earned reputation as a "program builder" and he's certainly made ND football a hell of a lot more respectable than it has been in nearly 20 years. Maybe program builders aren't championship coaches. Maybe they're just a necessary step in the evolution of putting a program where it needs to be before someone else can come in and take it to the next level. For all you business and management types out there, maybe Brian Kelly isn't the guy to take the program from Good to Great. The best leaders are called Level 5 Leaders and to be one you have to have Humility and Will. Is this Brian Kelly? Regardless, if Kelly were to depart at the end of this year, he will have left this team and this program in far better shape than he found it. He deserves our respect for that.
New Coaching Prospects? Thank you @BGI User 756 for compiling the list for us. Always a voice of reason. https://notredame.forums.rivals.com/threads/checking-in-on-all-those-candidates.97713/
Not pretty. It should be apparent that coaching only gets you so far, it's the talent that matters.
I'm very serious when I say this: The George O'Leary debacle was the worst thing to happen to ND football since Lou Holtz left. First, he was a good coach. He could have done some great things on the field. Second, he was bringing Bill O'Brien with him as the offensive coordinator. If things played out, BOB might have taken over as HC when O'Leary retired. Speaking of BOB, someone PM'ed me and asked me if I knew if he had ever been approached by ND pre-Brian Kelly. My response was no, BOB was still an OC at the time, I believe he was in New England, and Notre Dame wasn't going to go for another Patriots OC after dumping Charlie Weis.
Strength of Schedule- Let's say that ND was undefeated right now. Based on the performance of some of the teams that they would have victories over, their SOS would be so bad I'm not sure the playoffs would be a reasonable possibility. Stanford suffering its 3rd loss, at home to Colorado, 10-5. At home! That's a baseball score. NC State, 3 losses. Duke, 4 losses. Texas, 4 losses. MSU, 5 losses. Assuming ND beat those teams, add a loss to all those numbers. As for the teams we actually beat, Syracuse, 4 losses. Nevada, 5 losses. That just gives you some indication how bad things have been. Playoffs probably wouldn't be a reality without going undefeated, and even then, maybe.
As for the language requirement issue, I know a lot of people have been grousing about this, but I'm all for it. Jeter knew what he needed when he committed to ND. All of these kids do. Whether you think the language requirement is valid or not, it's a rule in place that helps to set ND graduates up for future success in the global economy. It's a decided advantage to be able to speak two (or more) languages. To get an idea of what our kids are up against in the future job market, there are more English speakers in China than there are people in the United States. Notre Dame prides itself on getting kids prepared for the world and the language requirement helps to do that.
@BGI User 3340 had a great thread on the Board of Trustees and where football fits in. Essentially, they didn't see it as a big priority and that things were fine the way they are. Definitely worth the read. https://notredame.forums.rivals.com/threads/going-to-get-crucified-over-this-but-have-to-relay-it.97633/
Football and football money helped to create and sustain the academic hamlet that Notre Dame has become. They shouldn't turn their back on it, and future football earnings will be able to increase the endowment and all the great things that come with it.
Another thread that I thought was really enlightening was @MRegan 's on the post-Stanford ND podcast: https://notredame.forums.rivals.com/threads/everyone-should-listen-to-the-official-notre-dame-postgame-podcast-after-stanford.97553/
I found it very entertaining to listen to Jack Nolan's comments. I laughed when I remembered that some folks thought that he was TJ34.
I saw this on the highway the other day and it got me to thinking. I took a few pictures, I was so impressed (relax, I was the passenger).
I didn't know that ND had this type of outreach program, but it got me to thinking. Some of the very best high school football players play for Catholic prep schools. At one point, every Catholic school kid wanted to play football at ND. If they used this type of outreach and really mined those schools they could get top quality athletes who are academically conditioned for what ND offers.
Lane Kiffen- I'm just not seeing it. Sorry, but some think he's such an innovative coordinator but, with the team he has which is essentially an NFL team, I'm not impressed. As @Rich Starkey said, had Kiffen kept the ball on the ground against OSU in the playoffs a couple of years back, Alabama would have won. OSU couldn't stop their ground game. I think Kiffen gets another Head Coaching job somewhere and does OK. Nothing more than that.
For a variety of reasons, the NFL is virtually unwatchable for me.
Baseball- One way or another, there will be a deserving team/city with a World Series Championship that hasn't enjoyed one in many, many years. A lot of good fans have a lot of excitement to look forward to over the next couple of weeks. After waiting so long for the Sox to win a WS, I feel real happiness for these fans that one of these great franchises is going to come out as champions. If this had been a Red Sox/Dodgers Series I would be miserable right now. Best of luck @LCBrasefield .
The community on this site is the best part of logging on here. Sometimes, you get to interact with people across the country on a level that you just can't do in person. More importantly, we get be part of something much bigger than ourselves. With that, I'll just say @InigoMontoya1 keep kicking ass and let us know how things are. @dbhenders , one of the real gentlemen on this site, I send my deepest condolences on the passing of your Mom. God Bless.
Have a great week everyone. We start anew on Saturday. It'll be an indication of better things to come. I look forward to your input.
