Want to see ND, s best in the Bowl Game? Don't go 8-4

[sjb75]

Kelly is a very good coach, I don't think anyone denies that. ND got as much out of him as they could. It was clear, he wasn't going to win a championship at ND. My biggest issue with Kelly was the team rarely showing up in big games and "shopping down a different aisle".

In some ways Notre Dame does shop down a different aisle. Keion Keeley verbaling to Alabama today illustrates that.

But I will say recruiting has improved. Credit to MF. And his staff.

And as far as showing up in big games, you have to win a lot of games to play in big games.

 

[raycyrx]

Parseghian, Devine and Weis. And Parseghian took over a 2-7 team, and Weis took over a 6-6 team. Freeman took over an 11-1 team.

This season has been a profound disappointment,

Of that group, only Weis was a first time head coach. And look what he turned out to be.

 

[4-4-3]

Parseghian, Devine and Weis. And Parseghian took over a 2-7 team, and Weis took over a 6-6 team. Freeman took over an 11-1 team.

This season has been a profound disappointment,

And don’t forget these ND coaches from both the ROMAN and MEDIEVAL periods:

HARPER went 7-0 with a 5-4 team the previous year.

LAYDEN went 6-3, inheriting a 3-5-1 team.

LEAHY went 8-0-1 with and 7-2 team the previous year, moving from unranked to #3 in the process.

BRENNAN went 9-1 with a team that had gone 9-0-1 the previous year, slipping two places in the rankings from #2 to #4.

Freeman has been considered A GREAT COACH by many from the first day he arrived at ND. I would argue that MUCH of this has been OPTICS.

We’ll see.

 

[4-4-3]

And don’t forget these ND coaches from both the ROMAN and MEDIEVAL periods:

HARPER went 7-0 with a 5-4 team the previous year.

LAYDEN went 6-3, inheriting a 3-5-1 team.

LEAHY went 8-0-1 with and 7-2 team the previous year, moving from unranked to #3 in the process.

BRENNAN went 9-1 with a team that had gone 9-0-1 the previous year, slipping two places in the rankings from #2 to #4.

Freeman has been considered A GREAT COACH by many from the first day he arrived at ND. I would argue that MUCH of this has been OPTICS.

We’ll see.

I should add that Harper, Layden and Leahy had experience at other schools, so they don't really qualify as FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACHES per se. In my HASTE to add them, I overlooked this, and their initial seasons at ND should NOT be compared to Freeman's on a truly first-year-as-head-coach basis.

Of course, Ara and Devine also had previous experience with only Weis being a TRUE first-timer.

Terry Brennan was also a TRUE first-time college coach who, like Freeman, inherited an extremly strong team.