I know what I will say isn't popular but here it goes. Why anyone is shocked that kelly is leaving is beyond me. For starters, he immediately interviewed for an NFL job right after the NC game against Alabama. If that doesn't tell you the guy wants to elevate his career and move to bigger things, I don't know what does.
Kelly would be absolutely nuts not to take the job at LSU. Better recruiting, the SEC, and of course a boat load of money. Despite popular belief on this board and through the ND fanbase, Notre Dame is NOT a destination coaching job for most. Unless you have a personal connection to Notre Dame, its just another place. A place where the university, its fans, etc., stand on a soap box and look down on basically the rest of college football, believing they do everything better. A place that takes a holier than thou position on practically every other university, coach, staff, etc. A place that has dated recruiting restrictions and academic policies that most kids don't qualify for, especially a lot of collegiate athletes, the very same ones that ND competes against.
So coaches coming in are handcuffed and behind the 8 ball from the beginning. Yet this very same place expects to play with and beat the Alabama's, Clemsons and Ohio States when asked to do so. When they don't, its never the University and their handcuffing, its never recruiting deficiencies. Everyone wants the coaches head. He's the fall guy, every single time. So why in the hell would any coach come and take on this career suicide mission? Its a dead end and you can clearly see the ceiling as soon as you walk in the door. Kelly hit that ceiling a few years ago. Its as good as it gets, which is really good btw and most schools would kill to be in ND's spot at this point. But Kelly wants more.. he wants to play for titles and conference championships. I would too if I had his resume.
Plain and simple, he took ND as far as ND will allow it to be taken. No coach in the country, not even a Saben, could consistently play for and or win national championships at ND. Notre Dame football died after the Holtz era in many ways. It died mainly because the university refuses to change with the times and adapt to the college football landscape accordingly. Notre Dame is not immune to the coaching carousel anymore than any other program. They're special in their own eyes, not everyone else's.
I hope i'm wrong... I hope like hell i'm pleasantly surprised.. but I think its time to buckle up and hold on tight... back to mediocrity for the next 5 years at least.
Kelly would be absolutely nuts not to take the job at LSU. Better recruiting, the SEC, and of course a boat load of money. Despite popular belief on this board and through the ND fanbase, Notre Dame is NOT a destination coaching job for most. Unless you have a personal connection to Notre Dame, its just another place. A place where the university, its fans, etc., stand on a soap box and look down on basically the rest of college football, believing they do everything better. A place that takes a holier than thou position on practically every other university, coach, staff, etc. A place that has dated recruiting restrictions and academic policies that most kids don't qualify for, especially a lot of collegiate athletes, the very same ones that ND competes against.
So coaches coming in are handcuffed and behind the 8 ball from the beginning. Yet this very same place expects to play with and beat the Alabama's, Clemsons and Ohio States when asked to do so. When they don't, its never the University and their handcuffing, its never recruiting deficiencies. Everyone wants the coaches head. He's the fall guy, every single time. So why in the hell would any coach come and take on this career suicide mission? Its a dead end and you can clearly see the ceiling as soon as you walk in the door. Kelly hit that ceiling a few years ago. Its as good as it gets, which is really good btw and most schools would kill to be in ND's spot at this point. But Kelly wants more.. he wants to play for titles and conference championships. I would too if I had his resume.
Plain and simple, he took ND as far as ND will allow it to be taken. No coach in the country, not even a Saben, could consistently play for and or win national championships at ND. Notre Dame football died after the Holtz era in many ways. It died mainly because the university refuses to change with the times and adapt to the college football landscape accordingly. Notre Dame is not immune to the coaching carousel anymore than any other program. They're special in their own eyes, not everyone else's.
I hope i'm wrong... I hope like hell i'm pleasantly surprised.. but I think its time to buckle up and hold on tight... back to mediocrity for the next 5 years at least.
