Last week’s National Signing Day closely mirrored the 2015 football season for Notre Dame. Head coach Brian Kelly fell just short of securing the signatures of two impact 5-star linebackers, a development that could have turned a good recruiting class into a great one. Likewise, Notre Dame’s last second losses to Clemson and Stanford caused the 2015 football team to fall just short of a playoff appearance. And falling just short has been an unfortunate central theme during Kelly’s tenure in South Bend.
Despite his inability to date to assert Notre Dame as a powerhouse on the college football scene, overall Brian Kelly has been a net positive for a Notre Dame program in desperate need of stability after four failed coaching stints – yes, George O’Leary counts – since the departure of Lou Holtz in 1996. Kelly has turned around a program that had spent decades heading in the wrong direction. He has averaged the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation since his arrival according to Rivals.com, and he’s responsible for finally ending USC’s streak of 8 victories against Notre Dame. Kelly put an end to Notre Dame’s downward spiral against SEC opponents by defeating LSU in the Music City Bowl and has earned victories over historic programs such as Oklahoma, Miami and Texas. He’s also responsible for bringing Notre Dame into the 21st Century. Kelly helped acquire shinier golden helmets and alternative jerseys for the Shamrock Series games – something recruits love – as well as updated Notre Dame’s recruiting methods with tactics like the “Pot of Gold” and sending “ND One”, Notre Dame’s athletic semi truck, down to visit a recruit in Georgia.
Kelly has accomplished much and has made Notre Dame into a respectable, tough program. But what will it take to break through that barrier – to get Notre Dame from a good football team to a great one?
Since Brian Kelly’s arrival Notre Dame has only landed one recruiting class inside the top ten according to Rivals.com rankings, and it’s no coincidence it occurred immediately after Notre Dame’s 12-0 regular season and national championship appearance. At the end of the day recruits want to play for a winner, and continuous seasons with double digit victories are what lure the nation’s top prospects.
LSU head coach Les Miles has had six 10+ winning seasons in his eleven years in Baton Rouge, with four of those 10+ winning seasons occurring consecutively. It’s that kind of consistent winning that made it possible for LSU to sign four 5-star recruits even after finishing with a pedestrian 8-5 record in 2014, a mark tied for Miles’ lowest win total in one season. Winning begets winning, and Notre Dame simply has not won consistently enough, following up its 12-0 season with an 8-4 regular season record in 2013.
Notre Dame currently sits No. 12 in this year’s recruiting rankings according to Rivals and could move all the way up to No. 8 should uncommitted 5-star athlete Demetris Robertson ultimately sign with Notre Dame, as UHND has projected him to do. Such a top ten finish would only be the second of the Brian Kelly era at Notre Dame and would present a window of opportunity that was not capitalized on several years ago: posting back-to-back 10+ win seasons and top ten recruiting classes. And there is good reason to believe Brian Kelly won’t swing and miss twice, a sentiment the Notre Dame administration shares.
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick signed Brian Kelly to a contract extension this off-season for reasons beyond squashing NFL rumors – Kelly has shown an ability to adapt and grow on the job. Not one committed prospect flipped to another program this recruiting cycle, a miraculous achievement in today’s world of recruiting. And it cannot be forgotten that Kelly was the head coach at Grand Valley for nine years before exploding onto the scene by posting a 41-2 record in his final three seasons with the Lakers.
But the biggest reason for optimism comes from the manageable 2016 schedule. Michigan State, Stanford, Navy and USC will all be breaking in new quarterbacks while Miami, Virginia Tech and the Trojans will have new coaches. And with Texas still in the process of turning the corner under Charlie Strong’s leadership, the 2016 schedule looks to offer some attractive matchups and a potential pathway to another season of double digit victories.
The 2016 season will be an opportunity for Brian Kelly and his team, but it will be an opportunity that Notre Dame cannot afford to miss a second time.
Scott Janssen is a blogger for the Huffington Post and has written several nationally-featured articles, including an appearance on MSNBC as a sports contributor. He talks football 24 hours a day, much to the chagrin of his wife and those around him. Scott can be reached at scottjanssenhp@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter.
We will not get the best defensive players with bvg.
I really do give Saban credit though. I mean poaching that WR from Bowling Green….. Ruthless!
It’s amazing how Saban’s career reached its pinnacle as soon as he got his hands on all the best players coming out of high school. Give him credit for landing that talent, but don’t forget the majority here believe coaching up 2 and 3 stars is the better approach. I wonder what would happen if he and BK swapped places. My guess is status quo
Until we get some guys like this bk will be a second rate recruiter and coach
First step find the best DC in the country
Browner Taylor McCoy page hardy patulski tuck golic zorich duranko
@Subway Alum
I’m sorry you feel that way. I do my best to try and respond to questions but some will occasionally slip by me (and work was pretty crazy this past week).
I think ND has the offensive talent to win double digit games, but I’m still not sold on the defense. The biggest reason for optimism to me is that ND’s opponents this year will have lots of coaching and personnel changes.
As for your comment about Kizer, where did I say Kizer was the key for 2016? If I ever wrote that I don’t recall it. I honestly don’t know who should start at quarterback this fall, but if I were Kelly I’d have a wide-open quarterback race and let the best man win (including Wimbush).
Bag
D
From 1985 Bears to the 2015 Denver Broncos, it’s not just D’-but pressure D’ on the QB -that wins championships. QBs are too mobile so you have to just contain them? Ask Cam Newton about what Denver did to his mobility. Drop into coverage and cut off the passing lanes? Ask ND how that worked out vs. Stanford in the last 30 seconds. The embarrassingly minimal TOs forced by ND’s D signals a hesitancy or lack of agressiveness. Being a Bears’ fan, Lovey Smith turned losing with a prevent D’ on the opponents’ last drives into an art form of consistent and expected losing. Winning Ds pressure QBs, with blitzing LBs if necessary (see the 2016 Super Bowl champs leading sackmaster and MVP ). Prevent Ds prevent teams from winning. It should have been realized 30 plus years ago, and it is recognized by those who are champions since. The best pass defense, regardless how good or bad your DBs are, is pressuring the QB- at HS, college or NFL level. The Bears’ dominant D in ’85 did it with Les Frazier and Mike Richardson as CBs- very average at best. Find a way to do that and you join the modern era of football- and ND will then have a better chance to be and remain among the elite.
I know it is a cliche but defense does win championships. Look no further than the last Super Bowl. My biggest criticism on Kelly is that he has always been a score lots of points and have a serviceable defense type of coach. Saban on the other hand is a have great defense and a serviceable offense. It is clear which is a better model. This is also why Oregon, and Baylor have not won a natiional championship yet either.
OMG!!! Be the ball Danny…I have to thank you for the laugh. Man, you dug deep for that, but it was very effective….LOL!! Thanks again, its 537am and I’m over crying. 🙂
Nsd
Ok mad is over. Fire bvg and find the best DC in the country. Pathetic to See people defending a guy who gives up 690 points in two seasons. Our defense is the joke of the nation.
I wonder if Scott will ever get over the heartbreak.
@ Scott…I’m officially off you as an expert source for ND football. Two reasons, 1) you never responded to my direct question (see above) and 2) you are 180 degrees off on your (other) article where you name Kiser as the key to ND’s 2016 campaign. The only way he’s the key is if he stands out in his red cap as the guy who signals in the plays from the sideline. He’s perfectly suited for that, considering he’s the tallest QB we got. The ONLY way he’s gonna beat out Zaire is.. if he beats up Zaire.
Even now, as i think about it, if he (DK) gets in a game, who the hell is he gonna throw it to? Didn’t Will Fuller leave ND?
@ Shaz Muck…ha,ha,ha, I was just trying to, you know, not to be vulgar. Can you see that chalk board session when he first revealed… “now boys, when I cup my titties, I want you to…” Whatever it is he wants them to do, it hasn’t worked yet. Rumor has it that a condition of Kelly’s 6 year extension was that he had to get VanNo to stop doing it.
If you know the play he’s calling in, LMK. BTW, do you think maybe every OC he plays against knows the play? Have to admit, no matter how tense the situation is, I always get a chuckle when i see him do it. Gonna miss him…
DK,
I noticed that when BVG signals in the defensive call, when he, you know, holds up his titties, that he resembles Ty Webb.
“May… may… make it happen…. be… be the ball… be the ball…. just be the ball….
You’re not being the ball Danny”
Has anyone noticed the resemblance between BVG and Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite?
Luck. No, we don’t need some Stanford dude offering us his beard-hairs, like that silly commercial. WE NEED LUCK. The thing? WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY. 1) You make your own luck, and 2) You must MAXIMIZE your luck. Managing luck (as contradictory as that sounds) is what Champions do. GO IRISH!
I see another 3 loss season which seems to be the new norm under Kelly. Good coach? Yes. Great coach to take ND to the top? No way.
BVG has been a failure so far. That’s a fact. The program’s headed in the right direction otherwise. Let’s hope for the best. Go Irish!
The old cliche is true. Defense wins the big ones. Never with BVG Kellys good friend.
BTW, Scott, nicely put together article. You made some valid points in support of your title’s theme.
However, I’d like to get your opinion as to what specific changes (offense, defense, other) will get Kelly those 11 wins, a spot in the final four, and next year’s 5 star recruits.
@ Bruce…dont dismay, if you do get fired I’ll pick up your option. You correctly got right to the heart of it. But, here’s the thing. Kelly needed a sitting DC to go after those 4 and 5 star defensive players. He, ugh, needed VanNo. He might have missed out on the 5’s but he got some 4’s and 3’s. He now has to show support for his DC this close to the passing of NSD. But, soon, VanNo will be getting some sideline help. Kelly s/b searching for his “next man in” in the form of a replacement DC. That would be the smart move. This way, next recruiting season he has a bona fide back-up DC, who will be there in 2017 as promised. VanNo can use some game time help, after all Kelly has Denbrock and Sanford. VanNo shows us week after week, he needs some help. BTW, what play is he calling when he, you know, holds up his titties?
There are only a few coaches that can recruit as well as Brian Kelly is able to do. These are student athletes. Look at the other few schools that place a higher standard on academics. Year after year, ND is one of the most successful universities among them.
There is a reason why Urban Meyer spurned the Irish and took the OSU job. He knew he could not have the success that he had at Florida and now at OSU. He could not recruit the same kids that he does, period.
It comes down to coaching. Right now, with the staff at ND, its one of the tops in the nation. Remember, Will Fuller was not the high of a prospect coming out of hs.
Yes, the defense needs help. I dont think we have the right scheme at times but, with more experience and more athletes, I hope our defense flourishes.
GOD, COUNTRY, ND!!!
BJ gets canned more than tuna
Fire Bruce Johnson
The worst defense ever
690 points in two years
It’s called the black hole defense
this same article was posted in 2013, 14 and 15. LOL!. oh yeah, it will be posted again in 2017 and 18. LOL. i was at the fiesta bowl. and if they play like that next year, they should really consider hiring a different head coach. bk is an above average coach, period. his best quality is organization. that is sadly not enough to translate into consistent championship seasons. unfortunately, 2012 was an anomaly.
they are not likely going to get rid of the current regime. get used to this above average mediocrity.
go irish!
Spot on analysis, Dale. I’m not a big fan of multiple, negative occurrences within a short timeframe either.
Fire Bruce Johnson
Fire bvg
I am sure the majority of ND supporters are just praying to get to September 1st with NO INJURIES and NO CONTROVERSY rearing its ugly head regarding any “suspensions”. This would mean that BK has a shot at “maximizing” all the personnel on campus for probably the first time in 5 years. I am just hoping that Post-Spring game we don’t see another Starting QB scenario where someone decides to transfer when it looks like there are 3 top candidates trying to be No.1. Fingers Crossed until Sept. 1, 2016.