Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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38 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW had been with Coach [Kelly] for a long time, and I didn't know how they'd take a 33-year- old coach coming in and running the show," Long said. "I left a great staff, and we had all our players coming back [at Memphis], so I wanted to make sure it was a perfect deal or I wasn't going to be able to make the trip. "Then when I visited with Coach and he explained everything, and guys [from the previous staff] were able to get other jobs, it really was enticing. You don't turn Notre Dame down. It's been a dream of mine to coach at a level like this, but I wanted to make sure it was a fit with the staff." The hiring of Elko signifies a culture shift defensively for the Irish, moving away from Brian VanGorder's complex, pro-style scheme. Elko has made his name at Bowling Green (2009-13) and Wake Forest with a flex- ible, modern defense that consistently puts pressure on opposing offenses, something the Irish sorely missed under VanGorder. The change in defensive philosophy was essential for an Irish defense that gave up 27 points per game the last three years. "Mike Elko does a lot of things that are hard to decipher, but easily taught," Kelly said. "And his experiences are in college. He does an incredibly efficient job at com- municating what he's teaching. And we're teachers. He's a really good teacher at the end of the day." Long, meanwhile, has been handed the keys to an offense that was productive but inconsistent in 2016. His duties will include play calling, a task Kelly has kept a close eye on during his tenure. "If you're calling plays, you have to spend so much time on one side of the ball," Kelly said. "So after making the decision that I would not have the influence on a day-to- day basis, it was easy for me to know what I was looking for offensively, and that was a play caller. "And as I looked around the country, I was able to compile a very short list of guys that called plays through my eyes. In other words, the way I like our offense to look. And the guy that kept coming to the top of the list was Chip Long." Time will tell if Notre Dame's new leader- ship can make the necessary adjustments in a year's time. Kelly, Elko and Long's jobs depend on it. "I would tell you that every year that I've stood before you that it's a make-or-break year," Kelly said. "I don't think I've ever CHIP LONG'S THREE-POINT PLAN New offensive coordinator Chip Long has far less of a challenge than what first-year defensive coordina- tor Mike Elko faces, though certain principles were enforced this spring and form the backbone of Long's up-tempo spread offense. By all accounts, the Irish picked up Long's teachings quickly this spring. "That's what's been great with our whole side of the ball on offense, just the way our guys work and how they all want to be a special player and do the best they can for Notre Dame," Long said. "It's been amazing the way they come every day to their meetings, to on-the-field work." Here's three areas Long will have his eye on as the Irish prepare for 2017: 1. Physicality — Long said he didn't necessarily see a lack of physicality on last year's film. But followers of the program should be pleased to hear Long talk about an increased focus on that trait this season. With a seasoned offensive line that returns four starters and an experienced skill group surrounding first-year starter Brandon Wimbush at quarterback, the Irish certainly have the pieces to be more of a physical offense in 2017, similar to the 10-3 season in 2015 when it likewise returned four starters along the line, had a new, green quarterback at the throttle and ended up averaging more than 200 yards rush- ing per game for the entire season (including bowl games) for the first time in 17 years. "I can't put my head on my pillow at night if we're not going to by physical," Long said. "If we're not go- ing to be physical, then I won't sleep much at night and probably won't be around here very long. We're going to be a physical team if anything else." Notre Dame put those words into action throughout the spring, upping the intensity in the weight room while doing full-contact tackling drills to open practices. 2. Tempo — Long has gone about streamlining the Irish offense, a departure from a scheme that some- times bogged down with DeShone Kizer at the helm. Long said he's tried to keep the same language in the attack, while the finer details of the system are different. The goal is to play faster, a trait Long's offense at Memphis emphasized and achieved. The 2016 Tigers ran 74.2 plays per game, 39th most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Notre Dame ran 68.8 a game, which ranked 86th. Playing at a faster tempo means speeding things up between plays, Long said. This spring, Notre Dame was learning how to line up quickly and get the play from the sideline all in one motion. "Tempo to me is when the play is over," Long said. "Not once the play's going how fast we're going, but between the plays. Guys understand working there and training their eyes after each and every play to find the signal or find the board and getting lined up." 3. Ball Security — Notre Dame lost 18 turnovers (nine fumbles and nine interceptions) last year, which ranked 47th in FBS. While running 138 more offensive plays over the course of the season, Long's Mem- phis team finished with three more turnovers (11 fumbles and 10 interceptions). Ball security naturally was near the top of Long's spring checklist. "If they take care of the ball they probably win three more games last year," Long said. "There is a big emphasis on that." — Matt Jones "You don't turn Notre Dame down. It's been a dream of mine to coach at a level like this." LONG In his lone season as a coordinator, the 34-year-old Long guided Memphis to national rankings of 15th in scoring offense (38.8 points per game) and 28th in total offense (463.7 yards per game) in 2016. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN