2017 Notre Dame Football Preview

2017 Notre Dame Football Preview

Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview

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4 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY LOU SOMOGYI "The Bible says Abraham died by leaning on his staff. That wouldn't be a bad way for me to go." — Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz (1986‑96) shortly after his hiring on the importance of having the right staff E ntering his eighth season at Notre Dame, head coach Brian Kelly's tenure is going to live or die by the single largest coach‑ ing staff upheaval seen at the school — with‑ out changing the head coach himself, that is. Six new on‑field coaching staff hires were made this past winter by Kelly in response to a mind‑numbing 4‑8 finish for a team that was ranked No. 10 nationally at the start of the 2016 campaign. That's not even including a new strength and conditioning program directed by Matt Balis with assistance from David Ballou, among others. That department typically is referenced as the most significant of all became the strength and conditioning staff has the most individual daily interactions with the players. This specifically meant the gut‑wrenching task of needing to replace longtime confidant Paul Longo, who had been with Kelly since 2004. "[The players] really, really like Coach Longo, but it was clear that he couldn't func‑ tion in the manner he could the first few years," Kelly candidly and surprising revealed this winter about a long‑term disability Longo was under. "He couldn't get down in the trenches with them. He couldn't get in there and get after it the way he had the first few years." Ultimately, it all comes back on Kelly — and he has repeatedly held himself culpable for the epic collapse. "There are no bad football teams — there's just poorly led football teams," Kelly summarized upon further reflection this win‑ ter. "I led this team poorly." Consequently, Kelly unofficially sits atop the 2017 "Hot Seat" list of college coaches, a post Texas' Charlie Strong occupied in 2016, just as Miami's Al Golden and Georgia's Mark Richt did (among others) in 2015, and Michigan's Brady Hoke and Florida's Will Muschamp dubiously held in 2014. All the aforementioned figures were re‑ leased after those seasons. Any college football head coach coming off a 4‑8 season in his seventh season at a place such as Notre Dame that ranks among the elite historically will face such a situa‑ tion. Working hand in hand with Kelly's hot‑ seat status is the amount of change within his own coaching infrastructure. All three of the coordinators are new: Mike Elko (defense), Chip Long (offense) and Brian Polian (special teams). Added as the linebackers/rovers coach was Clark Lea, who worked with Elko at Wake Forest. Hired to mentor the receivers was Arizona State's DelVaughn Alexander, who had worked with Long for several years. Finally, former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees (2010‑13), whom Kelly viewed as the consummate "coach on the field" while posting a 23‑8 record as the starter, was brought in to instruct the signal‑callers. Cynicism And Optimism The changes Notre Dame underwent after the 2016 season can be viewed both cyni‑ cally or with optimism. For the cynic, one can point to the afore‑ mentioned Strong, who was fired last De‑ cember after three disappointing seasons at Texas that resulted in a 16‑21 record (same as Charlie Weis' last three seasons at Notre Dame in 2007‑09). During his short stint with the Longhorns, Strong employed 17 as‑ sistant coaches, with only two of his original hires remaining. Five were fired and three de‑ parted the program, not including the demo‑ tion of defensive coordinator Vance Bedford. "You've got to change with the game," Strong told ESPN prior to the 2016 season, which began with great promise by defeating No. 10 Notre Dame, "and you've got to do what you think is best for the program. That's what I've been trying to do, is just piece it together and make sure we do what's best." However, if doubts about the captain who is steering the ship remain, then changes within the staff prompt the oft‑used analogy of "rear‑ ranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." On the flip side, there's USC's Clay Helton, who was suddenly thrust into the interim coach role in 2015 when Steve Sarkisian was fired for UNDER THE DOME STAFF AIDE Brian Kelly makes coaching overhaul to help direct turnaround Kelly oversaw the largest staff upheaval in school history for a returning head coach, which included installing three new coordinators plus a new strength and conditioning program. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA

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