Running out of players to blame, Brian Kelly now says fundraising is the reason ND went 4-8

Submitted by nerv on

Good ol Brian Kelly is just not one to put blame on himself. He now points to fundraising for a football only facility as the reason he wasn't able to fully dedicate himself to coaching... and that is the reason for 4-8.

This is a really fun article to read as it legitimately takes shots at Kelly every step of the way. Yet somehow this guy is still winning recruiting battles. 

 

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/more-than-ever-it-appears-brian-kelly-notre-dame-is-a-marriage-destined-to-fail/

PopeLando

August 18th, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^

Something something joke about his purple face.

I hope he's on blood pressure medication

EDIT: I had forgotten that he blamed the center for bad shotgun snaps IN A FREAKING HURRICANE. That is some epic deflection there...

Lou MacAdoo

August 18th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^

I've heard this hypothetical before. Why in the world would he ever leave OSU? Even if Harbaugh starts kicking his ass I doubt he tucks his tail and goes to ND just to get whooped even worse.

corundum

August 18th, 2017 at 2:27 PM ^

On #2: I think at this point Dabo wants to cement his leagacy as the greatest of all time at Clemson and wouldn't be surprised to see him stay there for another dacade or even retire from there, barring NFL aspirations.

 

Going to Alabama would make him the bronze medal to Saban and Bryant. The pressure to continue the dynasty would be immense. He's already recruiting great at a top-flight program in the ACC and is equipped with one of the best DCs in the game.

maize-blue

August 18th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^

I think there is a quote from Urban someplace where he states ND was his dream job. A lot of people make statements like that though. I doubt he'd leave OSU now that they are a recruiting and win 10+ games a year without even trying machine.

VintageBlue

August 18th, 2017 at 12:30 PM ^

Something tells me he and Harbaugh may not be kindred spirits in football.  Imagine the absurdity of Harbaugh saying this as he boards a plane to a donor-funded team trip to Rome.  

FauxMo

August 18th, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^

Excuses are like assholes. Everybody's got one, and most of them stink. Also, using the reverse transitive property, therefore, Brian Kelly is like excuses... 

DualThreat

August 18th, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^

I really don't think Kelly wins any recruiting battles.  Notre Dame wins recruiting battles.

I don't think anybody says "Oh, Brian Kelly is the coach here, let me commit to Notre Dame."  Contrast that to Michigan or Ohio State where I do think the coach plays a part in the actual decision.

uofmchris

August 18th, 2017 at 12:37 PM ^

And he continues to fire his OWN coaching staff while continuing to get a vote of confidence from ND's Athletic Director. It doesn't add up, but.....I LOVE IT. Hope he never leaves.

 

 

lhglrkwg

August 18th, 2017 at 12:57 PM ^

I rarely have heard him take the blame for anything, but he's all too quick to find excuses and to throw his own people under the bus in publc . A few years from now books will come out about how much the ND players hated Brian Kelly

Dave

August 18th, 2017 at 1:02 PM ^

Said that Kelly was way worse back then, and had actually toned it down considerably in the intervening years. Which, I mean, holy sh!t.

mGrowOld

August 18th, 2017 at 1:09 PM ^

Kelly said he "wasnt ready" for the NFL after he declared - I can only assume to try and hurt his draft stock in the NFL.  But after watching him get coached up this week and reading his comments I can only assume his development at ND was spotty at best.

Kizer is big, strong and extremely "coachable" according to the Browns staff but it doesnt seem like he got very much of it under Kelly.  Which is one of the main reasons he wanted to leave.

MGlobules

August 18th, 2017 at 1:30 PM ^

or c) get fired first. I am taking wagers. 

I never found him convincing, or saw what others did in him. Not a highly evolved or intelligent guy. 

Evil Empire

August 18th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^

It wanders all over the place, at times criticizing Kelly for his jerkitude and at other times praising him for fortitude.  I read it earlier today and couldn't reconcile the combo of critique and puff piece. 

Kelly has a reputation (according to whom?) of being a quarterback guru, but his quarterbacks seem to dislike him.  Those two elements seem be at odds with each other.

blueturtle

August 18th, 2017 at 3:07 PM ^

The only one Kelly hasn't blamed other than himself is Touchdown Jesus. I hope he keeps the job for the next 20 years. One of these times they've gonna get this hire right. My prediction for the next coach at ND is Bob Stoops. Take a year off and then one last job.

MMcmillan

August 18th, 2017 at 6:11 PM ^

THWND, but I like what they've done with their recent stadium renovation. I wonder if there's enough room behind the endzones to do something similar at Michigan Stadium.