So Kelly is the new Irish coach

[Non Sequitur]

I agree. I don't understand why it can't wait until after the bowl game. Hopefully his players get fired up and bring it to the Gators. I just don't see that happening.

You can't really wait. You need to get a jump on assembling a staff. If you wait you could lose out on potential prospects. I know it sucks for the kids, but it makes sense for the University.

[FN Phat]

You can't really wait. You need to get a jump on assembling a staff. If you wait you could lose out on potential prospects. I know it sucks for the kids, but it makes sense for the University.

I understand that point. I guess I am just bitching. It just sucks for the players, especially those that had other options but bought into what Kelly was selling.

I am happy for him and hopefully he finds great success.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I understand that point. I guess I am just bitching. It just sucks for the players, especially those that had other options but bought into what Kelly was selling.

One of the times I think a kid should be allowed to transfer without sitting out a year.

[Surfah]

One of the times I think a kid should be allowed to transfer without sitting out a year.

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

[DrumNFeather]

It makes his post game rant after the Pitt game all the more funny. "You guys are making stuff up...oh and uhhhh, I....have not even thought about my future in general, let alone the ND job." Right.

[cougjunkie]

People are saying there are two ways to avoid this.

1. An early signing period. Have a signing period in November or October and if there is a coaching change you will not lose as many recruits etc. (Devils advocate: sucks for the kids that do sign early and then end up playing for a coach they did not commit too)

2. Push back signing day until the first part of March. (Devils advocate: then you are really pushing spring ball)

[TripletDaddy]

Notre Dame had to move on this one. It is easier and better PR to hire a coach off a big win than off a big loss.

When Cincy loses to Florida now, the excuses will be obvious...the team was distracted.

If Cincy gets blown out by Florida with no inherent distractions, the hire loses some luster.

That being said, Kelly is screwed.

[SeattleUte]

There's a lot of nonsense being spread around about the Irish by Irish haters.

Notre Dame can't compete for an NC because it thinks it's Ivy League. Response: There's no reason USC can compete for an NC and Notre Dame can't. USC is a comparable school academically, and has standards too. I haven't checked but I bet USC's and ND's recruiting hauls have been comparable the past five years. I remember Clausen was the top rated quarterback in the country. I bet even now ND's class is respectable, despite the controversy. Recruiting is one thing that is not a challenge at Notre Dame.

Willingham and Weis failed because it's impossible to win at ND and the ND alumni are totally unreasonable. Response: How can anyone doubt that Willingham is a TERRIBLE coach, and got exactly what he deserved from ND and Washington; no, actually he got way more than he deserved from Washington. From all I've read and heard from people who actually know Weis, he's not only an overrated, blow hard coach, he's a bad person. Why did anyone ever think that being Bill Belichick's bag carrier qualified Weis to be a good coach? ND has struggled for the same reasons that Texas struggled before Brown, Alabama struggled before Saban, Oklahoma struggled in the late '80's and the '90's, and USC struggled before Carroll--bad coaching. It can happen even to the top five football traditions. Notre Dame has made at least two terrible coaching hires in a row.

Kelly was disloyal to Cincinnati and his players. Response: Grow up Cincinnati! Coach Kelly aint your mama. Fans can call for a coach's head at the first tribulation or disappointment, the overgrown babies who entertain us on the gridiron can go pro anytime (and it's ignoble for a coach to try to stop them), but a coach can't take a better job to advance his career and for his family. I don't think so. It's been long established that loyalty is not a paramount concern on anyone's part in big time sports--not for fans, not for anlumni, not for franchises or institutions, not for owners, not for players, and of course not for coaches either.

Kelly can't recruit because he's never had a better than no. 60 ranked class. Response: No. 60 ranked class isn't bad at Cincinnati, but he'll be able to be top 10 at ND without trying. Someone could have questioned Urban's recruiting ability before he was at Florida a couple of years.

What's this crap about Kelly not being allowed to coach in THE SUG? Has Cincinnati ever been in this position before? Does it expect to be back in this position anytime soon? I've always respected Chris Hill for going against fans' moronic knee-jerk reaction and realizing that maximizing the odds of beating Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl was a lot more important than being proud and nasty to Urban Meyer. It's called not cutting off your nose to spite your face. If Cincy loses, as it likely will, the loss would also not get the new coach off to a good start. In restrospect, I think Kyle would have won that game on his own, in his first head coached game, and without a staff. But we didn't know that then. Three years from now it won't matter whether Kelly coached THE SUG. If Cincinnati beats Florida people will never forget the game.

All this just confirms what we've known. Cincinnati is not the kind of program or institution--it doesn't have the character--to walk into THE SUG and crush a traditional SEC power and top 4-5 school right in the SEC's sanctum sanctorum.

[DrumNFeather]

ESPN just showed Notre Dame's schedule during the news conferences. They play 3 true road games, 2 neutral site games and the rest of their games are at home next year.

[TripletDaddy]

Please stop writing "THE SUG"

It looks stupid in written form and you are killing your own tradition. I can't sit idly by and watch you destroy a CUF landmark.

[John McClain]

ND Fans very happy

I work with some ND fans; they are ecstatic with the hire. They believe it is the dawn of a new day for ND. We'll see I guess, but you have to agree that the elements are in place. Kelly should do better than Weiss, Willingham, or Davies.

[il Padrino Ute]

Please stop writing "THE SUG"

It looks stupid in written form and you are killing your own tradition. I can't sit idly by and watch you destroy a CUF landmark.

I like that SeattleUte uses "SUG" for the Sugar Bowl, because it is the acronym for Santi degli Ultimi Giorni which is LDS in Italian.

No matter how hard he tries, SU can't help but promote Mormonisim.

[smokymountainrain]

Five years ago...

I work with some ND fans; they are ecstatic with the hire. They believe it is the dawn of a new day for ND. We'll see I guess, but you have to agree that the elements are in place. Weis should do better than Willingham or Davies.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Had they gone with Minka Kelly I think they would have landed the best recruiting class in school history, think outside the bun Notre Dame!

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Someone should interview Demetrius Jones about this. That would be fun.