Credit to albertocrespi for this great apropos post. I didn’t write it but think it deserves to be read here:
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After being soundly beaten by USC in his final game of 2016. Brian Kelly's ND team ended the year 4-8. Most people were calling for his head. He managed to wring another year out of Swarbrick however, by promising that changes would be made. Instead of just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, he made real changes. He interviewed all 93 of his players. Asked them what was wrong with him and the way the team was being run.
Then the changes began. He had already fired DC VanGorder during the season. 3 of 5 members of the strength and conditioning staff were let go after the season. He brought in 5 new position coaches. 3 of the coaches that left had served a combined 35 years under Kelly. The assistant head coach, Mike Denbrock, the play caller, was pushed out the door to Cincinnati. They made a home run hire in bringing Mike Elko in from Wake Forrest as the new DC. They hired bright young Chip Long from Memphis to run the offense, as the OC. Overall 17 new hires were made within the program.
All the above was done by a process of vetting, recruiting and setting up interviews with a variety of potential coaches. A holistic interview process was used to bring in a staff that fit together and worked together well. Notre Dame interviewed five strength coaches, three wide receivers coaches, three offensive coordinators and two defensive coordinators. The process was done with the AD and assistant AD involved every step of the way.
Brian Kelly is a far different coach and person than Clay, so analogies can only go so far. However, he was smart enough to realize that things had to change or the team was not going to turn things around and that he would be fired. The next year, the Irish went 10-3 with heart-breaking losses to Georgia and Stanford, along with a loss at Miami. I don't have to remind anyone what happened when a USC team, which had beaten ND handily the year before, went into South Bend last October.
A ND team that has not been above USC in the recruiting rankings in any of the last 4-5 years, is now in the top 10.
Sadly, I'm fairly certain that USC will stand pat with Clay and wait until things get worse before doing anything at all. Many here will say that the Stanford game is a one-off event and should not be cause for panic.
Personally, I think that unless USC goes through a similar process to what Brian Kelly and ND went through in 2016/17, this program is not going to be sniffing the Top 10.
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After being soundly beaten by USC in his final game of 2016. Brian Kelly's ND team ended the year 4-8. Most people were calling for his head. He managed to wring another year out of Swarbrick however, by promising that changes would be made. Instead of just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, he made real changes. He interviewed all 93 of his players. Asked them what was wrong with him and the way the team was being run.
Then the changes began. He had already fired DC VanGorder during the season. 3 of 5 members of the strength and conditioning staff were let go after the season. He brought in 5 new position coaches. 3 of the coaches that left had served a combined 35 years under Kelly. The assistant head coach, Mike Denbrock, the play caller, was pushed out the door to Cincinnati. They made a home run hire in bringing Mike Elko in from Wake Forrest as the new DC. They hired bright young Chip Long from Memphis to run the offense, as the OC. Overall 17 new hires were made within the program.
All the above was done by a process of vetting, recruiting and setting up interviews with a variety of potential coaches. A holistic interview process was used to bring in a staff that fit together and worked together well. Notre Dame interviewed five strength coaches, three wide receivers coaches, three offensive coordinators and two defensive coordinators. The process was done with the AD and assistant AD involved every step of the way.
Brian Kelly is a far different coach and person than Clay, so analogies can only go so far. However, he was smart enough to realize that things had to change or the team was not going to turn things around and that he would be fired. The next year, the Irish went 10-3 with heart-breaking losses to Georgia and Stanford, along with a loss at Miami. I don't have to remind anyone what happened when a USC team, which had beaten ND handily the year before, went into South Bend last October.
A ND team that has not been above USC in the recruiting rankings in any of the last 4-5 years, is now in the top 10.
Sadly, I'm fairly certain that USC will stand pat with Clay and wait until things get worse before doing anything at all. Many here will say that the Stanford game is a one-off event and should not be cause for panic.
Personally, I think that unless USC goes through a similar process to what Brian Kelly and ND went through in 2016/17, this program is not going to be sniffing the Top 10.
