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Report: Kelly to be named next Irish coach

According to a report from the South Bend Tribune, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a new coach.

And his name is — surprise!!! – Brian Kelly.

Citing two university sources familiar with the search process, the paper reports that Kelly will be named as Charlie Weis‘ successor in South Bend.

It’s expected that Kelly will meet with his players ahead of the Bearcats’ award banquet tonight to inform them of his decision.

No further details, such as when the official announcement will come or when a press conference will be held, are available at this time.

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41 Responses to “Report: Kelly to be named next Irish coach”
  1. thekillerkeller says: Dec 10, 2009 5:12 PM

    It’s official, Kelly’s successful career comes to a crashing end in South Bend. Hopefully he fails miserably. Karma will be a bitch…mark my words.

  2. ryanrico says: Dec 10, 2009 5:15 PM

    Take your Defensive Coordinator with you, BK

  3. hsf09 says: Dec 10, 2009 5:19 PM

    Good for him. Time to quit the child games. “I am the Cincinatti coach.” Oh wait “If Notre Dame wants to talk, I will “entertain” the offer.” As Gilyard said, “Just make the decision fast, bro, so we can get it out of the way,” Gilyard said today. “You know what you’re going to do. Just do it. We’re tired of worrying about it.”
    As thekillerkeller says, “Hopefully he fails miserably. Karma will be a bitch…mark my words.”
    Have fun at ND Kelly.
    PS: Your star QB and WR are heading to the NFL.

  4. nickstanley says: Dec 10, 2009 5:22 PM

    karma for what??? For building a program then leaving?

  5. BENITO says: Dec 10, 2009 5:22 PM

    THEKILLERKELLER CAN SUCK IT!!! CINCI GOES BACK TO IRREVELANCE!!! GO BACK TO KENTUCKY YOU EFFIN HICK!

  6. goirishgo says: Dec 10, 2009 5:28 PM

    Aw…are you jealous of ND too? What does “Karma” have to do with it anyways, unless you are on “My name is Earl?”

  7. Zahm08 says: Dec 10, 2009 5:28 PM

    Oooh, big bad bold statements of fate and revenge. Aren’t you special.

  8. rgr72344 says: Dec 10, 2009 5:39 PM

    Why would this guy in front of his biggest game yet( having a chance to beat Florida in a bowl game) even announce that he is leaving cincinnati now and actually letting his team and other coaches down, Its like a big kick in the face by a mule!!! WHAT A DUMB THING TO DO, IT COULD OF WAITED TILL THE BOWL SEASON GAMES ARE OVER!!!!!DUH

  9. IrishOne says: Dec 10, 2009 5:39 PM

    What karma? Kelly has left other schools too and surprise….so has every other coach. By your standards, every coach has to stay with his first employer or he’s a weasel for leaving? Gimme a break. Quit crying…..he’s got talent and the big leagues called. He made the obvious choice.

  10. SheHateMe says: Dec 10, 2009 5:48 PM

    To ‘thekillerkeller’:
    You and your ilk are hypocrites. You know darn well that if anybody was offering you what ND undoubtably offered him, vs what he was making at Cincy, you’d accept it too. Besides Cincy might have a good record, but the fame that comes with being the N.D.H.C, compared to that of the UofC, is simply beyond comparison.
    Lastly, most normal human beings would much rather be only 90 miles from Chicago than in the heart of ‘downtown’ Cincinnati…………..

  11. Langor says: Dec 10, 2009 5:48 PM

    I am sure all of the Cincinnati fans are very upset over this, but let’s be realistic, I’ll bet there isn’t one member of the U of Cincinnati staff that wouldn’t leave if Notre Dame came calling. And all that jazz about bad Karma, sounds to me like Kelly’s karma is pretty darned good, bad Karma would be, well, having to work in Cincinnati.

  12. Terry says: Dec 10, 2009 5:50 PM

    Because Notre Dame CAN NOT, due to educational standards, recruit the normal “Goons” the rest of the big schools do, unfortunately, they will never be the football prowess the once where.

  13. frank booth says: Dec 10, 2009 5:56 PM

    Nobody saw this coming.

  14. uncommonjohn says: Dec 10, 2009 5:59 PM

    Brian Kelly can sure thank Charlie Weis for changing the meaning of success in football. It is no longer about wins and losses on the field. It is not even about what bowl games you get to go to. It is not even about where you are in the final rankings at the end of the season. It is not about how good a recruiter you are. It is not about what kind of a staff you can put together. So, what is it about now. In my opionion, it is all about the buy out package you will get in three years.

  15. snickets says: Dec 10, 2009 5:59 PM

    Whoa there Killer…What did Kelly do to deserve bad karma? He just went undefeated at his current program and didn’t even sniff a chance at the national championship game. At ND if he goes 12-0 they will cancel the national championship game and just hand him the title. Its a chance he had to take….

  16. gator_prof says: Dec 10, 2009 6:00 PM

    Huge gamble by ND. Kelly is the worst BCS conference with zero quality bowl wins, unless S. Miss and W. Mich count.
    Is this really the best that ND could do?

  17. tuskey says: Dec 10, 2009 6:07 PM

    I see no problems with Kelly moving on…no way UC will ever be able to offer what ND can on any level.
    You can’t blame someone for moving up the food chain.
    But what I do have a problem with is why he would not want to coach the team he built in the biggest game in the school’s history?? Why work so hard all season only to quit before the payoff??
    If anyone has a right to be pissed and upset, it’s his players and assistants.
    Why can’t he and ND wait another 3 weeks??

  18. thekillerkeller says: Dec 10, 2009 6:14 PM

    For the record, I live in Ohio, not Kentucky, and no, I won’t suck it. I don’t get on my knees for anyone…Karma being what goes around comes around…simply put, he’ll fail at ND. As Terry said, he won’t get any of the caliber of athletes he got at UC because ND can’t accept dumb kids that will one day make millions in the NFL. Go ahead, call me a hyprocrit or a hick…don’t blame me because ND football sucks and he has a gold mine in Cincinnati. I love my Bearcats and Bengals, and if you have a problem with me, then you can kiss my ass…
    Just to add, just because I hate an owner (Mike Brown) or a coach (Brian Kelly) doesn’t mean I hate a team…some of you need to figure that out before you start blasting people.

  19. frank booth says: Dec 10, 2009 6:19 PM

    robertg-
    Where are you? Have you deactivated your transponder?
    The omniscient Zorkon has called you back to Regulus 5. With the Notre Dame situation taken care of, you have a new mission. The Krayloks are considering firing Zontar X and his entire staff operatives. Our reconnaissance indicates that they are violating interplanetary RICO acts and the Gorlon lawyers are not responding to our transmissions. We have little time, since the Magistrate Triumvurate ends their 40-year stasis in just 4 parsecs.
    Also stop and grab Corsus Cretinus (Lee Corso) and bring him back with you. He’s due for recharging. We don’t want to make the same mistake we did with Mickey Rooney.
    Oh, and grab me a sandwich on your way in. And not from Uranus again. I burned both rectums after that last one.
    Hail Grutos,
    Borkon IV

  20. Gary Michaels says: Dec 10, 2009 6:19 PM

    How was Kelly’s strategy in his last game at Cincinnati? Was it his brilliance that allowed them to win the game? Is ND getting a brilliant tactician or another wannabe?
    http://harvardsportsanalysis.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/should-pitt-have-pulled-a-westbrook-does-brian-kelly-play-madden/

  21. TedLO says: Dec 10, 2009 6:22 PM

    Tuskey,
    There is one reason ND can’t wait 3 weeks. Recruiting. And truth be told, Kelly can’t wait either. If he was goign to take this job he had to do it now. If he let the recruiting class twist in the wind til after the bowl game, he’d certainly lose several blue chippers to other schools. No, he had to go for it now.
    But think about it. If he’d held on for another 3 weeks, don’t you think that would be more of a distraction to his players? This way, at least they can deal with it and move past it and try to focus on the game.

  22. TedLO says: Dec 10, 2009 6:25 PM

    Hmmm. killerkeller. I don’t find UC in the Rivals Top 25 recruiting classes. I do, however, find ND there.
    http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/

  23. kravon says: Dec 10, 2009 6:37 PM

    It will be fun watching that douche bag get knocked around at ND.
    Nice little run ya’ll had at Cinncy.

  24. Ross'sSweetMinus says: Dec 10, 2009 6:41 PM

    Why would this guy leave to go to ND? ND is a BS job.

  25. PaulyOH says: Dec 10, 2009 6:52 PM

    Don’t give Kelly too much credit for “building” a program. He took over a team that had a winning record and just saw their coach leave for Michigan State. Mark Dantonio left a solid foundation for him to build on. Kelly was there only three years. The seniors (and many juniors) are the result of the efforts of the previous regime’s recruiting. Dantonio also led them as they transitioned from the inferior Conference USA to the Big East.

  26. overratedgators says: Dec 10, 2009 6:54 PM

    I have a funny feeling the Gators just won the Sugar Bowl. Can’t imagine Cincy being able to concentrate and focus after this.
    I can understand why Kelly went, but announcing it before the end of bowl season was kind of a d-bag thing to do to his current players.
    BTW Frank – the missive to robertg: priceless.

  27. IrishOne says: Dec 10, 2009 7:06 PM

    “and no I wont suck it. I don’t get on my knees for anyone”. My obit will say I died laughing.

  28. Dave Reed says: Dec 10, 2009 7:29 PM

    Hey, he left some other place to go to UC. It happens.
    As for ND, I hope they continue to lose.

  29. brklynhector says: Dec 10, 2009 7:58 PM

    yo benito,
    when was the last time notre dame played in a relevant game. last time they won a big game noah was cruising around in his ark. and btw, its irrelevance and not irrevelance. it must be that higher catholic notre dame education.
    kelly did what most of us would do and was not coy about it. from the outset when the rumors came out he said he would listen to what nd was offering.

  30. The Skunk says: Dec 10, 2009 8:01 PM

    Mr. Kelly, welcome to the graveyard of coaches! Best of luck!
    BTW, what has this man ever done to deserve such a “Great Job?” Win at a small school in a lack luster conference? Seems like a huge jump. I’m not a ND fan, but if were I would not be impressed with this hire. They have one of the deepest histories in all of college football, and yet they take less than 2 weeks to fill undoubtedly the most highly paid job at the school. Sooner or later, they will take their time and find the right guy. I hope they signed him to a 3 year contract, that way he will be cheaper to buy out!
    BTW, The Skunk would totally take this job for a fraction of the contract, and I would be “Oh so Cheap” to buy out after I fail in two or three years. Hell, I’m sure I could chalk up 10 wins over three years on luck alone!
    -The Skunk!

  31. BENITO says: Dec 10, 2009 8:06 PM

    killerkeller makes a living on his knees!!!

  32. edgy says: Dec 10, 2009 8:07 PM

    I wouldn’t dismiss the job he did with the Bearcats so easily. He could have done like Weis and got a couple of good years out of his guys and then tanked but he didn’t and he’s got three very good years out of the talent that he inherited AND recruited. Look at how the classes panned out from 2002-2010:
    Year Rk Conf Coach(s) responsible for recruiting
    2002 85 Conf-USA Rick Minter
    2003 84 Conf-USA Rick Minter
    2004 75 Conf-USA Rick Minter / Mark Dantonio
    2005 70 Conf-USA Mark Dantonio
    2006 70 Big East Mark Dantonio
    2007 80 Big East Mark Dantonio / Brian Kelly
    2008 51 Big East Brian Kelly
    2009 53 Big East Brian Kelly
    2010 44 Big East Brian Kelly / Replacement
    I think that it’s easy to see that Kelly wasn’t just living off of what was left him and should he leave, he would have left it a lot better than when he got there. Notre Dame has been getting the talent but they’ve not been getting the coaching. They are among the poorest tacklers that I’ve seen and that includes the Bearcats during their worst games.

  33. Arizona Buckeye says: Dec 10, 2009 8:08 PM

    GREAT… now can we finally stop talking about this irrelevant team and get back to talking about college football teams that actually have an impact to the BCS and national championship.

  34. Babyblues says: Dec 10, 2009 8:42 PM

    All I will say, as a woman in Cincy- Lock up your women South Bend. The biggest Womanizer since Pete Rose, Bob Huggins, and Jerry Springer is headed to your town! There is now a Tiger in South Bend Baby!!!
    Have fun. Lots of action off the field for a good reporter who wants to chase a coach 24/7!
    How do you people know UC isn’t happy to let this one go?

  35. FJC1109 says: Dec 10, 2009 8:48 PM

    Here’s looking forward to 2010. GO IRISH!

  36. Voyager6 says: Dec 10, 2009 11:50 PM

    When Kelly first came to Cincinnati, he went to every TV and radio station and they wouldn’t give him air time. He stated in public that the media was discriminating against UC, in favor of Pro sports, in particular.
    After shaming the media, he got all the air time and more that he wanted. He’d be on three stations a night for personal interviews and continued the media blitz non-stop until he left.
    If anything, that probably helped him draw more atheletes from Ohio, stealing a few that would have otherwise went to Ohio State.
    Personally, I got tired of turning on sports talk and hearing him every night, before, during and after the season.
    I’m glad he is gone, but I hope the best for UC in the future.

  37. scott5150 says: Dec 11, 2009 8:47 AM

    I get so tired about hearing about the second rate program in Indiana. Knute has long passed people and this program is a complete joke and will continue to be. The pedastal that this crappy program is put upon year after year makes me nautious. Kelly is a fool to take this job. It is a demotion. But, other than Kelly, a bigger fool could be NBC for forking out millions to air this garbage on Saturdays.

  38. CurseofBoJackson says: Dec 11, 2009 12:46 PM

    ND is washed up, good luck with your attempt to recapture one iota of the past glory. And yea, most people would LOVE to live in a podunk college town 90 miles from Chicago, as opposed to a diverse CITY with many higher education institutions to offer within 30-50 miles, and two (I can’t believe I’m about to do this) great colleges within the city limits in UC and Xavier (ugh, good academic school though). Good take, way to rep your college town, what’s it look like in May?June? Keep telling yourselves that things will get better while the university takes no viable steps to make the program better.

  39. Langor says: Dec 11, 2009 1:33 PM

    I’m amazed at the ND haters. Don’t like ND because their academic standards are too high?; Just crazy, college football should be about scholar athletes, not friggin brain dead hoodrats. I applaud ND and Penn State on their excellent standards and graduation rates and the ability to still be competitive. If you don’t like ND you must be just be jealous, U of Chick-Fil-A err.. Cincinnati as a contender, sure whatever.

  40. scott5150 says: Dec 11, 2009 2:51 PM

    “Amazed at the ND haters”? Are you kidding? There are more haters than takers – bet that. Scholar Athletes? Who’s talking that crap nerd boy? We are talking football. Applaud ND and Penn all you want – I applaud the fact that geeks like you know nothing about football and chime in with “graduation rates” and “scholar athletes” when the near mention of sports is brought up. Put down the violin and pocket protector and turn on ESPN every now then.

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