APWell, this is certainly an interesting development.
Just two days after his team was throttled in the BCS championship game, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly has apparently developed a wandering eye as ESPN‘s Chris Mortensen is reporting that the head coach has met with the Philadelphia Eagles regarding their vacancy. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports has also confirmed “legitimate interest” on the part of the Eagles.
The initial conversation apparently, which took place at some point since Monday’s game, wasn’t just a brief flirtation, either, as Mortensen reports that the two sides are set to meet again once Kelly returns from a trip out of the country. Kelly is scheduled to return this weekend.
The talks with the Eagles are a complete 180-degree turn from Kelly’s own words in the run-up to the title game, with the third-year Irish coach telling reporters that “[l]eaving is not an option. I don’t even think about it.”
Kelly did, though, leave the NFL door wide open in other comments.
“How can you not be?” Kelly said when asked about being intrigued over the possibility of a job at the NFL level. “When you’ve coached football, you look at everything — you look at high school film and you watch coaches there, college, Division III to Division I, it doesn’t matter, college, NFL. All of that stuff intrigues me. I still think it comes down to time and place. What is the right time, and what is the right place? I never take any of that off the board.”
Since firing Andy Reid, the Eagles have been connected to at least three college coaches — Oregon’s Chip Kelly, Penn State’s Bill O’Brien and Syracuse’s Doug Marrone. Kelly and O’Brien returned to their schools, while Marrone accepted the head coaching job with the Buffalo Bills.
UPDATED 9:02 p.m. ET: Jason La Confora of CBS Sports is reporting that, in addition to the Eagles, Kelly has drawn the interest of the Chicago Bears.
GO FIGURE! I was just telling my Vp that it wouldn’t surprise me if he jump ship after that BLOWOUT Monday night. There should be some type of clause in these guys contracts to stop this. Like ASAP
I would be so angry if he leaves ND
Like the other Kelly, it won’t happen. It is all leverage for ND to sweeten the pot.
Well who knows. He might leave. If he does ND is on the right track back and will find many elite coaches who want that job.
This ploy worked for Charlie Weiss—remember Notre Dame was stupid enough to give him a “10 yr” extension when he interviewed for a pro coaching job…..
My guess is Kelly is smart enough to know he can get lifetime security out of this and he really doesn’t want to leave The Golden Domers……
First BAMA made Urban quit now Brian. smh
This would suck. They finally have the best guy for the job since Holtz and they better keep him
John, is this your topic or Mike’s?
@cometkazie: This would be a shared endeavor.
If Kelly leaves, bye bye #1 recruiting class.
John, Good!
It must be a leverage move because no coach would leave their “dream” job for the NFL, right?
This is ridiculous. Everybody take your blood pressure meds. BK is a genius. Take ND from major struggles to a NC game appearance, and is now setting himself up for life financially. This is standard folks.
I really hope he stays. Not cause I give a crap about ND because i’m an eagles fan and I have no faith in this guys ability to make the jump to the NFL. He spent the majority of his career at division 2 grand valley state for christ’s sake
Brian Kelly’s offense will never work in the NFL, cause he has none!
I love it. Where are all the pretentious Rudy d-bags now? With all their pre- Miami Massacre such & such about Saban leaving & we’re gonna beat bama…
This guy is jumpin ship, look at his career. Each place he has coached has been a set up for the next…now he’s lookin to make the plunge to the nfl.
Grabbin face masks & screaming at pros on the sidelines ought to go over like a fart in church-no pun intended Dr Lou.
Rudy sucks.
Roll dam tide.
To coach in Philly instead of ND? Wouldn’t that be a backwards lateral move? I don’t see it happening
Brian Kelly is obviously a good coach and his record speaks for itself…
His team was grossly overmatched in the BCS Championship game but Knute Rockne would not have beaten a team that superior at the line of scrimmage.
But, Kelly’s Irish team this season was built on defense…not his trademark offense. Maybe he still doesn’t have the pieces, but his offense all year was pretty much a dud.
If I were an NFL team, I’d not even consider this guy right now.
Don’t think he is leaving. He wants some more cash (he deserves it, hell of a coach and isn’t even in the top 10 of HC salaries) and there are some dumb/desperate NFL owners and GMs who would bring him in for an interview. Signing day is coming up and ND has put together a top 3 class – expect a raise and extension from ND before Feb. 5th (NSD). In the back of my mind, however, I’m wondering if maybe he is actually considering leaving and if it involves some kind of punishment coming down in regards to the rape cover-up and suicide. You just never know.
There was no rape cover-up and suicide – the girl was mentally unbalanced when she got there. The player who was accused was exonerated and his name was kept out of it.
I find all the ND fans who are upset about this rather humorous.
All you people backed Kelly when he left Cincinnati after telling his team that he would not leave, then he left them for ND before they played their Bowl game.
Now he is doing the same to you, yup. pretty funny.
Yes, there was a massive cover up at ND. A player sexually assaulted a girl at a party, the girl told school authorities, and they swept it under the rug. The girl then killed herself. Heaven forbid something tarnishes their football team. That case sickens me every time I think about ND football.
Having grown up in Chicago and having Notre Dame crammed down my throat my entire life, I rooted for Alabama and couldn’t be happier for the outcome. Bias AGAINST Notre Dame aside, I don’t doubt for a second that his interest in the NFL is genuine. I doubt he’s just angling for more cash from the Golden Domers. Would his “system” work in the NFL? I’m not sure ANY college system would work in the NFL. They all modify in some form or fashion. They have to. It’s a different game at that level. One change I’d love to see the NFL make is widening the hash marks to the college positions. Opening one side of the field to a wider width would add something to the pro game and would affect the place-kickers. As it is right now, if a place-kicker can essentially kick a ball dead straight, they’d never miss a field goal attempt.
I smell desperation from Philly. What happened to that “short list of candidates”….seems to be getting longer by the minute.
Urban Meyer is on the phone right now talking to ND players and recruits. “Hey man, you trust this guy?”
Brian Kelly is costing N D it’s #1 recruiting class by playing this game with Philly. Don’t see the need to pressure ND for more money or time on his contract. Mike
He has already cost the a top 100 recruit