Two full seasons into his tenure as Notre Dame’s head coach, Brian Kelly is already on the receiving end of some additional job security.
In a press release, the Irish announced that the school has exercised an option in Kelly’s original contract, which triggers a two-year contract extension for the coach. Kelly is now signed through the 2016 season.
There was no mention of whether a raise was triggered as well.
“While Coach Kelly and I are focused on the additional work that must be done to reach our goals, I am very pleased with the progress we have made during the past two years,” athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. “Our football team’s performance on the field, in the classroom, and in the community reflect Coach Kelly’s commitment to building a program that will be able to sustain success in the long run, and to doing so in a manner consistent with Notre Dame’s values and tradition.”
In his first two seasons in South Bend, Kelly has led the Irish to back-to-back 8-5 seasons. That’s the best two-year run at the school since the Irish won 19 games in 2005-06 under Charlie Weis, and the bowl win following the 2010 season was just the football program’s second since the 1993 season.
“I want to thank Father Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick for their unwavering support of me the last two years,” Kelly said. “My family and I are truly blessed to be at Notre Dame and we are excited about what the future holds for the Fighting Irish football team. I also want to thank Father John and Jack for the commitment they made to the football program last week by renewing the contracts of our assistant coaches. I think we have one of the finest coaching staffs in the country at Notre Dame, and the confidence our administration has shown in us is truly appreciated.”