The embattled Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame is 2-5 after starting the year in the AP Poll’s top 10. With one more loss, this will officially go down as his worst season since his 6-5 2005 at Central Michigan.
Brian Kelly’s ‘disappointed’ his boss had to give him a Dreaded Vote of Confidence
If your boss has to talk about your job status in public, then your job status isn’t all that good.
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He’s now received public support from his boss ...
... which seems like a good thing, but is often not.
A few days later, Kelly said, via ESPN’s Matt Fortuna:
Well I was disappointed actually. But anytime that your athletic director has to come out and say that, as a head coach you’re disappointed that any kind of comments like that have to be made. So I didn’t ask him, that was his decision, but I clearly understand what he was doing. He was probably sick and tired of being sick and tired, too. But for me it’s disappointing, certainly, that you have to make those comments.
Notre Dame’s 2016 mediocrity (I’m being kind) can be traced in at least a couple ways to Kelly, from his failed hire of defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder to his awkward management of quarterback DeShone Kizer. He’s also added to his history of blaming other people for his program’s problems.
Kelly’s career winning percentage at ND is .671, the fifth-best in program history. He’s led three teams to BCS-level bowl appearances, counting one at Cincinnati.
But Irish expectations are higher than 8-5, which he’s hit three times in six years and might not reach this year.
He did just sign a six-year contract extension with undisclosed financial terms this offseason, which would surely make a parting more expensive. Also, Notre Dame just got done paying Charlie Weis, so a year without having to pay a buyout might be nice.
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