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Notre Dame Football Officially Adds Two New Staff.

By Kevin Sinclair

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame’s Football coaching staff is now complete.

On Thursday, Brian Kelly put the last two pieces of the puzzle together. He announced the hiring of Wide Receiver’s coach DelVaughn Alexander and Director of Football Performance Matt Balis.

After going 4-8 in 2016, Brian Kelly’s seat couldn’t be hotter. He decided to revamp his coaching staff in a major way. Kelly started by firing his Defensive Coordinator after a week 3 loss to Duke.

There would be much more to come.

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Since season’s end, Kelly has fired Special Team’s and Tight End’s Coach Scott Booker, Defensive Line Coach Keith Gilmore and Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Paul Longo.

To add to the attrition, Mike Denbrock left for Cincinnati after having play calling duties stripped from him. Also, Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach Mike Sanford took the Head Coaching job at Western Kentucky.

Angry Notre Dame fans had been calling for heads to roll all season long. Their wishes were granted. Kelly has put together staff members with proven track records in an attempt to bring back a winning culture to South Bend.

DelVaughn Alexander has 20+ years of coaching experience which started at USC where he played WR with the likes of former first round picks Johnnie Morton and Keyshawn Johnson. Alexander then had coaching stints with UNLV, the San Diego Chargers, Oregon State, San Diego, Wisconsin and recently Arizona State.

In 2012-2016, Alexander coached with new Offensive Coordinator Chip Long for the Sun Devils. They will reunite and try to bring some of the high-flying aerial attack from the desert to Notre Dame.

Alexander is also known as a solid recruiter especially in the California area. This will prove to be important after losing California are recruiter Mike Denbrock.

This brings us to Matt Balis.

Notre Dame often showed signs of lack of explosion and wearing down through the football games in recent years. Often times when this is the case, it falls directly on the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Paul Longo was that man.

After much speculation of the longtime friend of Brian Kelly needing to be let go, Paul Longo was assigned to a lesser role within the staff and Kelly came up with a highly regarded specialist from the University of Connecticut.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity and I’ll work hard everyday to give our players and program my absolute best,” Balis stated upon the announcement of his hiring.

Matt Balis, technically the new “Director of Football Performance,” has been hard at work the last three years under Notre Dame’s former Defensive Coordinator, Bob Diaco.

Prior to his time at UCONN, Balis spent time at Mississippi State and also under Urban Meyer at Florida and Utah.

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These changes were widely considered necessary. Notre Dame heads into their 2017 campaign with new life, new ideas and new perspective.

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