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Notre Dame Football: Irish ink Brian Kelly through 2024 season

By Daniel Morrison

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 12: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly leads his team to the field before a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 12, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated USC 30-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 12: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly leads his team to the field before a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 12, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated USC 30-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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While the Notre Dame football team was on the field against Duke, it was announced that Head Coach Brian Kelly signed a contract extension.

Notre Dame football was on the football field when word came down that the university has signed Brian Kelly to a contract extension through the 2024 football season.

The announcement came as the Irish started a season with tons of promise, and an opportunity to win the first (and likely only) conference championship in program history. Even without a conference championship, by virtue of conference-bowl affiliations Notre Dame has a much better shot of making it to a New Year’s Six Bowl than in previous seasons. Remember last year, when Virginia lost to Notre Dame, lost the ACC Championship Game, went 9-4, and then was gifted a trip to the Orange Bowl. Meanwhile, 10-2 Notre Dame was left to go to the Camping World Bowl. Kelly, with a strong campaign, could give himself another opportunity to win the first major bowl game since Lou Holtz.

Under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame has been the best its been since the days of Holtz. More often than not, this has been due to dominant defenses and mammoth offensive lines. He’s had two undefeated regular seasons and won more than 10 games five times in ten previous seasons as the head coach at Notre Dame.

There have certainly been some knocks on Kelly during his time at Notre Dame. From a student who died while filming practice from a hydraulic lift that fell in the wind, to a series of academic violations that led to the wins from 2012 and 2013 being stripped, to the disastrous 2016 season, there are reasons to dislike him if you’re looking for one.

However, he has done what Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis weren’t able to do. He’s made Notre Dame a consistent winner, who is once again widely respected as a power in college football. He’s still improving as the Notre Dame coach too. His recruiting, which was often ridiculed for being too hands off, is improving. He’s becoming more aware of what type of players he needs to succeed at Notre Dame.

Next. Kyren Williams was player of the game for the Irish against Duke. dark

Brian Kelly has a career record of 71-36 at Notre Dame. That would be 92-36 if those wins weren’t stripped from Notre Dame. He’s now in his 11th season as the head coach, which is as many seasons as Lou Holtz, Ara Parseghian, and Frank Leahy coached at Notre Dame and more than Ara Parseghian or Dan Devine coached. If he coaches through that 2024 extension, Kelly will surpass Knute Rockne for seasons coaches at Notre Dame as well.

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