Notre Dame football: Top 5 moments from 2020 season

Ian Book and Brian Kelly hit Milestone Wins

Ian Book was a frustrating quarterback, as his potential was clear, and at his best, he was an incredibly fun quarterback to watch, and a difficult quarterback to stop. The issue was that he tended to play tight and let his feet fall out from under him, making him struggle at times.

In three seasons as a starter, Book also left as the winningest quarterback in Notre Dame history. 30 wins for Book is more than Brady Quinn, Joe Theismann, Joe Montana, Tony Rice, John Huarte, Johnny Lujack, Angelo Bertelli, Paul Hornung, Rick Mirer, Steve Beuerlein, or Harry Stuhldreher won at any of their time at Notre Dame.

It was a remarkable achievement that deserves to be recognized, in a career that could dangerously go underappreciated by Notre Dame fans.

Brian Kelly also hit a huge win milestone, with his 100th victory as a Notre Dame head coach. It puts him in elite company, as only Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz have hit 100 wins at Notre Dame before Kelly. It’s a testament to not just his ability to turn around a sinking program, but his longevity as well.

Like Book, Kelly can sometimes be a decisive figure amongst fans, but he is one of the all-time great coaches at Notre Dame. There is no denying that.