Notre Dame football: Brian Kelly leaving the Irish on the brink of being a title contender
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team is one of the premier teams in the country, and with big-time recruiting classes coming in, they are on the brink of a title.
During his time as the head coach of the Notre Dame football team, Brian Kelly won more games than any other head coach in program history. All told, Kelly won 92 games for the Irish, including five straight seasons of ten-or-more wins, leaving an unprecedented legacy of winning.
Unfortunately, the Irish have not won a national title under Kelly, which is something that was a bit of a mark on his resume. Sure, the Irish are good enough to make the College Football Playoff or make a New Year’s Six bowl game every year, but they have not been able to play in the big leagues against Alabama, Ohio State, or even Georgia.
This season, the Irish struggled out of the gate, and it looked like another year of them on the outside looking in terms of being a legitimate national title contender. However, they banded together, and put together some impressive wins, and could be included when the CFP is released in a few weeks.
On Monday night, it was reported that he would be leaving the program for LSU, which sent shockwaves across the internet. Notre Dame football looked to be turning the corner in terms of being a national title contender, so him leaving now is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Still, he is leaving the program on the brink of being a title contender, and the next person to lead the Irish will be tasked with completing the job.
Notre Dame football now looks to a new head coach
Now, the Irish turn to the next person to take over, and there are plenty of coaches out there who would love the chance to lead this Irish program. They are a premium brand, and winning a title in South Bend makes you a legend, much like winning a championship with the New York Yankees in baseball.
One name that the team has to take a serious look at is Marcus Freeman, who is one of the best assistant coaches in the country, and has turned this Irish defense into an elite unit. Kelly will be leaving this program in better shape than he found it, but he could end up regretting it if he sees them turn around and win it all in a year or two.