The Germans call it Schadenfreude: taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others. And in the college football world, no downfall has been as sweet to witness for opposing fans as that of Notre Dame. The most recognizable program in the country steeped in glory, the Irish have become somewhat of a joke. With Charlie Weis the latest coaching flameout in South Bend, everyone wants to know: Will Brian Kelly finally wake up the echoes?
Brian Kelly has been successful everywhere he’s gone. He’s had just one losing season his entire career (his first year at Central Michigan). He won back-to-back national championships at DII Grand Valley State. He led Central Michigan to relevance. And he took Cincinnati to back-to-back BCS bowl games. He is by far the best candidate Notre Dame has hired in recent memory.
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And he is inheriting a pretty good program with plenty of talent to win right away. A QB guru through his career, Kelly has a young new quarterback to mold in Dayne Crist. Crist has plenty of options to throw to, including all-everything WR Michael Floyd and talented TE Kyle Rudolph. While the Notre Dame defense didn’t scare anyone last year, Kelly has nine returning starters on that side of the ball.
It’s scary to think about the Fighting Irish coming back to prominence. They’ve had just one 10+ win season since 1993. They are 16-21 in the last three seasons. We’ve gotten used to seeing Notre Dame batted around by the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, USC, Navy (yes, Navy) and even lowly Syracuse. While the Irish have a tough schedule, a New Year’s Day bowl seems like a possibility in Year 1.
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