Brian Kelly's Coaching Staff

• rock_knutne

  Coach Kelly will hire Grand Valley State HC Chuck Martin as the new Irish defensive backs coach. This guy has an impressive record at GVSU of 74-7 in six seasons as their HC, sounds like a solid hire. A lot of people thought Martin is qualified to be the defensive coordinator but it seems Kelly will bring current UC DC Bob Diaco on board. Kelly also announced that he will run a 3-4 scheme on defense.
  
  The staff will really take shape after UC plays in the Sugar Bowl as Kelly is expected to hire quite a few coaches from his previous staff at UC.
  
  http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20091228/SPORTS13/312289995/1021/Sports
• killer_ewok

  

  Sounds like a good hire. I thought that Weis' "all star" coaching staff that he put together when he came in (Bernie Parmalee, John Latina, Jappy Oliver, etc.) was going to be good too so hopefully this turns out better.
• sjmvsfscs08

  HC - Brian Kelly
  OC -
  DC -
  STC -
  
  
  QB-
  RB- Tony Alford
  WR-
  OL-
  
  DL-
  LB-
  DB- Chuck Martin
  
  
  Care to fill in the blanks?
• rock_knutne

  ^^^^^By all accounts, Bob Diaco will be the DC. As for the rest of those positions, most will be filled by other current UC assistants.
• Little Danny

  

  Look for Mark Longo (UC's strength and conditioning coach) to join your roster after the Sugar Bowl. Charlie Molnar will coach your receivers as well. Longo is going to be a guy you will be very impressed with. His is considered by many to be one of the best in the business.
  
  I saw on an Irish blog that Kelly is going to carry on a UC tradition at ND. He will take the boys out for training camp for a few weeks (at UC it was to Higher Ground. Kelly referred to it as Camp Kelly in his clip). Longo had the boys lifting tractor tires and all kinds of crazy stuff. He worked wonders with the players and a big part of UC's success has been how they are in much better physcial condition than their opponents.
• sjmvsfscs08

  Kelly has said he was disappointed that the Irish players lost an average of nearly twelve pounds throughout the season. That's something he's certainly going to want to change. The game isn't won so much in X's and O's, but in the trenches; X's and O's are crucial too but Weis apparently missed the boat in terms of a strength program and winning the LOS battle. In games where Notre Dame was able to muster more rushing yards than the opponent, Weis was uundefeated. I'd have concentrataed on that and worked ad nauseum to improve that facet. Oh well, he's gone.
• homefield

  

  I hope he turns things around fast and i think he will get the job done and we can all be proud and excited on saturday afternoon again.Anyone know anything about the quarterback situation and new recruits?
• rock_knutne

  ^^^^^Barring any setbacks in his ACL rehab, Dayne Crist will be the starting QB.
• rock_knutne

  Looks like Kelly is going to bring back Mike Denbrock who was an assistant at ND under Willingham. Not sure what role he will have at ND but according to this article he goes way back with Kelly.
  
  http://www.irishsportsdaily.com/football/1609-denbrock-kelly-go-way-back
• karen lotz

  

  homefield wrote: I hope he turns things around fast and i think he will get the job done and we can all be proud and excited on saturday afternoon again.Anyone know anything about the quarterback situation and new recruits?

  Incoming QB recruit Tommy Rees is going to early enroll, which would be a huge help. I don't think he will see the field in the fall, but at least he will give the team a full time quarterback for spring practice. I can't imagine it would be too beneficial to have John Goodman running the team while they install Kelly's offense. I saw somewhere that Crist is expected to be back for some 7 on 7 work in the spring and then be at full strength once fall camp opens. As rock said, Crist will be the starter as long as he is healthy.
• Mr Pat

  ccrunner609 wrote:

  sjmvsfscs08 wrote: Kelly has said he was disappointed that the Irish players lost an average of nearly twelve pounds throughout the season. That's something he's certainly going to want to change. The game isn't won so much in X's and O's, but in the trenches; X's and O's are crucial too but Weis apparently missed the boat in terms of a strength program and winning the LOS battle. In games where Notre Dame was able to muster more rushing yards than the opponent, Weis was uundefeated. I'd have concentrataed on that and worked ad nauseum to improve that facet. Oh well, he's gone.

  
  
  I am sure Weis was the only one to gain some weight.

  Maybe the weight the players were losing was going right to Weis?
• killer_ewok

  

  Little Danny wrote: Look for Mark Longo (UC's strength and conditioning coach) to join your roster after the Sugar Bowl. Charlie Molnar will coach your receivers as well. Longo is going to be a guy you will be very impressed with. His is considered by many to be one of the best in the business.
  
  I saw on an Irish blog that Kelly is going to carry on a UC tradition at ND. He will take the boys out for training camp for a few weeks (at UC it was to Higher Ground. Kelly referred to it as Camp Kelly in his clip). Longo had the boys lifting tractor tires and all kinds of crazy stuff. He worked wonders with the players and a big part of UC's success has been how they are in much better physcial condition than their opponents.

  Toughness and condition were two things sorely lacking under Weis IMO so this is a welcome addition.
• Little Danny

  

  One thing the ND players will have to get used to is the speed of the game. Kelly's offense will basically be a constant two minute offense. They will throw the ball down field and go right back to the line of scrimmage right after the play is made. Several drives of this will wear the defense out.
  
  For this reason, conditioning is a major compenent of BK's offenses. Kelly will expect his lineman to be long, lean and athletic so they can stay up with this offense. He won't tolerate a fat body sucking wind and slowing down his offense. The current group of guys will shed the excess fat in the off season. As far as recruiting his next crop, you will see him recruit guys with this build and also stockpile bigger high school TE's and convert them to offensive linemen.
• sjmvsfscs08

  ^^I think a faster pace gives them a better shot at an upset of Southern Cal in 2010 (assuming Dayne Crist is 100% at the start of fall practice). Southern Cal was absolutely gassed at the end of 2009's game; huffing and puffing and linemen sucking air all during every play. If Weis' pro-style offense was pushing them to the brink, I imagine a fast-paced offense could wear them out.
  
  It's a shame Crist's mop up duty against Washington State could hamper him in 2010. With 2010 the Notre Dame season could rather easily turn to disaster. Not to change the subject, but look at Notre Dame's potential 2010 offense:
  
  Quarterback: Dayne Crist? Tommy Rees? John Goodman?! Your guess is as good as mine. Pray for a miraculous recovery with Crist's knee.
  
  Running Backs: I'm tempted to say this will be a strength for the Irish. They return Armando Allen, Theo Riddick, and Robert Hughes. I personally coach at the high school level, and tend to believe running backs benefit more from a spread offense than people might think. Armando Allen is a vastly-improved back, albeit injury prone as of late. He's got great speed and is a terrific receiving back; he'll be a great tool for Kelly if he improves as much as he did heading into 2009. Robert Hughes is a a terribly-inconsistent power back, but I think will benefit from being one-on-one with defenders. Instead of being asking to be the power back against several defenders, he'll be able to overpower fewer potential tacklers after initial contact. Theo Riddick is the fastest back and has the potential to be a real stud. I thought he ran with more authority than an injured Allen and a Hughes that appeared lost sometimes. Speed kills, and he will allow fresh speed on the field at all times should Kelly want it. I think the Irish have three solid running backs with Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood providing depth. Wood hasn't seem a snap, so don't hold your breadth.
  
  Receivers: Replacing Tate cannot be easy; but who, prior to his 244-yard performance against Washington, thought Tate was better than Floyd? Michael Floyd has had a litany of crucial mistakes down the stretches of many games throughout his first two years at Notre Dame, but he's one of the most gifted receivers in the country. He demands a double team at all times, which makes things easier for everyone else. Notre Dame has a younger corp than they'd like, but with Floyd and Duval Kumara leading the way, they should be fine. John Goodman will easily replace Robert Parris in my opinion. Shaq Evans is the one who will be crucial for this group. He will be the athlete called upon to replace Tate; he was asked to replace Floyd early but came up short. He was highly touted coming in from high school, but he and Deion Walker haven't shown up yet. Nonetheless I think this area is deep and loaded with talent, Kelly has a lot of tools to work with here.
  
  Tight End: They won't be nearly as important in Kelly's offense; Weis absolutely loved the tight ends. Still though, Kelly has one of the best receiving tight ends in the country with Kyle Rudolph. He was one of the first to mention how excited he was with Kelly after their initial talk. One can assume it went like this; Kelly: "Here's what I'm thinking, half the blocking and twice the catching. Sound good?" Rudolph: "Do me." This paragraph begins and ends with Kyle Rudolph, I don't think you'll see much of the others.
  
  Offensive Line: Your guess is as good as mine. Landing Seantrel Henderson would be more than awesome; he'd start at Right Tackle from day one. Unfortunately he strikes me as an individual who wants an cozy ride to the NFL instead of actual homework. That said, I hope to be cheering him on as a Buckeye if it's not Notre Dame. I do think he will be the best linemen since Orlando Pace; he would help mitigate the effects of graduation immediately. Assuming Seantrel Henderson isn't heading to South Bend, Notre Dame is in some serious trouble. Notre Dame loses Sam Young, Eric Olsen, Kris Stewart, and Paul Duncan. I'm fairly certain a few are eligible for a fifth year, but either way Notre Dame needs a lot of work at these positions.
• athlete37

  

  Crist's knee is recovering a lot better than they originally said. A LOT better. Our house keeps tabs on that for bookstore purposes, lol
• The Equalizer

  

  We have the Montana kid at QB too don't we?
• rock_knutne

  sjmvsfscs08 wrote: ^^I think a faster pace gives them a better shot at an upset of Southern Cal in 2010 (assuming Dayne Crist is 100% at the start of fall practice). Southern Cal was absolutely gassed at the end of 2009's game; huffing and puffing and linemen sucking air all during every play. If Weis' pro-style offense was pushing them to the brink, I imagine a fast-paced offense could wear them out.
  
  It's a shame Crist's mop up duty against Washington State could hamper him in 2010. With 2010 the Notre Dame season could rather easily turn to disaster. Not to change the subject, but look at Notre Dame's potential 2010 offense:
  
  Quarterback: Dayne Crist? Tommy Rees? John Goodman?! Your guess is as good as mine. Pray for a miraculous recovery with Crist's knee.
  
  Running Backs: I'm tempted to say this will be a strength for the Irish. They return Armando Allen, Theo Riddick, and Robert Hughes. I personally coach at the high school level, and tend to believe running backs benefit more from a spread offense than people might think. Armando Allen is a vastly-improved back, albeit injury prone as of late. He's got great speed and is a terrific receiving back; he'll be a great tool for Kelly if he improves as much as he did heading into 2009. Robert Hughes is a a terribly-inconsistent power back, but I think will benefit from being one-on-one with defenders. Instead of being asking to be the power back against several defenders, he'll be able to overpower fewer potential tacklers after initial contact. Theo Riddick is the fastest back and has the potential to be a real stud. I thought he ran with more authority than an injured Allen and a Hughes that appeared lost sometimes. Speed kills, and he will allow fresh speed on the field at all times should Kelly want it. I think the Irish have three solid running backs with Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood providing depth. Wood hasn't seem a snap, so don't hold your breadth.
  
  Receivers: Replacing Tate cannot be easy; but who, prior to his 244-yard performance against Washington, thought Tate was better than Floyd? Michael Floyd has had a litany of crucial mistakes down the stretches of many games throughout his first two years at Notre Dame, but he's one of the most gifted receivers in the country. He demands a double team at all times, which makes things easier for everyone else. Notre Dame has a younger corp than they'd like, but with Floyd and Duval Kumara leading the way, they should be fine. John Goodman will easily replace Robert Parris in my opinion. Shaq Evans is the one who will be crucial for this group. He will be the athlete called upon to replace Tate; he was asked to replace Floyd early but came up short. He was highly touted coming in from high school, but he and Deion Walker haven't shown up yet. Nonetheless I think this area is deep and loaded with talent, Kelly has a lot of tools to work with here.
  
  Tight End: They won't be nearly as important in Kelly's offense; Weis absolutely loved the tight ends. Still though, Kelly has one of the best receiving tight ends in the country with Kyle Rudolph. He was one of the first to mention how excited he was with Kelly after their initial talk. One can assume it went like this; Kelly: "Here's what I'm thinking, half the blocking and twice the catching. Sound good?" Rudolph: "Do me." This paragraph begins and ends with Kyle Rudolph, I don't think you'll see much of the others.
  
  Offensive Line: Your guess is as good as mine. Landing Seantrel Henderson would be more than awesome; he'd start at Right Tackle from day one. Unfortunately he strikes me as an individual who wants an cozy ride to the NFL instead of actual homework. That said, I hope to be cheering him on as a Buckeye if it's not Notre Dame. I do think he will be the best linemen since Orlando Pace; he would help mitigate the effects of graduation immediately. Assuming Seantrel Henderson isn't heading to South Bend, Notre Dame is in some serious trouble. Notre Dame loses Sam Young, Eric Olsen, Kris Stewart, and Paul Duncan. I'm fairly certain a few are eligible for a fifth year, but either way Notre Dame needs a lot of work at these positions.

  Two things...........first, Mike Floyd has had to deal with injuries his first two years which IMO, disrupted his rythm. He tore it up before his injuries and then was prone to mistakes when he came back, he was out of sync with Clausen. Imagine if he doesn't go down this year, Weis is probably still the coach. I also think he is the best WR in CFB.
  
  Second, Kelly uses the tightend a lot in his offense:
  
  http://www.ndnation.com/boards/showpost.php?b=football;pid=30380;d=this
  
  Also, I'm pretty sure Chris Stewart is eligible for a fifth year?
• athlete37

  

  The Equalizer wrote: We have the Montana kid at QB too don't we?

  Don't know if he'll be back next semester or not
• athlete37

  

  Also, Chris Stewart will be coming back I think. He doesn't really like South Bend, but I think he said he was coming back for a fifth year.
• rock_knutne

  ^^^^^That's great news! Stewart has steadily improved and should be a dominant force next year.
• rock_knutne

  John Goodman says he's ready to compete for the QB job if asked to do so:
  
  http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2009/12/notre-dames-goodman-willing-to-compete-for-quarterback-job.html
• karen lotz

  

  It will definitely be an interesting situation. I'm not so sure it is a good idea to have Goodman "compete" for the job. Granted, he is going to be needed for spring practice to help install the offense, as I don't think it can be done with one quarterback. He is going to be needed to help in the fall as a receiver and needs to get work at that spot too in the spring. If Crist is healthy, he is going to be the starting QB and I can't imagine Goodman being anything more than 3rd or 4th on the depth chart.
• sjmvsfscs08

  Going back to the offensive line, Chris Stewart is eligible for a fifth year, but so is Dan Wenger. Will he be taking that opportunity too? I can't imagine many kids that can play college football would want to turn down another year if they're not heading to the NFL.
  
  LT- Matt Romine (Sr.)
  LG- Chris Stewart (5th)
  C- Dan Wenger (5th)
  RG- Trevor Robinson (Jr.)
  RT- Taylor Dever (Sr.) <----- Seantrel Henderson
  
  Let's hope Brian Kelly doesn't get stuck in the same situation Charlie Weis was in, Weis once had seven offensive linemen on the roster. Ouch.
• karen lotz

  

  Having Wenger and Stewart both back would obviously be a huge bonus, but the biggest key is making sure Paul Duncan has exhausted all of his eligibility...
• rock_knutne

  karen lotz wrote: It will definitely be an interesting situation. I'm not so sure it is a good idea to have Goodman "compete" for the job. Granted, he is going to be needed for spring practice to help install the offense, as I don't think it can be done with one quarterback. He is going to be needed to help in the fall as a receiver and needs to get work at that spot too in the spring. If Crist is healthy, he is going to be the starting QB and I can't imagine Goodman being anything more than 3rd or 4th on the depth chart.

  
  I agree with that but Kelly may be able to develop Evans and Walker at WR alot quicker then some think. Atleast I'm hoping that's the case.