Well, that escalated quickly.
Late this afternoon reports surfaced that LSU was targeting Brian Kelly as their next head coach, with athletic director Scott Woodward likely to make some type of godfather offer. While the details haven’t emerged, it appears he found an offer that Kelly couldn’t refuse.
Sources: LSU is expecting to hire Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly as the school’s next head coach. An announcement could come as early as tomorrow.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 30, 2021
SI’s Pete Thamel had the news first, with multiple sources now confirming the reports and an official announcement expected tomorrow. From early accounts Jack Swarbrick, the Irish coaching staff, and Notre Dame players were blindsided by the news.
To say that Notre Dame coaches, admins and boosters I have spoken with in the last 15 minutes have been blindsided is an understatement. An absolutely shocking development in South Bend. https://t.co/Lnwk06Eqfu
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 30, 2021
There will be much more to unpack in the coming days – is anyone leaving with Kelly to LSU? Who will the top candidates be? Can this recruiting class be salvaged? Stay tuned as we learn more but feel free to discuss in the comments.
Such little drama lately, everything in cruise control, the team just blasting everyone on the field to the point people thought dominant wins were boring. Kelly looking comfortable and getting the program to such a steady, stable, good place…And now this.
Oy. Nothing could be this serene and easy for long when we’re talking Notre Dame Football, huh?
I really hope they promote Freeman. Call me crazy for actually believing any coach has some integrity, but I do assume Fickell wouldn’t totally ditch his team right now (though with how this cycle is going…) so who else are ya gonna get? Fleck or Campbell are meh. Might as well go big with a high reward candidate like Freeman. If he isn’t ready and crashes and burns, then rebuild. But his recruiting shows that maybe, just maybe, he takes the program to a level Kelly couldn’t.
This is my take too. Fickell, Campbell or whoever will be there if Freeman doesn’t pan out. Recruiting is what really wins games, its why Kelly is leaving, he doesn’t have to run himself ragged recruiting to get good players at LSU. Campbell, Fleck I’ll be super disappointed. Fickell would be good, but yeah, he isn’t gonna leave on the edge of the playoff.
Freeman!
Basically it seems like the only two people who should be the coach are either Marcus Freeman (high variance strategy) or Luke Fickell. I was enthusiastic about Matt Campbell going into this season, but ND hiring a coach coming off a 7-5 season will probably set the program back 5 years.
IMO they should call Fickell with an offer and say he needs to be introduced as the coach this week if he wants the job. Otherwise, just let it ride with Freeman. But it needs to be quick.
I think Campbell is showing his cards as kind of a weirdo lately but I’m not sure his stock is really down. He’s won a lot at a place where historically that’s really hard, and they’ve been pretty unlucky this year losing games with bad turnovers and special teams blunders. You’d love for him to be 10-2 instead but I think he’ll get a long look.
That said, I’m with you on him being below Freeman or preferring Fickell if you go for a more proven option.
Oh, and one thing: Clark Lea absolutely should not be under consideration at all. That would be way worse than Matt Campbell.
BK wasn’t a believer in Buchner!
🙂
Maybe he just really missed Ian Book
Another name that has been floated that would be fine (but also seriously they need to hire whoever they hire like this week): Matt Rhule.
Word was that Rhule was always NFL bound and the one exception is Penn State
I’m a Carolina Panthers fan and I was psyched when they hired Rhule. I’m very much less so now.
Hello fellow Panthers fan.
I’m only commenting to say that I got a huge chortle at
“I think Campbell is showing his cards as kind of a weirdo lately…”
because who among us hasn’t been there?
I mean, He wasn’t going to stay forever. Why not leave when the waters are placid and pleasant for the next guy? Brian was good and at times really good but if you thought he was as good as it gets for Notre Dame you’re selling your self short. They’re plenty of hot babes out there who are smart, sensible and fun.
I wouldn’t say this is leaving when waters are placid. Kelly threw a depth charge that will undoubtedly cost Notre Dame recruits, and possibly roster players. (Lorenzo Styles just RT’d his brother, who teased that he should join him at tOSU).
Not exactly a graceful exit strategy for BK.
This might help us retain the staff, though. At least some of them.
How’d you get it to embed like that, hooks?
Click the {} under the comment, then copy/paste the source code from twitter.
Thanks.
Styles is smart so I doubt he came here solely because of Brian Kelly
True, surely just venting emotions since everyone was blindsided, but my point was a lot is very unsettled in this moment and it’s not a healthy way for Kelly to depart for the sake of ND. He surely did not do the Irish a favor by any means.
Yea bummer HOW he left. Though I don’t begrudge him leaving.
To be fair, it probably happened SUPER fast. I doubt he planned for this to be leaked.
Agreed, but I mean he pretty much did the same thing to Cincy to come to ND, if you think back about it. As the old saying in relationships goes, “you lose ’em the same way you get ’em”.
And, all things considered, I wish he might as well just have gone to USC and would have had to face Notre Dame every year! That’s probably the spite talking..
Yea, good point. it’s just the way these things typically work at the highest levels. Hard to get too worked up about it. I just hope he didn’t blow the whole thing up behind him as he leaves. I doubt that he did but sometimes people get so pissed about it that it is a risk.
Why would he do ND a favor? He’s now in direct competition for national championships and players
That’s fair, I was responding to the “Why not leave when the waters are placid and pleasant for the next guy?” part. Which it’s really not that pleasant to ghost the team when you’re supposed to be visiting commits in California and throwing things into disarray.
Couldn’t visit CJ Wilpiams, he was busy texting Walker Howard
Also, that comment that Kelly made earlier this year about Freeman being the next coach? He shrugged it off as nothing but it was 100% foreshadowing. He Knew
It was a really weird comment that wasn’t explained away that well.
That’s the only spin that makes sense. I believe in Marcus and always have since I brought him here to be a part of ND when I inevitable have to move on
(next year).
Possibly the “Freudian slip” referenced by Swarbrick in his press conference?
When Riley went to USC, I wondered what schools could poach from us. I’m not sure I would’ve guessed LSU.
It’s kinda funny* that BK went out of his way to say he wasn’t going to USC (and then went to LSU). And Riley made a point to say he was not going to be at LSU (and then went to USC). College coaches be tricky like that.
*Though not at this moment
You guys playing cards?
I’m actually conflicted about this. If Kelly feels he maxed out at ND, I agree with him. I don’t mean that as a criticism but just as a reality. If LSU wants to pay him some $15 million a year for 10 years guaranteed, OK then. That’s not responsible for anyone to do and I wouldn’t want ND to do it. We just need to nail the hire and hope that the program has another gear we haven’t found yet.
I’ve been trying to get on ND Nation but the website keeps saying error. WTF guys?
GRUDEN FLIGHT TRACKER
This is their D-Day, V-E Day, V-J Day all rolled into one. Gonna take some time to get back up and running from this meltdown.
Which is saying something, because a lot of them were alive during D-Day, V-E Day and V-J Day.
To the extent Kelly hasn’t maxed out I think it’s because of Freeman and the recruiting Freeman brings. I don’t get the mindset of needing a big LSU paycheck when he’s made lord only knows how much money as is, but I don’t have a HC mindset. Hopefully he gets torched at LSU and they can him in a few years.
But that’s why LSU makes sense if recruiting really is easier there. Kelly doesn’t have to go all-in with recruiting and he’ll still get better players there (or that’s the argument anyway).
Not sure it is just magically better – maybe a bit but I think Nick Saban still eats his lunch even with Lousiana kids and of course he has to play Saban every year now
I’m just saying that’s the argument. He’s gotta be thinking something like that. And not just magic but he has access to more higher end players in a closer region.
Be honest with yourself…do you really see Kelly walking into the 9th ward? I think this is going to be a culture shock train wreck.
Maybe. I’m just saying this has got to be what he’s thinking. I’m not sure I buy it and agree it’s going to be more challenging than he thinks perhaps.
Yeah, he’ll fit in just fine there:
He get the gat
ACS – this is where I’m at. I don’t begrudge him leaving. I get it and don’t really disagree. Tons of money, and if you make a judgment it’s easier to recruit there and maybe better shot at title then it makes sense.
But an annual matchup with Saban isn’t the best strategy for winning championships.
I agree with that. But on the other hand, if you can make it through the SEC gauntlet you are the favorite to win it all.
Well yeah, and if I invented some super useful product, I could make tens of millions of dollars.
3 different coaches over 18 years have won a NC at LSU this century.
Miami in the 80’s and 90’s and ND with Ara, Devine, and Holtz are the only other programs I came up with who have done it.
huh, good point, I didn’t think of it that way. I’d certainly say Kelly is a better coach than Miles and Orgeron too, though Coach O’s win is a bit of a crazy, beautiful fluke
Right, which is why Kelly probably thinks he good chance to win a Natty.
Miles won his NC before the Death Star was fully complete. 2018 was an unstoppable team, regardless of the coach. Saban is Saban.
1 of them got fired 2.5 years after winning it, 1 of them eats grass and 1 of them now coaches at Alabama
Even more reason to think Kelly will win a NC at LSU. I don’t really understand your argument.
That Nick Saban is a major impediment to winning a national championship, unless you have the most effective offense in the history of college football.
Recruiting may be easier at LSU than ND but, it’s not easy in that conference. Or anywhere else for that matter.
They’ve also got Texas and OU coming in soon. It’s only going to get harder, not easier
LSU having arguably the best QB season ever and two WRs who immediately became what, top 10 WRs in the NFL the moment they arrived? Nuts
Two positions Kelly has famously had success developing at ND!
Yep, but I’m not on the side that thinks LSU is a better job generally or for Kelly
Ok so I guess this is real and really happening. So what now? Is Fickell choice 1? Who else? Campbell? Freeman?
“Saban? You interested in one more rebuild?”
https://youtu.be/V9VoLCO-d6U
TimsSon pointed this out on the other thread already and props to hooks for the tip on embedding tweets.
It all depends on Fickell’s availability – and if Freeman would stay if we got Fickell which seems unlikely – but Freeman could hopefully keep the recruiting class together and keep the momentum going. Worry is keeping this recruiting class going only to end up with a so-so HC even if he is a good coordinator.
My big worry is Freeman follows Kelly to LSU since they wanted him badly last year.
Last part is a good point. Not sure he follows Kelly to LSU, but has to be a really good chance Freeman is not going to be the ND DC next year, one way or another…
I never got the sense they liked each other. I can’t imagine he’d follow him.
Agreed. I think if Freeman leaves it’ll be for a HC position
I think Freeman would go to UC as HC if we took Fickell.
This seems likely
It makes sense. I read on II that Kelly and others were supposed to be in CJ Williams’ house tonight. If they want to salvage as much as possible, they have to move quick. Freeman was probably 0-1 years away from leaving for an HC job and momentum is the right word…Why not? Best chance for continuity and keep some stability while transitioning to the future.
On a positive note, now that the LSU and USC jobs are filled, ND just has to compete with OU, Texas and Florida for a new coach
Florida hired Billy Napier and Texas as far as I know hasn’t fired Sark after one bad season though nothing they do would surprise me
Other than that, I nailed it!
.333 wins you a batting crown sometimes!
HIRE FREEMAN NOW
I think I agree with this Brendan. I trust that Jack must have an idea if he’s ready. They need to keep this class together as well as the kids already at ND. The portal beckons otherwise.
Jack must have always had contingency plans in mind if he was ever blindsided like this, I mean to think of options, including gaming out how his current staff below Kelly might do as HC. 2012 should have told him Kelly might do this sooner or later, especially following sustained sucess like the past five years. I would hope so anyway.
Jack should, but then again he’s kept Mike Brey on long past his expiration date and inked that deal with Under Armor that looks worse and worse as the years go by.
You and Nolan Zeigler are on the same page #freemanera
You have to at least call Urban don’t you? Is a catholic school really going to thumb their nose at a little infidelity?
1)Urban
2)Fickell
3)Freeman
If you strike out on those 3 then someone is being cheap.
No, no you don’t.
No, no Urban.
He would probably do well, but I don’t think they should even try to make that hire.
He’d win a NC in 3 years minimum. Maybe even next year.
Is this an Urban burner account?
Haha I wish, I’d be DM’ing Jack instead of being on here.
Urban is 2-9 this year with a sex scandal mixed in because .182 winning percentage isn’t bad enough.
“Sex scandal” is a bit strong.
Much to Urban’s disappointment I’m sure.
He’s also won 3 NCs at two different schools.
Saban, Orgeron, Mack Brown, Jimbo Fisher, and Dabo were the only active HC with a national title at the start of this year.
Agreed with the poster below, sex scandal is a bit strong.
I mean by that argument you call up Saban first. Maybe ring up the Pope and get him to call Nick
Yeah, let’s do this.
I mean, I’d 100% go for this if it actually worked
Yeah, good point. I don’t know what I was thinking. I must have had a fever dream where 2 blue blood programs lost their HC to other CFB jobs within 24 hours.
Right, which is why we should call up Saban. Make it three
2 weeks ago, I would agree that it sounds like a Rock’s House poster pushing Saban out there. At this point, might be worth the call. Maybe all of these boosters are using their PPP funds for something.
I would pay to watch the ND brass debate calling Urban.
So as a fun exercise: if ND and OU can get poached, let’s assume no program is safe. Who do you target (other than Saban).
LSU’s Brian Kelly
Too soon!
Matt Rhule and/or Joe Brady if no one is safe…But not sure if either is leaving the NFL at this point.
Brady supposedly despised recruiting. That’s why he darted for the NFL asap. Have to have a HC who is relentless in recruiting.
Fair enough. He’s off the list!
Just for the record, if Freeman wins us a Natty in six weeks his statue goes up before next season kicks off.
Yea seriously. What happens in the meantime if we make the playoffs??? How much is that a consideration when making this hire?
Brendan – can we get a Slack chat going? #needacoach
Am I the only one considering that maybe CBK’s phone fell out of his pocket and into the crevice of a recruit’s couch while also on like 1% power. He doesn’t realize he doesn’t have his phone until he sits down for dinner. Goes back to the recruit’s house and has someone call his phone so he can find it, but it doesn’t ring because the battery is dead? I can’t be the only guy thinking that. Right? Right?
lol. If BK wasn’t so slick – maybe.
I was there until about an hour after the story broke.
And how quickly do we need to make this hire? If we did it quickly could we prevent Kelly from taking more guys? E.g. if we hire Freeman he might be able to keep a lot of staff in place for more continuity (for this year and to come). Or are some of those guys just leaving no matter what? And who would they be?
It’s odd for a head coach to leave without taking at least a few guys no? How many did he bring from Cinci?
Quite a few, but the money difference from UC – ND is presumably much more than ND-LDU
Is Elston going with him? And who else? Rees maybe? It’s pretty common to take one coordinator, no? Though you are right, the money difference might be a normal reason for that and not be such a big reason in this case.
Maybe he’ll take Quinn and everyone will rejoice, haha.
It’ll be interesting to see. I would assume Kelly will need to build a staff with a lot of southeast and Louisana flavor for best case of success. Doesn’t seem like that would tie to too much cross-over, unless he’s making Lance Taylor his OC or something like that.
That’s true. Since he doesn’t have those connections directly, it’s important to have assistants be more based regionally. Who recruits that region for ND? Whoever that is might be a candidate to go.
How ’bout this: Marcus Freeman head coach, Brian Hartline OC. That might be the best combo possible for recruiting ceiling potential and youthful upward mobility.
Very tOSU flavored leadership, but that’s two of the brightest lights around.
I’d certainly be open to that.
Though what happens when Ryan Day leaves in a few weeks (or next year) to take the Bears job?
Yeah, tOSU is certainly the looming downside of hiring Freeman. Hartline would be a good pull if you don’t think he’d take the first lateral move back to tOSU or the NFL. Longo from UNC has also been mentioned and I’d be fine with him at OC too.
Tony Alford gets promoted?
But point taken…If you get a star OC or DC, it is going to be a short-term arrangement.
I just see this recruiting class falling apart in the next two weeks. If Freeman gets hired it might lessen the blow but, it’s still going to happen. What a shame.
If Freeman gets hired I doubt there is much of a fallout. Williams was already on the fence so maybe we lose him. But most of the top players are on defense. Sure we might lose another 2-3 but that’s not quite “falling apart” and not unexpected with a coaching change.
Maybe, but I bet it’s worse than that. What Asst. coach go with Kelly will matter.
So do we think Rees is more interested in following Kelly or staying with ND?
Elsewhere I saw a rumor Duke was after him to be their head coach.
But I guess I think he’s more indebted to Kelly and so might follow him. The problem of not following is that there is no guarantee he could stay at ND because it depends on who the new coach is.
Huh, good luck with that, Duke
If true, I hope he gets it.
What about Kiffin? Could a Kiffin/Freeman duo work?
Any other coach that comes in as a head coach will keep Freeman (if he doesn’t leave for another job), but Freeman isn’t staying very long in that case I’d think.
Not sure what to think about Kiffen other than even if we really wanted him I’m not sure he’s coming to ND.
Yea, I agree it’s really just going wild in thinking about possibilities and what could be.
Ha, with the way Sampson has been all over how great Kelly is in every single way this season with his writing at the Athletic, I bet he turns right around and starts in with stories on how the cracks were showing all along.
Listen to the podcast this morning, you weren’t wrong. He and Fortuna are pissed.
Brian Kelly’s message to the team:
If this is real. I think it’s a great text. Bummer about how everything leaks. I can just imagine myself in a certain situation where I’ve agreed to terms with a new job but haven’t even had a chance to tell my old boss and my friends at the company and they hear through social media and are pissed. I know it’s just how it works, but it’s hard to fault Kelly for it. What else could you do – presuming it was just agreed upon?
Two sources, it’s real.
Yeah, for this Kelly didn’t really do anything wrong.
Yeah, nice move to give some finality and face everyone one more time and at least look them in the eye as he heads out. And I assume they can kinda chart the immediate course forward as far as who is going to lead and how they pick up the pieces for the short term.
Yea there’s no ghosting. It just happened and he didn’t have a chance to tell anyone.
Where did you get this?
It’s all over Twitter now
Here’s a couple from Twitter:
O saw Matt Fortuna tweeted it.
Unless Freeman is the guy it also usually means a lot of the players who could come back will choose to move on. Makes a different for next year’s team.
Yeah the two major reason to hire Freeman are: (1) recruiting and (2) continuity. The program is in a really good place, and it might make sense to keep it rolling.
Yea I’ve been talked into the Freeman camp tonight based on those two things.
Fuck em. As long as this doesn’t blow up the recruiting class and ND ends up with either Fickell or Freeman at the helm, I’m fine with it.
The more I think about this, it seems like Fickell and Freeman are mutually exclusive of each other.
Freeman will almost certainly be the interim. If we hire Fickell, Freeman will probably leave to be HC at Cincy. There’s no real reason to bring in Fickell and have Freeman remain DC — Fickell has an equally good DC, and I bet Freeman would feel like he got passed over despite being a loyal solider.
So I think it has to be one or the other, and Fickell will probably have to happen this week if it’s going to happen at all.
I think that’s right. And I think we have to go get Fickell if we can. We know he can be a HC. Cincy’s recruiting class this year is better than last year – obviously building on prior success but it’s not like I’m worried Fickell would long term tank our recruiting. But you gotta act fast to keep this class together and have time to convince other guys already here to stay.
Putting aside the head coach, I am sure Kelly is going to try to take Balis.
If it is a case of money, and ND is willing to pay, then everyone is available.
You hire Freeman if you, and he, believes he is ready for ND. Not for continuity. This is a 10 year decision not a ten week one. Personally, I think he is.
Fickell would top my list. However, I would almost be disappointed that he would leave a cfp team.
Fleck and Campbell to me are the same, essentially. Lou wasn’t winning at Minnesota either. Both have signed big extensions in the last two years. Both would cost a lot. Given that and the risk, not sure.
who else?
Need a great recruiter. Someone who can coach them better than their rankings.
Five years ago, Lincoln Riley was in the same place. Turned out to be a great hire. Would Freeman? He has shown he can recruit at ND. The defense came around, and his players arrive next year on that side.
I hope Jack is ready for this. No time to deliberate,but he has to.
Looks like it may be Freeman!
https://twitter.com/search?q=Mick%20Assaf%20&src=typed_query
Isn’t he a former walkon? It seems like he’s saying it half as a joke (using “sources”) or like this is who it should be rather than reporting news.
He’s definitely been talking to current players this evening, but it seems like if the team knew something for sure it would leak out wider than Mick. I think based on his replies to people he believes it to be true, but I think it’s too early and he’s interpreting rumors as fact.
Mick just cleaned up his position in his “Spaces” broadcast: Freeman is at least the interim HC and maybe the next HC.
Correct. Clarified that as I was typing!
Mick is hosting a Twitter spaces chat with a few thousand people. He’s talking to Kyle Hamilton now and just said Freeman is the next head coach at ND.
Did Mick or Hamilton say that? I came in too late.
Mick told Hamilton that. Hamilton had not heard that.
So Kelly is leaving for a program that just fired a native son coach two years after winning a national championship in large part because he made bad coordinator hires, and (with one huge, out of the blue exception), like his the previous fired coach, struggled to develop quarterbacks. I’m sure this will go just fine.
Well, that, and Kelly has never fielded an offense that can be competitive with Bama/UGA type defenses. Maybe he can find the next Joe Burrow, but I’m skeptical.
Think about it this way — what do you think Saban’s reaction to this is?
Oh man, you are missing all the good stuff. The stories coming out of Baton Rouge about the Ogre being single and on a tear are amazing. Do some googlizing, it’s worth it. I would say the highlights are him bringing girlfriends to practice and letting their kids participate, and hitting on one of the LSU trustees pregnant wife at a gas station.
No idea how much of this is true. But there are enough stories out there that he’s probably done some bridge burning, alongside also being exposed as a mediocre coach who had 2 stud co-ordinators for his NC.
LSU cornerbacks coach will be staying on with Kelly.
Not sure what conclusions can be drawn from that exactly other than perhaps Mickens isn’t going with him.
This Twitter spaces broadcast is crazy. Ian Book is on now and they are trying to get reactions from recruits. Not sure it’s the best idea.Cole Kmet was just on, too.
This is fascinating. Also pretty darn encouraging.
What’s encouraging exactly?
It doesn’t sound like they’re shuttering the program.
Taking notes so I can do a better summary in the morning, but in short —
No panic, no bitterness about Kelly leaving. The culture/institution is really strong and will continue without him. Keeping Balis is crucial, he is the reason for the 2017 turnaround. General consensus that we can make the playoffs this year and do well; playoff field is much weaker than in recent years.
That’s great to hear such a great attitude about it all. That meshes with the tweet I saw from Lenzy (maybe it was in this thread or the original one on the other post) that said something like he respects the decision since it’s a business decision. The implication being that they would all make the right business decision when it comes down to it so they understand perfectly well.
Talking about Rees too, they don’t know what his reaction is or what he’ll do
What a time to be alive!
The access and content is great, but it’s crazy to see all these live reactions where nobody really knows anything and emotions are high.
Mick Asaf is the new lead editor of 18S now, yes?
WOPU Nation earns its stripes this year at 18S.
Eli Raridon said recruits are scared to talk about it in the recruit group chat, which is less than an ideal reaction, if perfectly understandable.
Also his father was a player when I was in college.
Please set me adrift on an ice floe, for I am too old to be useful to the tribe.
Cole Kmet asking Ian Book about the playoff chances because he “pays so much attention to the playoff committee”. I feel sorry for our program, but this is tremendous content.
MVG in the house
The idea of the committee passing on us because BK left crossed my mind too
It makes sense as a reason to pass them up.
In a sense yeah but imagine if they dropped a team because their starting QB got hurt and couldn’t play. Off field things like that shouldn’t come into play
I believe they (the committee) would and do take injuries like that into account.
They’re not passing ND for two loss teams, so if you mean “does it hurt ND in an argument vs OKST or one-loss Georgia?” I’d say it probably does, but I also think we were probably losing that argument anyway.
Yeah, that’s valid, I guess it would just be more a disqualifer to exclude ND no matter what happened. I suppose there still could be more chaos in the games where maybe ND should be in the mix, but could a factor like this make them less appealing? I would think so, but I guess a lot depends on what actually happens.
Is there anywhere this is being recorded and can listen to later like a podcast?
I’m honestly not sure, I know the twitter space is really new. I’ve never even joined one before like 15 minutes ago, not sure if it’s going to record. I saw some media types in there, so I bet there will be written coverage tomorrow about any interesting points made.
Matt Balis has frozen Lou Malnati’s in the freezer in his office. He is midwest. – Cole Kmet on whether Balis leaves.
Balis is from Chicago. But has worked at Houston, Utah, Florida, Virginia, Mississippi State, and Connecticut (per his ND profile).
Most of those moves appear to be either outright promotions, or jumps to bigger schools, presumably for more money, so hopefully ND is where he stays assuming we at least give him a competitive offer.
Last update for the night from me. I’d prefer if it was Freeman that we know sooner than later, so I don’t know that I like this.
Here’s the link to the spaces broadcast:
{https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1ynJOZneyblGR}
This
Why? Just name Freeman, what’s the downside, Jack? What… is [impossible head coach] on the line waiting to sign? You got outplayed, just play the best card you have and stay in the game.
This is… not a good approach. With the new early signing period they cannot go 3 days without our new coach being named, unless they’re waiting for somebody who is worth blowing up the 2022 class over. Only people I could imagine who qualify for that level are like John Harbaugh or Urban Meyer.
Both of those would make me vomit. I would hate rooting for them. If one of them wanted to come, the cognitive dissonance would tear me apart.
Here I am in Paris, been reading all your many comments. Guess you are all about to awake. As one of the most “senior” folks here, with the obligatory 4 generations of ND etc, wanted to share my gut reactions:
(1) Don’t let the door slam you in the ass on your way out, BK.
(2) Hope you eat plenty of s–t in the SEC and not just from the Death Star. (BTW, don’t all you 18 Stripers think it’s a major cultural mismatch, Boston Irish to the Bayou?)
(3) I think Jack S has been one of the best ADs ND has ever had, and I have literally known them all since Moose Krause. Huge test for him right now, per the following.
(4) Marcus Freeman seems like a very good coach. But. Memories of the Bob Davie hire are circling around in my head — and Ara’s quote about needing every month of his previous head coaching to succeed in the ND position. I get it about losing the recruits and momentum, but better to make sure we have the right guy.
(5) The point above about the program being in a more stable position than for Davie — not sure I agree with that. Lou didn’t leave a ghost town. But, it’s true, to give what’s his face, the outgoing guy (yes, bitterness is there, never should we forgive somebody jumping the ship of Our Lady’s University) his due, the program does seem to reflect the core values of the school by and large. And my hunch is that Marcus Freeman gets enough of that to merit consideration.
(6) Fickell does seem like a surer bet, but I do share the idea that we would not want t go with somebody who would abandon his guys on the eve of the CFP… (yeah, BK did that, hum…). But maybe we could cut a secret deal? Hah!
Last night on Twitter spaces there was a roundtable among recent and current ND players and a kroot. Here’s a summary.
Participants I heard: Hosted by former walkon RB Mick Assaf. Ian Book, Kyle Hamilton, Cole Kmet, Nic Weisher called in. Also current commit Eli Raridon.
No commentary or judgments of my own; just what I heard.
-No bitterness towards Kelly. Everyone was very surprised but lots of praise for him as a coach. General idea was get paid. This is about money and basically nothing else. CFB is worth a ton of money and that’s what Kelly, Riley, Tucker, and Franklin’s contracts are about.
-No panic expected among the team. Institutional culture will continue. But…
-Keeping S&C coach Matt Balis is paramount. “Back up the Brinks truck.” He is the reason for the 2017 turnaround. Kelly will try to take him but that cannot happen.
-Assaf very confident Freeman will be the next HC. Insists he has a good source but understands why people don’t believe him yet. No one corroborated or contradicted.
-“Very difficult” for ND to hire Urbz. That’s ancient history and recent stuff makes it highly unlikely for the same reasons as Gruden. Fickell would be an “obvious choice” but no smoke on him yet.
-Hope that ND will make the playoff this year due to a weaker playoff field than in recent years. UGA is good but their offense is nowhere close to past Clemson or Bama teams. Book said he thinks the committee will not drop ND for losing Kelly but sounded unsure.
-Kelly won’t really change his approach in the SEC. It will be harder; “A few things go wrong and you’re 2-5.”
-Facilities are pretty good – not top notch but also not really an issue. Most kroots don’t care all that much.
Thanks for the run-down. Very interesting point about Balis. I remember early on Kelly treated the strength and conditioning guy as a kind of 3rd coordinator. Hopefully we do the same if he’s that good and keep him together with Freeman.
Also good point about the SEC. While Kelly has a higher upside at LSU perhaps, there’s also a much bigger downside. You can be REALLY good and go 5-3 in the conference and be like 4th or 5th overall in the SEC.
One of the former players, I think Kmet, made a reference to BK giving instructions to the strength coach and him passing it on to other coaches, so that checks out
A couple other points from when I was listening:
Mick asked Kmet/Book/some other former player which coach was most important to keep. There was a significant pause before an answer, but the answer seemed to be unanimous with Balis.
Help out somebody who’s been away for a while…why do we think Freeman is THE guy. No head coaching experience. Defense has been pretty good (really good against weak competition). Is there nobody else out there?
I think the biggest issue is recruiting. The most important thing to winning a lot of games is just having the most talented players (it’s not everything of course but it is necessary to win at the highest levels). So you need to have an elite recruiter at head coach. Freeman is the only “known” commodity when it comes to recruiting.
Then it would also keep a kind of continuity.
Also, no one else is really that much of a homerun hire. Maybe Fickell but timing with Cinci in the playoffs is a huge problem.
lol basically what I just posted.
Give Fickell a huge raise, and give Freeman a huge raise to stay on as DC. win win
Though like others have pointed out if Fickell comes to ND, Freeman is leaving to be Cinci head coach.
Yea maybe. But, I think the only one who could get him to stay would be Fickell. Granted, that’s IF he isn’t following BK to LSU. Haven’t seen any reports of him going along with BK, nor have I seen anything indicating he’s on the plane with BK. But, 🤷🏻♂️
I’d think it doesn’t benefit to follow BK because he has a legit shot at a pretty good head coaching gig NOW – either at ND or at Cinci – and like Fickell, Freeman seems to value staying “close” to home in the midwest.
For me, Fickell is the guy. I get peoples point that it’s a huge step up, but that’s kind of the point against Freeman too IMO. At least Fickell has HC experience. I guess continuity is key with current players, recruits and the system so I can see why they’d promote Freeman. Tough call and I’m not sure the timing is right for Fickell. Why would he leave now? Seems that it would’ve been perfect in about 1-2 years.
I think Fickell is the #1 but Freeman is worth the gamble if we can’t get it. As far as recruiting goes, you typically get a first season boost with a new guy and I imagine Fickell could keep much of the class together as long as Freeman doesn’t jump to LSU.
Things certainly seem to be pointing to Freeman. There’s also zero smoke from what I can tell about Fickell or from UC.
I think them (very likely) making the playoffs is a huge reason why.
Very true and it may also be easier to win it all at Cincinnati than at ND.
Also, 10 am press conference from ND coming up.
what are they announcing?
Apparently they aren’t naming an interim? Like…what?
O no, that sounds very bad. Someone is going to have to be the interim just de facto even if not in name. Why not *name* him?
Because they’re working on a contract for a permanent head coach to be named very soon??
Hopefully working on that Fickell deal and how he can coach cincy in the playoff then leave.
The more I think about it the more odd it seems to me. There seems to be some reports now that BK did reach out to freeman about going with him. I’m probably reading too much into it, but if freeman said no, then why not make him interim? The silence is a bit concerning.
Edit: And apparently going after Rees as well now.
Freeman isn’t in town. It would be a little crazy to finalize deals like this over Zoom.
Not naming an interim is a massive hint that it might be Freeman – Swarbrick named an interim when he fired Weis even though we didn’t even have any games to play – as is poo-pooing the idea that HC experience is a huge factor, and Swarbrick did both.
But it’s crazy to wait to announce and finalize if Freeman is you guy, no?
Coaches, recruits all might go other places in the meantime. Jack needs to fly out to Freeman if that’s the holdup or Freeman needs to stop recruiting to get sworn in or whatever now.