Brian Kelly is the name most aligned with the Notre Dame coaching job if athletic director Jack Swarbrick and the university’s administration decide to make a change at head coach. But Kelly has yet to hear from anyone at Notre Dame or through any third parties about the potential job opening.
When talking with Dan Patrick this morning on his radio show, Kelly talked candidly about the school. “Probably just profile,” Kelly remarked when asked why he thought his name keeps coming up. “We’ve won a lot of games, done more with less, and I’m East coast Irish Catholic.”
Patrick opened up talking with Kelly about the BCS system and then asked the Cincinatti coach if he was cheering for Connecticut this weekend against Notre Dame. “Absolutely, no question” Kelly said, though it was more in support of fellow Big East coach Randy Edsall and the hardships his team have gone through this year than against the Irish.
Kelly then opened up about coaching at Notre Dame, and compared the job to being a true public figure, akin to being “the Governor.” Kelly also stated that there is no escape clause in his contract for certain jobs, and he has yet to even comment on a potential move one way or the other.
“I’ve always stayed away from that,” Kelly said. “Why paint yourself into a corner. Do the best at the job you have. Last I checked, that job wasn’t open anyway.”
Even though he’s flattered by the attention, Kelly presented a fairly convincing case that he is, indeed, happy in Cincinnati. He has a young family, and he has the opportunity to build something that’s never been done before with the Bearcats, something you can’t say about coaching at Notre Dame.