While his normal gig is covering the NFL, ESPN‘s Chris Mortenson has branched out this evening and is reporting on our lil’ old college game.
And Mortenson is confirming what was previously reported by the South Bend Tribune -- Notre Dame finds themselves in possession of a new coach.
According to Mortenson, and citing two sources, Now-former (probably) Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly will become the Irish’s next head coach.
Additionally, a trustee on UC’s board confirmed to the Cincinnati Enquirer that Kelly was indeed leaving for Notre Dame.
Neither Kelly -- or one of his representatives -- nor Notre Dame has publicly confirmed an agreement has been reached. Kelly has also not informed his players or coaching staff that he is leaving, the Enquirer reports.
One of those players -- wide receiver Mardy Gilyard -- blasted Kelly for what he says were lies told to him and his teammates by Kelly about the Irish situation.
“I feel like there was a little lying in this thing, I feel like he’s known the whole time. I kind of had a gut feeling that he was going to stay because he told me he was going to be here. But it is what it is. He made a business decision,” Gilyard said. “He said he wasn’t going anywhere. He liked the city of Cincinnati. We’ll be all right even if he takes the job. We’ll be all right before the bowl game and after it. We’ll still be good.
“It ain’t cool to lie. I’m hot about that. But I respect BK, and everything he did for the program here. We know whoever the coach is, the players know we’re going to take care of business (in the bowl game). We’re already looking ahead.”
Yeah, that awards banquet scheduled for this evening is going to be real comfortable for a whole lot of people.
And you can all but assume that I have as much of a chance of coaching the bowl game against Florida as Kelly does.
