Kelly's first year a big test
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Even by the standards of one of college football's highest-profile jobs, the first season for Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has been tumultuous.
And the game has been the least of it.
There has been tragedy the death of student videographer when his tower fell over on a windy day as he was filming practice and now allegations that one of Notre Dame's players committed sexual battery.
Those situations make the problems stemming from a 6-5 record with one regular-season game left seem small.
Kelly says the only way to get through such serious issues is to level with his team.
“The first thing is you don't hide. You try to offer transparency, you try to be direct,” Kelly said. “You try to give all the information you can in handling those things. And when I say information, talking to our players.
“It's important that there is an ongoing conversation with your players, as well, regarding all things surrounding your football program.”
Student videographer Declan Sullivan was killed last month when the tower from which he was filming practice fell over. Kelly said earlier it was his decision to hold practice outdoors that day when wind gusts hit 51 mph at the time of the accident.
And this week St. Joseph County prosecuting attorney Michael A. Dvorak said his office is reviewing a report from the Notre Dame campus police about an alleged case of sexual battery.
Amid the tumult, the Irish seem to be building some momentum on the field. Notre Dame is 6-5 with 2 straight wins headed into Saturday's regular-season finale at Southern California. The Irish are expected to be invited to a bowl game win or lose.
This season the Irish have lost one game in overtime on a fake field goal turned into a touchdown by Michigan State and two others in the closing seconds against Michigan and Tulsa.
Kelly's stated goal was to make the Irish instant winners who would return to the elite of college football, but that has not come close to happening. A team ravaged by injuries to key players has shown improvement, especially on defense the last two weeks in upsetting No. 23 Utah and beating Army.
But clearly there is a long way to go.
“Personally as a coach, I would say 6-5 is not what I had in mind as to where we would be at this point,” Kelly said. “I've got to do a lot of things better, I've got to continue to evaluate myself and game plans and things of that nature.
“… Notre Dame is a high-profile job and with that comes a great deal of scrutiny, and I think I was prepared for that. We got a lot of it this year.”
If the Irish do get a bowl bid and the 15 extra practices that accompany it, Kelly said one week probably would be devoted mainly to working with younger returning players before integrating the seniors into the final week to get ready for the game.