If Notre Dame Hires Brian Kelly, Would he Coach Their Bowl Game?
Although Cincinnati football coach Brian Kelly has kinda, sorta denied interest in the Notre Dame coaching job, recently vacated by Charlie Weis, he remains the most talked about name in the always reliable world of sports punditry.
Bigger names, including national champion-coaches Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer, have also been discussed, but the likely high prices it would take to lure them from their current employers, along with the pricey buyout Notre Dame must give Weis, make a match unlikely.
Kelly, on the other hand, has had great success in stints at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, and has been known to covet an opportunity to coach at a place that actually has practice fields. He has a track record, but he's still an up-and-comer, making him a bit less expensive than some other big names.
But the Chicago Tribune asked an interesting question: if Kelly takes the Notre Dame job, would he abandon his undefeated Bearcats to coach Notre Dame in whatever minor bowl game they get invited to?
When Kelly left Central Michigan, he immediately took over at Cincinnati and coached them in their bowl, a win over Western Michigan, leaving CMU in the hands of an assistant coach. It sounds unheard of that a coach would leave a ranked team with a chance at an undefeated season to coach a team with several key players who will probably not be there next year in a non-descript bowl game, but it wouldn't be a first for Kelly.
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