Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is reportedly exploring his coaching options following a disastrous 2016 campaign in South Bend. According to Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports, Kelly is using representatives to see what kind of options he has around the nation.
One might wonder if the recent sanctions levied against Notre Dame that vacated wins from 2012-13 have something to do with this reported move, but Forde is hearing that is not the case.
“…sources told Yahoo Sports that Kelly’s curiosity regarding other jobs was not spurred by the NCAA sanctions and predates that development. Although Kelly has come under fire from some Notre Dame fans this year, athletic director Jack Swarbrick has consistently stated that Kelly’s job is safe.”
Kelly has made headlines for all the wrong reasons this season, even apart from his team’s 4-8 record. He threw players under the bus more than once and even got into it with a strength and conditioning coach after losing to Stanford.
Even with the team’s terrible record this year, however, Kelly’s overall resume at Notre Dame is more positive than negative. He has a record of 59-31 since taking over in 2010 following the disappointing Charlie Weis era.
The school told Forde that Kelly has not expressed any desire to leave, but that doesn’t mean anything these days. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens the next couple of weeks. Notre Dame is not bowl eligible, but Kelly does need to make a decision before recruiting season begins in earnest next year.