Advertisement

Notre Dame AD gives Brian Kelly vote of confidence

By The Sports Xchange
Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly watches his team prior to playing against Alabama in the BCS National Championship in Miami on January 7, 2013. UPI/Marc Serota
Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly watches his team prior to playing against Alabama in the BCS National Championship in Miami on January 7, 2013. UPI/Marc Serota | License Photo

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick gave a vote of confidence to Brian Kelly on Friday and said his head football coach was not coaching for his job despite the Fighting Irish falling from a preseason No. 10 ranking to a 2-5 start.

The seventh-year Irish head coach has come under fire this season for his handling of the quarterback situation, his sideline behavior and postgame news conference demeanor

Advertisement

"Brian will lead this team out of the tunnel opening day next year," Swarbrick told ESPN.com.

Swarbrick said he is aware of the public perception surrounding Kelly, who has drawn criticisms in the media and from a number of former players. Kelly has a 57-28 record as Notre Dame's head coach.

"I guess I'd say I wish the perception matched the reality a little better," Swarbrick told ESPN. "I understand the perception, but we've got to work to alter that perception because it creates noise and gets in the way. But the reality couldn't be further from it.

"I'm not going to reveal the nature of the postgame discussion between Brian and the team after Stanford (a 17-10 loss last Saturday), but that was a discussion between a coach and a team who really care about each other and have a great relationship, and that's what I get to see every day. What we have to do is try to avoid the situation, which creates a different perception because that perception doesn't reflect the reality. We have to figure out how to be better at it."

Advertisement

Kelly signed a six-year extension in January that will take him through the 2021 season. He fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder after a 1-3 start this season.

"Just as I wouldn't single out any individual player, it's unrealistic to say, 'Oh, the result of this lays solely at the feet of the head coach,'" Swarbrick said. "I bear responsibility. I'm ultimately responsible for our performance, so all of us are in this together. But I can tell you I continue to have complete confidence in Brian. I think you really see what you've got in a coach with how they manage times like this, and I think he has done a great job of it.

"His focus has been really laser sharp, his relationship with this team is probably as strong as any that I've seen with him at Notre Dame, and those are all positives. Neither of us are satisfied with 2-5, but I'm at most of the practices. I'm at training table. I have an office at the Gug (football complex) in addition to my other office. I get to see the program day in and day out and I continue to have great confidence in Brian and confidence in our future as a program."

Advertisement

Notre Dame hosts Miami on Oct. 29 after a bye week.

Latest Headlines