Brian Kelly Will Be Notre Dame's Coach Next Season, According to School AD

It's been a disappointing season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But on Friday, the school's athletic director, Jack Swarbrick, told ESPN.com's Matt Fortuna that head coach Brian Kelly is not on the hot seat this season.  

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

The seventh-year coach formerly brought the Irish to the 2013 national championship game and put up a 10-3 record last season with an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. 

It warranted a No. 10 ranking in the 2016 Associated Press preseason poll. However, Notre Dame has staggered to a 2-5 record with every loss to a currently unranked program, including Duke, North Carolina State and Stanford.

The results knocked the Irish out of the polls and put Kelly under the microscope, especially after not taking any accountability after the Oct. 8 loss to NC State, via Laken Litman of the Indianapolis Star:

"

It has nothing to do with scheme or coaching. The players are fine; coaching is fine. There is just a fine line between winning and losing, and we’re not making or executing as a unit. Not any one person, but as a group, we’re not executing effectively in the closing minute to win football games.

"

It didn't go over well with some, such as Fox 5 DC's Brody Logan:

He has been accused of blaming losses on the players throughout his tenure, most recently calling out center Sam Mustipher during that loss to the Wolfpack that occurred in monsoon-like conditions, via Scout.com's Pete Sampson:

Fortuna cited Kelly's attitude on the sidelines and his handling of Notre Dame's quarterbacks as further reasons he was speculated to be on the hot seat. 

Despite the rumblings, Kelly's players went to bat for him, via Fortuna, which was a good sign for Swarbrick:

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I guess I'd say I wish the perception matched the reality a little better. 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 loss on 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.

"

Swarbrick, Kelly and Notre Dame have a bye this weekend, ensuring a little extra time for the team to prepare for an Oct. 29 showdown against the Miami Hurricanes, who have lost three straight games.

If the Irish can't right the ship, regardless of what Swarbrick said, Kelly's seat could continue to heat up.