Jim Harbaugh: The Other Next Head Coach at Notre Dame

While I am sure that everyone out there is aware of the impending meeting between administrators from the University of Notre Dame and current Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly (thanks to Twitter), here is a link to an article about another candidate who will be in New York this week for an interview .

That’s right, Jim Harbaugh .

I have to say, based on the way Brian Kelly is handling this whole situation, he hasn’t won me over.

Sure, he just finished an undefeated regular season...in the Big East. And what happened to that defense down the stretch? Not exactly awe inspiring. The whole thing reminds me a bit of one of your buddies who scored a chick way too hot for him and won’t shut up about it.

I must say, I can really get into the idea of Harbaugh coaching in South Bend. Putting aside the memories of the last Stanford coach hired by Notre Dame, let’s examine the case.

First, he is a Midwestern guy. For some reason, everyone points to that as a criteria for hiring.

Second, he has beaten USC twice in three years. With inferior talent.

Third, he can recruit. Stanford currently has the No. 10 recruiting class (2010) according to Scout.com.

Fourth, he has instilled a fundamentally sound, run first, smash mouth offense at a school that has historically been labeled as having a “finesse offense.”

Finally, both during his playing days at Michigan and as a coach at Stanford, I think he knows a thing or two about playing Notre Dame. He can use that knowledge (as an outsider) to inspire, instill, and reignite the winning instinct in the Fighting Irish.