Brian Kelly Quickly in at Notre Dame

Brian Kelly will be named Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame as early as tomorrow, sources close to the program report.

After less than a week of searching in earnest, the Irish have their man.

The courtship was swift, as the word went from Kelly telling his players five days ago that he was staying in Cincinnati, to a closed-door meeting before a now media-less football banquet tonight.

In short order, Notre Dame established a target, and unlike five years ago, this time they got their man.

For Notre Dame, this has to be more than the quick hire. It has to be the right hire.

Rumors swirled in recent days about Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh and Connecticut's Randy Edsall, but neither were interviewed nor openly contacted. It seems that it was love at first sight for Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick.

And what is there not to love?

He won a pair of National Championships at Division II Grand Valley State, compiling a 118-35-2 overall record in 13 seasons.

In 2004 he moved up to Division 1 FBS Central Michigan where he turned the Chippewas from Mid America Conference bottom-dwellers into MAC champions. In three seasons at the helm, Kelly tallied a 19-16 record with two winning seasons.

The Chipps also qualified for their first bowl game under Kelly, but he did not coach the game, as he had accepted the job at the University of Cincinnati.

The Bearcats had been built to some degree by former coach Mark Dantonio, but had yet to break through with a winning season. Kelly's impact seemed to light a fire at Nippert Stadium, as the program erupted to three stellar seasons.

Kelly's first game was the 2006 International Bowl in which he coached the Bearcats to a victory over Western Michigan.

The 2007 season saw Kelly's team post a 10-3 mark and down Southern Mississippi in the Papa John's Bowl.

2008 brought a new level of success as Cincy won the Big East and earned the school's first BCS bid, which the Bearcats lost to Virginia Tech.

This year Kelly took the Bearcats from Big East contenders to what Notre Dame hopes and prays to be, National Title contenders.

Kelly walked away from a 12-0 back-to-back BCS qualifying team to come to South Bend.

In just three years at Cincinnati, Kelly posted 34 wins against just six losses—better than disposed Irish coach Charlie Weis had in his three best years at Notre Dame.

Kelly will bring confidence and a winning attitude to South Bend.

But what he needs to bring is defense.

Similar to Weis's Irish, the Bearcats had no problem moving the football or putting up points. Very often, however, Cincy's defense was gashed and the offense had to outscore the opponents.

A possible remedy to this problem could be Kelly's long time friend and current Grand Valley State coach Chuck Martin.

Martin was Kelly's defensive guru, and has to this point refused to join his friend at CMU or Cincinnati. He was quoted by ESPN as saying that if Kelly calls him from Notre Dame, he will "be there in a minute."

Brian Kelly has a track record of building greatness quickly, and Notre Dame is hoping for exactly that.

A quick return to glory.