Notre Dame Can Reach Pot of Gold Under Brian Kelly

The Fighting Irish are ready to begin the upcoming season by opening a new chapter in their storied history.

One that will be without former head coach Charlie Weis, who finished his five seasons at Notre Dame with a 35-27 record.

After a disappointing 6-6 campaign last season, including a four-game losing streak to end the year, Notre Dame fired Weis.

In a day and age where college head coaches are expected to produce results quickly or be fired, Notre Dame felt they had to part ways with Weis and hire someone they were confident would take the program where it has not been in years.

Enter Brian Kelly.

Brian Kelly enjoyed success and improved programs at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, and Cincinnati and is now expected to produce the same results in South Bend.

In 19 seasons as a head coach, Kelly amassed a 171-57-2 record, and a .747 winning percentage, which is sixth among active coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

He led Division II program Grand Valley State to three national championship games, winning two titles. After 13 seasons as Lakers head coach, he accepted an offer to coach Central Michigan.

After becoming head coach for Central Michigan in 2004, Kelly led the Chippewas to their first Mid-American Conference championship in his third season at the helm.

In 2006, Cincinnati offered Kelly their head coaching position and in his first game as head coach, he led the Bearcats to an International Bowl victory over Western Michigan.

In his three seasons as the Bearcats' coach, he posted an impressive 34-6 record, including two consecutive Bowl Championship Series berths.

Kelly is now expected to resurrect a struggling Notre Dame program that has come off its worst decade in school history.

Notre Dame finished the decade with a 70-52 record, including three losing seasons, but is expected to improve under the tutelage of Kelly.

The Irish will be without the services of quarterback Jimmy Clausen and All-American wide receiver Golden Tate who both chose to forego their senior seasons and depart to the NFL.

Junior quarterback Dayne Crist, who has only passed for 130 yards and one touchdown as a collegiate, will be taking over for Clausen but this may not be a major concern for Kelly. Four different quarterbacks started under Kelly during his 2008 season with Cincinnati and the Bearcats still captured the Big East title.

The Fighting Irish will heavily rely on its speed and athleticism to improve its 32nd-ranked scoring offense from last season. Offensive weapons, such as wide receiver Michael Floyd and tight end Kyle Rudolph, will make the transition for Crist easier.

Ten starters return on the defensive side of the ball and the team has a solid linebacker corps anchoring the defense, led by Manti Te'o and Brian Smith.

Notre Dame has a nice blend of young, athletic talent and should be competitive in most of its games this season.

A new head coach has revived hopes of bringing Notre Dame back to national prominence.

While the restoration of the program may not happen overnight, it will be an interesting season for the Fighting Irish, and for college football fans alike, to see the transformation of Notre Dame begin.