Notre Dame Football: Was Declan Sullivan's Untimely Death Due to Negligence?

Because the death of Notre Dame's student video specialist Declan Sullivan is such a horrific tragedy, no one should issue any definitive statements or opinions until they know all the facts.

The Kansas City Star's Jason Whitlock was quick to write about Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly, saying, "Kelly failed in the worst possible way." He wrote this only one day after the tower that Sullivan fell from collapsed.

All the points supporting Whitlock's claim are reasonable, but the investigation is not over. It's probably too early for anyone to be so emphatic about who is to blame.

Bleacher Report contributors such as Robert Bonner have asked, "Why is Kelly still employed?"

Bonner has reported the accident and goes on to describe Kelly as showing "no remorse." Does he have all the facts? Isn't his understanding of Kelly's lack of remorse an opinion, and what bearing does it have on any responsibility the Notre Dame head coach should bear?

Bleacher Report readers have debated any responsibility Kelly may or may not have had in this apparent avoidable tragedy. They've debated whether negligence is or is not present.

IS BRIAN KELLY GUILTY OF NEGLIGENCE?

As I said, we must wait until the investigation is over until assigning blame for Sullivan's death. These are serious charges, and all the facts have to be looked over before a clear case of negligence can be made.

BRIAN KELLY IS LIKELY NEGLIGENT

Notice the word "likely"! Brian Kelly is likely negligent. It seems there is no way for him not to hold any or all the responsibility in this case.

Bleacher Report reader Jan Dec disagrees with Bonner and writes the following:

"If Coach Kelly directly told Declan to get up in the tower or lose his job, then you have a valid argument. I expect that there's a Safety Officer at Notre Dame (campus/operation the size of a town or small city) and an individual responsible for specifically focusing on safe practices at sporting activities. I would expect these people to advise the coach if conditions were dangerous and in fact have the authority to tell the coaches to move inside."

Although Dec raises some valid issues, it's hard to imagine anyone but the head coach as having the authority to make the final decision as to where to hold practice (outside or inside).

Let me describe the responsibilities of a tennis director at a tennis club: They are entrusted with every decision regarding the daily operations of the tennis facility. They decide when the courts are safe to play on and when they not.

This is clearly the most important part of any tennis director's job—safety.

I've walked the baseball field with baseball coaches who inspected the conditions before practice. If they believe the field is too wet and footing is bad, they might decide to go inside. I can't say for sure, but it's hard to imagine anyone but the coach making the call.

LET'S WAIT UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS OVER

As I said, Kelly is likely responsible here, but we really don't know if Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick had the final say or if anyone else was supposed to make the decision.

At this time it appears that Kelly is likely the responsible party, but let's wait until all the evidence is in.