Brian Kelly's Sideline Demonstrations: Did He Cross the Line?

Three interceptions, two fumbles, two weather delays and one very disappointing loss left Brian Kelly visually disturbed last Saturday during the Notre Dame football team’s loss to South Florida.  On multiple occasions, his face matched the color of the red caps worn by his backup quarterbacks on the sideline.

There has been a significant public condemnation of Kelly’s sideline antics, with many saying his screaming and foul language crossed the line of how far to go when coaching a player.  While Woody Hayes’ temper eventually cost him his job at Ohio State after punching a Clemson player in the 1978 Gator Bowl, rarely have coaches experienced any recourse for sideline outbursts.

There is no proven theory on how a coach should handle himself on the sidelines during a game.  Coaches as tightly wound as Kelly have been very successful recently, as Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have won four of the past eight national titles.  Mack Brown, Bob Stoops and Les Miles have all won national titles with a more composed approach to the sidelines.

To Notre Dame fans who have been critical of Kelly over the past few days, I present to you the case of the Georgia Bulldogs and their head coach Mark Richt.  Richt took the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship Game in three of his first five seasons, winning two of those.  He has not been back since, and after going 14-13 since the start of 2009, he is squarely on the hot seat.

Richt was the dominant coach in the SEC during the middle of the decade.  How can a coach have the wheels come off the bus so quickly?  It’s simple. Richt’s lack of fire has cost him against coaches with more energy and more passion. 

When Richt was dominating the league, his biggest counterparts included Steve Spurrier at South Carolina, Philip Fulmer at Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville at Auburn.  All of these coaches became lazy, especially in recruiting, after reaching the pinnacle of college football (at Florida, in the case of Spurrier).  The SEC was lacking the energy and fire needed to sustain long-term success.

In came a new style of coaching.  Saban returned to the league, Meyer brought Florida back to what it was in the 1990’s, Gene Chizik brought in arguably the best staff in college football to rebuild Auburn and Spurrier plucked Shane Beamer from Mississippi State to ramp up recruiting in Columbia. 

Richt sat idly by, focusing more on trendy uniform combinations such as black jerseys, black helmets and whatever you call the disaster of a design worn by the Bulldogs last Saturday night.  His counterparts focused on how to win football games, and their teams have blown past Georgia in the SEC.

Circling back to Kelly, there is no questioning his passion, his commitment and his energy.  Any die-hard Irish fan should have been just as miserable as Kelly, as eight months full of promise after a strong finish to 2010 came to a screeching halt after the comedy of errors against South Florida.

These weren’t rookie mistakes, nor were they effects of simply playing a quality opponent.  Should senior leaders Harrison Smith and Ethan Johnson be committing unsportsmanlike conduct penalties?  Absolutely not.  Should TJ Jones be running a crossing route without looking for the ball?  I wouldn’t think so. 

After a rollercoaster 2010 season for Kelly which ended well but was marred by consecutive losses to Navy and Tulsa sandwiched around the death of student videographer Declan Sullivan, it appeared he had the Irish headed in the right direction. 

The Notre Dame football coach has the weight of the world on his shoulders because, well, because he is the Notre Dame football coach.  Mistakes are magnified, and too many mistakes, regardless of who is at fault, will eventually cost Kelly his job.

Yes, Kelly lost it on Saturday, but Irish fans should take solace in the fact that their coach so desperately wants to win.  Would you rather your coach be a “nice guy” like Richt, who has overseen the downfall of Georgia?  Or do you want a fiery, ornery coach like Saban, who demands perfection and does not hesitate to yell and scream at his players?

In Saban’s first year at Alabama, his team was 6-5 after a loss to Louisiana-Monroe. Despite making a poor analogy to global terrorism, Saban preached how disaster often breeds strength.  After a loss the following week, the Crimson Tide won 27 straight regular season games.

Saturday’s loss to South Florida definitely qualifies as a disaster, and you still have to coach during disasters.  That’s exactly what Kelly did, and that’s why Kelly will eventually succeed at Notre Dame.