Notre Dame Football: Top 5 Candidates Who Can Replace Brian Kelly

I have written before that I do not believe Brian Kelly will lead Notre Dame to a national championship. I recently predicted that Skip Holtz will be the next coach at ND and have been saying since 2010 that Brian Kelly is overmatched.

After watching last night's 35-31 lose to Michigan, in which they were outscored 28-7 in the fourth quarter, I am more convinced than ever that I am right. 

In this article, we will discuss who are the leading candidates that will replace Brian Kelly.

Jim Tressel

He is available, has won a national title and has strong recruiting ties in the Midwest.

The fact that he went through such a national scandal probably hurts him, and he may not want to coach in college either as he now has a job with the Indianapolis Colts.

Could his next stop be the NFL? Tressel is a religious man however, which could make him attractive to a religious institution.

Chris Peterson

He has been rumored for every major head coaching job, and he has helped Boise State become a national title contender. 

But Dan Hawkins made a similar jump and has set Colorado back a few steps; could Peterson be another Boise Bust? 

Peterson has stated many times that he is happy at Boise State and does not plan to go anywhere, but could an ND offer change things?

Brian Billick

He was rumored to be in the running before ND hired Kelly.

He has won a Super Bowl, but since his departure from Baltimore, there does not seem to be a lot of suitors out there—either NFL or college—for his services.

Maybe he is enjoying broadcasting too much, or maybe he just has not found the right suit. 

Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer was the first choice last time, but he turned it down, as the timing was not right. Meyer was battling health problems and was already contemplating leaving coaching. 

Further, he has been away for a little while and has not received rave reviews for his broadcast journalism thus far. 

If he still has the desire, then he may not be able to turn down ND a second time. Also, he has been rumored to be the next coach at Ohio State, which many believe is his real dream job.

Skip Holtz

This is a no-brainer. I have already written that he will be the next coach at ND. It is a perfect fit.

Dad was the last coach to win a national title at the school, while Skip was a player and a coach for the Fighting Irish; it would not be surprising if ND is his dream job as well. 

Experts are already talking Holtz as the next head coach at Georgia; Notre Dame better not wait too long or they may lose their man. 

Holtz has brought a physical and mental toughness to his teams—something this current ND team and coach is sorely lacking.