Notre Dame Football: 5 Reasons To Believe in Brian Kelly

After a tough loss to hated rival USC on Saturday night, many began to voice displeasure with head coach Brian Kelly.

Those who may be doubting Kelly's abilities as a head coach need to do one thing, and one thing only: slow down.

Whether you believe me or not, the fact remains that he is the right man for the job.

Why do I say that?

Follow along to find out.

5. Player Development

Upon being hired as the head coach at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly made it clear that a key component to his coaching success was player development.

That philosophy was missing during Charlie Weis' five seasons in South Bend, and the scars of that mistake are still visible.

The results of player development don't appear overnight, or even in a full season.

However, through one-and-a-half seasons as head coach, Brian Kelly's system of player development is slowly but surely showing itself on the field.

Yes, the team is still making critical mistakes, but the trained eye sees a maximization of talent at every position.

Take, for example, quarterback Tommy Rees.

He's not nearly as athletic as fellow signal-callers Dayne Crist and Andrew Hendrix, but Kelly is getting the most out of the abilities that Rees does possess.

That's only one example, though.

The sweet smell of player development is permeating throughout the program.

4. Attitude Within the Football Facilities

A championship-caliber football program begins with a winning attitude, something the Weis regime lacked. 

After leaving Cincinnati, Brian Kelly brought with him a swagger and confidence not seen in South Bend since Lou Holtz left town.

Kelly's 2010 squad had the usual bumps and bruises that are typical with any team led by a first-year head coach, but it ended with an impressive four-game winning streak.

That confidence from those four consecutive victories carried over into this season, as the Irish had a winning mentality entering fall camp.

This may seem doubtful, but that attitude remains with every person associated with the Notre Dame Football program.

Irish punt returner John Goodman echoed that sentiment in a tweet yesterday.

"New week, new team, new mentality. Lesgo."

3. Recruiting

If a winning attitude is the foundation of a successful football program, recruiting is the support structures.

There's no doubt that Brian Kelly knew that before taking the job at Notre Dame.

Upon signing his initial contract, many questioned if he and his staff had the ability to recruit with the best of the best.

Turns out they can.

Kelly's 2011 recruiting haul proved that he and his staff are committed to recruiting top-notch talent that fits in well with the program.

Notre Dame's biggest need heading into the 2011 cycle was depth in the defensive front seven, and Kelly certainly answered the bell.

The Irish beat out Florida State for coveted 5-star defensive end Aaron Lynch, and were also able to snag fellow 5-star end Stephon Tuitt from Georgia Tech, his hometown school.

Add in 5-star outside linebacker Ishaq Williams, George Atkinson, Troy Niklas, Davaris Daniels and Ben Koyack, and you have yourself an outstanding class.

The 2012 class is well under way with a number of commitments including the following 4-star players: WR Deontay Greenberry, DB Tee Shepard, DB Ronald Darby, OL Taylor Decker, RB William Mahone, DT Jarron Jones, DT Sheldon Day and ATH David Perkins.

2. Progress Thus Far

A 12-8 record through one-and-a-half seasons isn't what Notre Dame fans had in mind, but it's impressive considering what Kelly had when he took the job.

Sure, there is plenty of talent left from the Weis regime, but those players fit his system, not Kelly's.

The transition from a pro-style offense to a spread-option attack doesn't happen quickly, yet Brian Kelly's offense has produced 500 or more yards of offense on four separate occasions this season.

It's not always wise to dream of the future, but take a second to think about what this team will look like once Kelly has brought in four full recruiting crops.

Tantalizing, isn't it?

1. Kelly's Past Success

Brian Kelly is a winner, plain and simple. He has won at every head coaching stop in his 20 years as a head coach.

He compiled a record of 118-35-2 at Grand Valley State, including two Division II national championships.

Because of that success, Central Michigan inquired about his services, and eventually hired him as head coach.

Kelly transformed that program from being consistent bottom-feeders in the MAC to conference champions in only three seasons.

That rapid transformation caught the attention of Cincinnati, and Kelly was hired as the Bearcats' head coach in December of 2006.

Three seasons later, he had amassed a record of 34-6, including the program's first ever BCS bowl game.

While none of those previous coaching positions have the pressure or notoriety of Notre Dame, there's no reason to believe Kelly can't get the job done at Notre Dame.

It's not easy for Notre Dame fans to be patient, but remember, good things come to those who wait.