Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1061429
8 JANUARY 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI S hortly after Notre Dame's 24‑17 victory at USC Nov. 24 to cap a 12‑0 regular season, USC director of athletics and former 1971‑73 Trojans superstar Lynn Swann released a let‑ ter to fellow alumni. In it, Swann couldn't quite bring himself to write "Notre Dame," just like longtime Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes would not refer to rival Michigan by name but as "that team up north." What Swann did explain is why he opted to keep head coach Clay Helton — who finished No. 3 in 2016 and won the Pac‑12 last year — after a miserable 5‑7 finish in which USC lost five of its last six games. Wrote Swann: "We see programs across the country have a few down years and the fans want to change coaches. In fact, it happened a few years ago with yesterday's opponent, but that administration remained committed to their head coach, who made some key changes, worked hard to fix things and got his team to improve markedly. That will happen here at USC." Now in his 11th year at the helm as Notre Dame's director of athlet‑ ics, Jack Swarbrick can appreciate the tempest Swann is experiencing. In head coach Brian Kelly's seventh season back in 2016, the Irish finished 4‑8, tying for the second most losses in one season in school history. The record books reveal that all seven previous Notre Dame head coaches who had a losing season beyond their first year were axed or stepped down from their post no more than two years later. This included Kelly's predecessor Charlie Weis, who was 3‑9 in his third year (2007) and was fired two years later in Swarbrick's second full year on the job. However, amidst the turmoil in 2016, Swarbrick nipped any specula‑ tion in the bud in mid‑season when he told ESPN that Kelly would be leading the Notre Dame football team in 2017 as well. " I t w a s n e v e r a q u e s t i o n , " Swarbrick told an assembly of report‑ ers following this year 's victory at USC. "The one thing that frustrates me is when I read people sort of re‑ invent that and say, 'This happened or that happened so [I] changed my mind.' I said at midseason we weren't changing. We never even considered it, never talked about it again. "Wins and losses matter a lot — but it's what you see in practice ev‑ ery day. It's how you see kids grow and what they're doing." Because of a long track record of success, Kelly wasn't issued the pink slip. However, the infrastructure had to undergo massive changes after the 4‑8 debacle. "You don't just leave that season and say, 'Okay, we'll just keep doing the same stuff,'" Swarbrick said. "You say, 'We're going to look at everything.' I said many times the most impressive thing to me was when we sat down there was nothing that Brian didn't put on the table to look at: personality, the way we practice, scheduling, our ap‑ proach to recruiting, nutrition … "Wherever that examination took you — it may have taken you to a per‑ sonnel decision, it may have taken you to a different way you operate the busi‑ ness in some other way — but wher‑ ever it took you, you had to follow." The overhaul included the hiring of six new assistants, including coor‑ dinators on offense, defense and spe‑ cial teams that did not come from the Kelly coaching tree. Important as any move was hiring a new strength and conditioning staff led by director of performance Matt Balis, who received the game ball after the victory at USC. The progress was tangible last year with a 10‑3 finish and No. 11 final ranking in the Associated Press poll. Now, a third 12‑0 regular season by Kelly in 10 years (he had the same mark at Cincinnati in 2009 and Notre Dame in 2012) has put him back again among the most accomplished head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision today. However, to Swarbrick it's not merely about the on‑field results — UNDER THE DOME PATIENCE WITH URGENCY Faith in Brian Kelly pays off for director of athletics Jack Swarbrick Since Swarbrick opted to retain Kelly following the 4-8 debacle in 2016, the Fighting Irish have won 22 of their past 25 games — including all 12 this season en route to a berth in the College Football Playoff. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL