Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1092184
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2019 11 THEY SAID IT "I may look to see if we can add two more years. I think if I'm fortunate enough to go five more years here, I would be very happy." — Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly in an interview with Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports about his contract expiring after the 2021 season "It just ate 'em up. I think Brian's personal approach to the job — his ability to self-reflect, his balance — positions him for a longer run." — Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick in same interview with Thamel on why Kelly might last longer than the 11 years of legendary predecessors Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz "I was convinced he wants to be a college football coach. It's not a stopover before heading into the NFL. I wasn't interested in hiring someone in those circumstances. Once we were convinced that he wanted to build relationships with players and Notre Dame wasn't a springboard for him to get back into the NFL, I felt he was a great fit for Notre Dame. "I didn't know him at all. We had members of the staff that knew him. Generally, it's recommendations from the staff and then you begin the process. I'll have my agent reach out and get some people I know that know him, then that process begins. "My first meeting was the interview when he came on campus. I was very impressed. We come from similar backgrounds in terms of philosophy with positive coaching environment and demanding, but posi- tive." — Kelly on new Notre Dame running backs coach Lance Taylor "It wasn't really much of anything. Coach Saban contacted me, and he wanted to visit about what we do offensively. Liked a lot of things we did, especially prepping for Clemson — and I like a lot of stuff they do offensively. It was just an opportunity to go down there and talk ball for a couple of hours, and then hit the road to go see my family. "There really wasn't much more than that. He knew my commitment to Notre Dame, and it was a good opportunity to sit there and talk some ball after the rough two weeks we had [against Clemson], and then we just moved forward from that." — Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long, an Alabama native, on rumors that he would join the Alabama Crimson Tide after meeting with Nick Saban earlier this winter "She's the face of our program. When you look at what she's done for us over the past four years, it's been fun to watch her grow … and how she's better every year. Her passion for the game — when she gets the ball in transition she's just so exciting and fun to watch. "I've really enjoyed coaching her. She's taught me a lot of things about being fearless, about letting things go. She's left her mark on the program that will last forever. She'll be up in the rafters one day soon. I couldn't be prouder of what she's accomplished here." — Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw on senior guard Arike Ogunbowale after she became the program's all-time scoring leader during an 89-61 victory versus Duke Feb. 21 UNDER THE DOME BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 www.BlueGoldOnline.com 1-800-421-7751 DELIVERY LIMITED TO CONTINENTAL U.S. PLEASE ADD SALES TAX FOR ITEMS SHIPPING TO: (NC 7.5%, IN 7%, MI 6%) Made to order & shipped direct from manufacturer, returns not related to damage may incur fee. GRILL MAT $49.95 + FREE S&H Available in 2 Styles: ND or Leprechaun (Item #6622-ND or #6622-LEP) (Item #6621) CUSTOM GRILL COVERS Hand-made in the USA using the finest commercial grade vinyl. Mold-resistant, breathable vinyl with drawstring bottom. Logo printed with UV-resistant ink. AVAILABLE IN 2 SIZES & 3 LOGOS: Small: 60" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $51.95 + $15.00 S&H Large: 72" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $54.95 + $15.00 S&H Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery. OF THE MONTH ➤"Skip Meyer's last home game tonight. What an honor it has been for this program to have Skip as its athletic trainer for the last 40 years. He has been the rock of our program and a true Notre Dame Man. I can't wait to celebrate Skip with our former guys in the coming year." Men's basketball head coach Mike Brey (@NDMikeBrey) March 6