Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
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28 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW THE MAINSTAY While Brian Kelly enters his 10th season as Notre Dame's head coach, his longtime right-hand man Mike Elston has quietly — as has been his trademark — but productively reached a rare milestone with the Fighting Irish by now serving a full decade as an assistant. Hired in 2010 on Kelly's original staff, Elston is the first Notre Dame assistant in just more than 40 years to achieve that distinction. The closest had been 1988-96 offensive line coach Joe Moore with nine seasons before an infamous ousting under the regime of newly hired head coach Bob Davie in 1997. The longest tenure over consecutive years as an on-field assistant is 17 apiece by 1964-80 de- fensive line coach Joe Yonto and 1969-85 linebackers coach George Kelly, both Notre Dame graduates. Yonto and Kelly both moved to administrative positions in the football office later, although Yonto also returned for a two-year stint as the defensive line coach in Lou Holtz's first two seasons in 1986-87, giving him 19 years total. Brian Boulac, another Notre Dame graduate, was an assistant 13 straight years (1970-82) before likewise going into the administrative field at his alma mater. Former Fighting Irish head coach Ara Parseghian (1964-74) particularly culti- vated immense loyalty among staff members in the itinerant world of coaching. His backfield coach Tom Pagna was with him all 11 seasons at Notre Dame, as was defensive backfield coach Paul Shoults, who also stayed at the school two more years under Dan Devine (1975-76). The two also were with Par- seghian at previous stops — just as Elston has with Kelly since 2004 at Central Michigan, a total of 16 seasons when including this year. A good soldier in every role he has had, Elston overhauled the re- cruiting office as its coordinator in 2015, became the de facto defen- sive coordinator in 2016 when Brian VanGorder was fired after four games due to a discombobulated operation, revitalized the defensive line dramatically in 2017 after moving temporarily to linebackers in 2015-16, and was promoted to associate head coach in 2017 to take some of the ancillary aspects of Kelly's job description off his plate. It was a move that has contributed to Notre Dame's 22-4 run the past two years. "He's now handling a lot of the day-to-day responsibilities that head coaches need to," Kelly said at the time. "He works with the medical staff. He works with the strength and conditioning staff for me. "He works as a great conduit for communication with the coordinators. He sits in all the coordinators' meetings." This winter, Elston was named by Rivals as one of the nation's top recruiters, especially with the quality depth he has built along the front line. "His position groups always play with a passion and a fundamental approach to the game," Kelly said. "… He took over our recruiting office and transformed that into a great operation." A three-time monogram winner at the University of Michigan from 1993-96, Elston has never held the defensive coordinator title at Notre Dame, but Kelly informed newly hired coordinator Mike Elko in 2017 that keeping Elston on staff was mandatory and "non-negotiable." Some unions are meant to last. This season marks the 16th straight during which Mike Elston has served as an assis- tant coach on Brian Kelly's staff, with the last 10 at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA Former Notre Dame running backs coach Autry Denson became the head coach at Charleston Southern this winter after a five-year run at Notre Dame (2014-18). Who could be the next in line for such a position? 1. Offensive Coordinator Chip Long Young (turned 36 in May), fiery and savvy, Long started to receive interest from teams a year ago, and the North Alabama graduate also has drawn the attention of Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Another strong season could make him an appealing head coach candidate. 2. Defensive Coordinator Clark Lea Lea lacks ideal experience after becoming a first-time coordinator last year for a veteran defense, but he's a well-respected teacher and communicator, and his ability to connect with players instantly stands out as a position coach. 3. Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach Mike Elston On head coach Brian Kelly's staff since 2004, Elston has done a superb job instructing and recruiting the defensive line the last two years. A smart Mid-American, American Athletic or Big Ten Conference team would be wise to give him a look for what he brings on the field and as the face of a program. 4. Wide Receivers Coach DelVaughn Alexander Alexander is respected for his work developing receivers, most recently third-round selection Miles Boykin, and he has strong recruiting ties to the West Coast, which could make him an attractive head coach candidate. 5. Special Teams Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator Brian Polian Polian has head coaching experience (Nevada 2013-16) and a driven style, especially as a highly respected recruiter. It was reported he was a finalist for the Bowling Green job this past offseason, and it would not be a surprise if he runs his own team again someday. MOST LIKELY NEXT HEAD COACH AMONG ASSISTANTS