Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
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40 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW said. "I think I've carved that out, and it first starts with you have to find time for your players. … Why do we all get into this? It's because you want relationships with your players." He acknowledges it definitely took far longer than he would have liked. Finally, he has now learned the right coaching balance to his daily routine, which is all the more reason he is motivated to capitalize upon it. "I have found that elixir that allows me to do the job that is required at Notre Dame — and still have the time to spend with the players," Kelly said. "That requires you put- ting together a great staff that can handle the football pieces and understand the complexi- ties of the job. "Sometimes it takes time, and in this in- stance maybe it took six or seven or eight years to get to that point." Among the additions has been former Notre Dame offensive lineman Hunter Bivin (2013-17) serving in the role of player de- velopment. In the two-week interim from June 3 to the start of summer school June 17, the players were involved in The Gold Stan- dard Program led by Bivin to aid develop- ment beyond the classroom. It included community involvement as well as renowned guest speakers, from Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed to Brenda Tracy, a gang rape survivor who now tours the country as an advocate toward ending the rampant sexual and relationship violence in football and anywhere else. "I talked to [2012-15 Notre Dame offen- sive lineman] Ronnie Stanley about her talk to the Baltimore Ravens, and he was moved more than any other speaker he's heard," Kelly noted. Meanwhile, the end of this summer will see the opening of the new football com- plex constructed right across from the Gug- lielmino Athletics Complex that houses the football staff. "My push was we need to provide our student-athletes with the very best resources because we ask them to do a lot," Kelly said. "We fell behind there — and we're catch- ing up. "That building will help us immeasurably. Now we don't have to get up a 6 o'clock in the morning and share the [current] facility with six other sports. … That helps in our rest and recovery." The immense renovation to Notre Dame Stadium through the Campus Crossroads project that was completed in 2017 and the personal investments into player develop- ment, mentally and physically, were fol- lowed by the advancement to the 2018 four- team CFP. Ultimately, nothing begets success like actual prosperity on the playing field. "It's taking advantage of your success and having a strategic plan that moves the pro- gram forward and continues the momentum of success," Kelly said. "There is more to come. It can't be just like what it was before we got here where we sat on our hands for a number of years and said, 'Hey, we are who we are.' That's not going to work. "There are plans to continue to move the program forward. I just felt like we had fallen behind, and we needed to do things for our student-athletes." Kelly noted how in the final half of the 2018 regular season the team traveled nearly 11,000 miles — which is why the overall support staff has expanded so dramatically in recent years. His main job, as he sees it, is to set the right tone in the office. "You have to provide resources for your players in terms of nutrition, rest and train- ing facilities, academics, logistics. … I want guys coming in here every day just jacked up and wanting to be here," Kelly said. Thinking about what his legacy will be as the Notre Dame football head coach with the longest tenure is merely wasted energy. "I don't worry about those things any- more," Kelly said. "I spend time with the players, stay focused on our process, coach our coaches and spend time with them and Although his second 12-0 regular season at Notre Dame in 2018 ended with a 30-3 defeat to Clemson in the College Football Playoff, Kelly believes the Fighting Irish program is on much stronger overall ground than after the 12-0 regular season in 2012 that finished with a blowout loss to Alabama. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA "I see this as we're back on the mission. … We're back on this challenge to win a championship and graduate all of our players. We're all pretty fired up about having the chance to do that again." KELLY