Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2020 19 coaching post at Holtz's alma mater Kent State in 1991, but was fired after a three-year record of 3-30. Tom Beck (1991) — Hired to have a major role in the offense, Beck left after one year to take the same posi- tion at the University of Illinois be- cause he felt he couldn't operate the offense the way he wanted with what he viewed as Holtz's micromanaging. Skip Holtz (1992-93) — The coach's son was given the title before accepting the UConn job in 1994. He has quietly established quite a head coaching career with a 143-107 over- all record, the past seven seasons coming at Louisiana Tech. He was 9-3 this year and is gunning for his sixth straight bowl win. Dave Roberts (1994-96) — Had the three-year run before Lou Holtz stepped down. Defensive coordina- tor Bob Davie was promoted to head coach, so Roberts became the head coach at Baylor, where he was fired after only two seasons following back-to-back 2-9 ledgers. Jim Colletto (1997-98) — The Pur- due head coach from 1991-96 was hired by Davie's new staff. Often ma- ligned, he left to join the NFL, where he would win a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. Kevin Rogers (1999-2001) — Pros- pered during the trip to the 2000 Fiesta Bowl, but was let go after Davie's ouster in 2001. Rogers later coached at Virginia Tech, Boston Col- lege and Temple, plus the NFL, be- fore retiring after his 2013-16 stint at William & Mary. Bill Diedrick (2002-04) — He was with head coach Tyrone Willingham all three seasons, and eventually retired as head coach at University High in Spokane, Washington in 2011. Mike Haywood (2005-08) — The Notre Dame graduate had the title, even though the offense was head coach Charlie Weis' domain as the central play caller. Haywood became head coach at Miami (Ohio) in 2009, and after a 9-4 season in 2010 was named head coach at Pitt, which never came to fruition because of a domestic altercation charge. Most recently, he stepped down as the head coach at Texas Southern in 2018 after a three-year mark of 8-25. Frank Verducci (2009) — The first-year offensive line coach was named "running game coordinator," although Weis continued to call the plays. But after a 6-6 season, almost the entire staff was replaced. BRIAN KELLY ERA The revolving door at offensive coordinator has continued as Kelly embarks on his 11th season next year at Notre Dame. Charley Molnar (2010-11) — Fol- lowed Kelly from Cincinnati to Notre Dame, and then was named head coach at UMass, where he was fired after a 2-22 mark in two seasons. Since 2014, he has been the quar- terbacks coach at the University of Idaho. Chuck Martin (2012-13) — After coaching the Irish defensive backs in 2010-11, he was shifted to the OC role. The Irish were 21-5 in his two seasons, although during the 12-1 campaign in 2012 they averaged only 25.8 points per game for 78th in the country. Martin was named head coach at Miami (Ohio), where he is 30-44 but won the Mid-American Conference championship this month while fin- ishing the regular season 8-5. Mike Denbrock (2014) — Also on Kelly's original staff, Denbrock suc- ceeded Martin and had the title for one year before his job description changed to associate head coach and wide receivers coach in 2015-16. He left for Cincinnati after the 4-8 campaign in 2016, and has thrived with the Bearcats, who are 21-5 the past two seasons. Mike Sanford Jr. (2015-16) — His arrival led to Denbrock's change in role and because Sanford's input was sup- posed to "turn the room upside down." Despite the 4-8 record in 2016, San- ford was named head coach at power- ful Western Kentucky in 2017, but was fired after a two-year mark of 9-16. He is currently the OC at Utah State. Including Long, that's 14 names in 30 years, or one per two seasons. They come and they go. ✦ Personnel News For Camping World Bowl • Because deposed offensive coordinator Chip Long also was the tight ends coach, taking on a col- laborative role of instructing the tight ends for the Camping World Bowl Dec. 28 were offensive analyst Pat Kramer and graduate assistant David "Chief" Kekuewa. "Chief had the tight ends in the spring at Minnesota," head coach Brian Kelly said. "He's got a good background with the offensive line. He's worked with tackles and tight ends, Pat will work with the passing game." • The first of 10 practices for the bowl game was held Dec. 14. Because Dec. 16-20 was final exams week, the practice schedule was limited to Sunday (Dec. 15), Tuesday (Dec. 17) and Thursday (Dec. 19), with the latter including scrimmage work. • Kelly indicated that everyone for the Irish who started in the regular-season finale at Stanford is available for the bowl game and no one has indicated he would sit out the contest. • All 11 fifth- and sixth-year prospects for 2020 have spoken with Kelly about their future, but the players will announce their own decisions when they see fit. "We have our [2020] roster set based on who's coming back and who's not coming back," Kelly said. Two of the 11 who will graduate but not return in 2020 are long snapper John Shannon and reserve linebacker and special teams regular Jonathan Jones. Shannon will begin a career in law enforcement in Evanston Ill., while Jones will be a graduate transfer elsewhere. BGI anticipates that quarterback Ian Book, offensive linemen Liam Eichenberg and Tommy Kraemer, and defensive ends Ade Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes will all return as starters for their fifth season of eligibility in 2020. Cornerback Shaun Crawford also could be back, but we are less certain about running back Tony Jones Jr., wide receiver Javon McKinley and safety Alohi Gilman. • Among young players in the first practice who received most of the work, Kelly singled out sopho- more wideout Joe Wilkins and freshman safety Litchfield Ajavon as standouts. — Lou Somogyi The Irish were 21-5 in Chuck Martin's two seasons (2012-13) as offensive coordinator. Currently the head coach at Miami (Ohio), his squad won the MAC championship this year and will play in the LendingTree Bowl Jan. 6. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA