Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 SEPT. 28, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED T here are three job descriptions for a major college football coach that are relatively equally divided into thirds. One is outlining the vision and plan to his staff and then leading its implemen- tation. Two is recruiting the talent to make the plan credible and attainable. The third is public relations/schmooz- ing with alumni/dealing with media as "the face of the program." The latter is likely the least favorite aspect of all — although it is politically incorrect to ever admit it publicly. Long- time NFL coach Buddy Ryan probably summed it up best about his feelings on the media that other coaches might be less apt to say: "They can't help me if I lose, and I don't need them when I win." Yet at a place like Notre Dame espe- cially, public/media relations are cri- tiqued to the utmost. By any criteria, Dan Devine's six-year run at Notre Dame from 1975-80 would be considered a rousing success with three top-10 finishes and a consen- sus national title in 1977. Yet his lack of "charisma" possessed by predeces- sors such as Ara Parseghian (1964-74) or later successor Lou Holtz (1986-96) has often made him an afterthought in the school's coaching annals, or has him perceived as someone the Fighting Irish won with "in spite of him." Part of the appeal in hiring Gerry Faust to succeed Devine was he possessed the energetic, enthusiastic, ebullient and enamoring personality and public rela- tions skills that could "shake down the thunder," as opposed to Devine. It didn't take long to discover that it takes more than having a positive, up- lifting and exciting persona. Early on, Charlie Weis (2005-09) had a my-way-or-highway approach with media that he had learned from mentors Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells. However, it wears thin once you start losing. As one who has attended at least a cou- ple hundred conferences with eighth- year head coach Brian Kelly, I have gen- erally found him to be engaging, amiable, forthright and even, on occasion, honest to a fault and to his own detriment, a la calling center Sam Mustipher's snapping in hurricane-like conditions last year at North Carolina State "atrocious" (com- pletely unnecessary). Shortly after this year's Georgia game when in the heat of the moment Kelly took umbrage to an Indianapolis Star reporter's inquiry about whether yet another close defeat could prompt a re- peat of 2016, Kelly was roasted nation- ally for his contentious responses. Reporter: Obviously you made a ton of changes, changed the culture, every- thing. But obviously, you lost and at the very end, kind of like last year, seven of eight losses, how do you … Kelly: What's the question? Reporter: I'm getting to it. Kelly: Well, get to the question. Reporter: How do you keep this from snowballing? Kelly: It's not going to snowball. Next question. Reporter: Well, what exactly will be different, I guess? Kelly: There's nothing different. I go to work every day, and I coach my foot- ball team. Reporter: OK. Kelly: Is that — is that good enough for you? Reporter: Yeah, I was just asking about how it was different from last year's losing by one possession. Kelly: OK. Reporter: Tonight was also like that, so I was just wondering. Kelly: Losing by one possession? Reporter: Yeah. Kelly: No, it was one point. ESPN TV/radio college football ana- lyst Paul Finebaum said Kelly "is a jerk … a punk. He's closer to the end than he's ever been. That is going to help ex- pedite it. … He's not capable of dealing in the real world." As an SEC man, Finebaum regularly sees Alabama's Nick Saban, who has no peers when it comes to demeaning and sniping at reporters. But when you have five national titles to show for it as Saban does, whatever you do is deemed infallible. Wrote Pat Forde, one of the nation's best at covering college football, for Ya- hoo Sports: "This was the guy who has been billed as the New Brian, promot- ing a new culture: more calm, less of a purple-faced sideline rager; more posi- tive, less caustic; more at peace, less at war. … And then, on the last question of the press conference, the old jerk came out of hiding." Several days later Kelly expressed he could have handled the exchange better. Such is the way of life for a head coach anywhere, but particularly at Notre Dame. It was Holtz who said one of the worst things he can do is get into a battle with writers who "buy ink by the barrel." It was Michigan State's George Per- les (1983-94) who said what he learned earliest in coaching was that, and I paraphrase, "When you lose, everything you do is wrong. When you win, you can stick your finger up your a-- and walk backwards, and people say that's the way it needs to be done." "You know what charisma is?" Devine told Sports Illustrated during his final season in 1980. "Charisma is winning." Amen. ✦ BEST OF THE FIFTH QUARTER ✦ LOU SOMOGYI ✦ SEPT. 25, 2017 Winning Cures All, Even Arguing With Reporters EDITOR'S NOTE: The late, great Lou Somogyi possessed an unmatched knowledge of Notre Dame football, and it was his mission in life to share it with others. Those of us at Blue & Gold Illustrated would like to continue to provide his wis- dom and unique perspective from his more than 37 years covering the Fighting Irish for this publication. Dan Devine was thought to lack the charisma possessed by fellow Irish head coach Ara Parseghian (1964-74) and Lou Holtz (1986-96), but he told Sports Illustrated during his final season in 1980: "Charisma is winning." PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME