Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/259072
BY ANDREW OWENS A bove all other criteria, head coach Brian Kelly said he sought out a superb teacher when searching for a new defensive coordinator to fill the shoes of Bob Diaco. In Brian VanGorder, Kelly thinks he's found his man. VanGorder, 54, has been handed the reins to a defense replacing five key contributors from the front seven and cornerback Bennett Jackson from its starting unit this past season. Kelly said VanGorder fits the profile of a coach up to the challenge of ushering in a new- look defense in 2014. "First and foremost, when you're talk- ing about the ability to bring together our defensive players, you need the abil- ity to communicate and to teach, and Brian is one of the very best teachers, if not the best teacher, that I've ever been around," said Kelly, who coached with VanGorder at Grand Valley State Uni- versity from 1989-91. "He understands player development, and so anyone that I want to be around on a day-to-day basis has to understand the important principles of player development in bringing them along and really under- standing how important it is to get those traits out of our players. They're not ready made. "The players that we bring here to Notre Dame, we have to develop them, and not just on the football field, but off the field as well. Brian understands that." News of VanGorder's hiring broke in the hours following the Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 28 in New York, but Notre Dame did not officially announce the move until Jan. 13. The former Jets lineback- ers coach did not provide much detail on the events that led to his accepting a job with the Irish, but said he was not allowed to watch practice when Notre Dame prepared at the Jets' facility in the days leading up to the bowl game. For Kelly and VanGorder, many years of friendship finally culminated in a re- union for the pair. "My first college experience with [Kelly] … for my first time around in college football, was nothing but just great memories," VanGorder said. "The three years that we spent together in- volved a lot of success, and then it in- volved a head coach leaving and [Kelly] becoming the head coach and then mov- ing me into the defensive coordinator position. "So we just worked really well to- gether. Our players reflected that as you watched them play. We have personali- ties that worked well together and [we] anticipate that that's remained the same, REUNITED Brian VanGorder brings experience and familiarity to Brian Kelly's program