Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/476884
Former North Carolina defensive line coach Keith Gilmore will as- sume the same responsibilities in South Bend. He brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to the staff and has past connections with K e l l y, D e n b ro c k and defensive co- o r d i n a t o r B r i a n VanGorder. " H e d i d s o m e g r e a t t h i n g s throughout his ca- reer," Kelly said of Gilmore. "He's developed first-round draft picks. Again, I think across the board I couldn't be more pleased with the staff and the makeup and the direc- tion that we're going. It just contin- ues to build the momentum across the board." The Irish also introduced a pair of names familiar to the fan base be- cause of their accolades while play- ing for Notre Dame — defensive backs coach Todd Lyght and running backs coach Autry Denson. Kelly noted that Denson, who was previously hired by South Florida this offseason after serving for former Irish offensive co- ordinator Chuck Martin at Miami (Ohio), earned himself an interview based purely on his history in the program. It's the interview, how- ever, that sold Kelly on hiring Notre Dame's all-time leading rusher. "I really didn't think I was going to hire him, quite honestly, until he in- "WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE HERE, EVERYBODY ON THIS STAFF HAS MADE A COMMITMENT THAT THE TITLE THAT THEY WANT THE MOST IS A NATIONAL TITLE." HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY