Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FAN FORUM with suspension and injuries led to a significantly disappointing season in 2014. Realistically … A) What does a mediocre 2015 season do to this program, Coach Kelly, and how it projects heading forward? B) What about an above average campaign … one of the major bowls? Simmer007: An 8-win season will continue to hurt the program long term. Kelly won't be on the hot seat, but it won't matter because no other top coach will want the job if open. Recruiting will continue to be good, not great. With a playoff berth, if Kelly stays, ND will finish with a few nice recruiting surprises, and 2017 will shape up to be a top 3 class. If Kelly leaves, Jack Swarbrick will have an easier time choosing his re- placement. Crash9010: 8-9 wins are disappointing and status quo for the program. 10 wins is my happy floor and would help the pro- gram. 11 wins/playoffs is superb and would boost the en- tire program as long as the entire staff doesn't leave (don't see that happening) t_money86: If he can win a championship at Notre Dame (got to it in 2012) plus go undefeated at Cincy, he definitely is a great coach and I am not sure I see him NOT trying out the NFL. Kroney9ND: I'm going to preface this by saying all my expectations are given with the assumption ND stays relatively healthy. Complete success — 11-plus wins, which include anything from a national title to a Big 6 bowl win. Average — 10 wins with a Big 6 bowl loss. With this team, not winning a Big 6 bowl would be disappoint- ing, but I'd live with it and not give up on Kelly. Anything less and I think I'm done with this coach. This by far is his deepest, most experienced and most talented team. If he can't get to 10 wins with this group, I don't think he's the guy that gets us to the next level of competing consistently. I understand ND will never compete annually like Ohio State, Alabama, etc., but we have to be better than 3-5 losses five of six years. 4simm: Another 8/9-win season in 2015 tells me BK has maxed out at Notre Dame. Anything less than a 10-14 win season will be a major disappointment. No excuses this year … time to get it done. Mh232365: Before Kelly got here, we didn't have a 3-year stretch where we didn't have a season with at least 6 losses. He is also the first of six ND coaches to not have a losing season in his tenure since Dan Devine. He has been the coach to get us to the next level of competing consistently. But as far as compet- ing for titles year in and year out, other than Urban Meyer who are you bringing in that can get Notre Dame to that level in today's football landscape? If we can't get Meyer, then Kelly is the best coach in the country to be at Notre Dame, 10 wins this year or not. But I do agree that there is little to no excuse with this team not to win 10 games. Ndgt100: Kelly should get coach of the year if he can get 9 wins out of this team after Jarron Jones' injury. Add in a first-year starting QB and a defense that was putrid last year and you've got your work cut out for you. ✦ BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007 Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com Want to stay up-to-date with all the Irish news? Like Us On Facebook: www.facebook.com/blueandgoldillustrated Follow Us On Twitter: www.twitter.com/BGInews