Steve Wiltfong @SWiltfong247


Home Run Hire For #NotreDame. I'm expecting the #Irish to land Mike Sanford from Boise State to be OC/QB Coach

http://notredame.247sports.com/Article/N...d-35574024 …

9:30 AM - 11 Feb 2015


Bruce Feldman reports this as well:

http://www.foxsports.com/college-footbal...-oc-021115

Don't much about him but if Kelly will actually allow a running game to take root I'm for it.

(02-11-2015 01:52 PM)domer1978 Wrote:  Don't much about him but if Kelly will actually allow a running game to take root I'm for it.

Mike Sanford quote:

“When you look around at championship teams — conference championship teams and national championship teams — they can run the football. Your foundation is being able to run the football. Teams that throw it 85 times a game, you’ll put butts in the seats and you’ll have some stats that you’ll hang your hat on, but at the end of the day to win 11, 12, 13, 14 games — those teams can run the football. That’s something that I believe in.”

I don't know much about him either but he is supposed to be one of the best up and coming offensive coaches in the country, allegedly.

Great hire. But Brian Kelly's weakness is on defense, not offense. Even back to his time at Central Michigan, BK has been known for his offensive prowess.

ND scored more than 27 points in 4 of its 5 losses this year. They've scored at least 2 touchdowns in every single game for the past 3 years. On the other hand, this is a team that gave 39 points or more 5 times this year, including to the likes of Navy, North Carolina, and Northwestern. Even Syracuse, who averaged 16 points a game against FBS schools this year and finished 7th to last in total offense, managed to put up 15 points against ND.

Again, it's a great hire. But it would be better for the Irish if they hired a defensive genius.

(02-11-2015 02:28 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  Great hire. But Brian Kelly's weakness is on defense, not offense. Even back to his time at Central Michigan, BK has been known for his offensive prowess.

ND scored more than 27 points in 4 of its 5 losses this year. They've scored at least 2 touchdowns in every single game for the past 3 years. On the other hand, this is a team that gave 39 points or more 5 times this year, including to the likes of Navy, North Carolina, and Northwestern. Even Syracuse, who averaged 16 points a game against FBS schools this year and finished 7th to last in total offense, managed to put up 15 points against ND.

Again, it's a great hire. But it would be better for the Irish if they hired a defensive genius.

Agreed,but ND's defense was crippled last year by suspensions and injuries.

ND started 20 different guys on defense last year, including quite a few freshmen and redshirt freshman (sophomores at ND).

ND was the youngest team in FBS football last year and returns a ton of experienced talent in 2015.

Also, some of those bad defensive score totals resulted from Everett Golson's 22 turnovers, both a large number of pick 6's and critical turnovers deep in ND territory.

I am definitely of the belief that ND needs to get much better on defense, but since Brian Van Gorder was just hired as DC last year, I hope for improvement from returning starters and freshmen being a year older with experience, rather than a hiring of a defensive guru.

I look at the LSU bowl game as the 2015 template----run the ball a lot more, both with the backs and QB Malik Zaire, control the clock and keep the defense on the sideline.

(02-11-2015 02:44 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(02-11-2015 02:28 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  Great hire. But Brian Kelly's weakness is on defense, not offense. Even back to his time at Central Michigan, BK has been known for his offensive prowess.

ND scored more than 27 points in 4 of its 5 losses this year. They've scored at least 2 touchdowns in every single game for the past 3 years. On the other hand, this is a team that gave 39 points or more 5 times this year, including to the likes of Navy, North Carolina, and Northwestern. Even Syracuse, who averaged 16 points a game against FBS schools this year and finished 7th to last in total offense, managed to put up 15 points against ND.

Again, it's a great hire. But it would be better for the Irish if they hired a defensive genius.

Agreed,but ND's defense was crippled last year by suspensions and injuries.

ND started 20 different guys on defense last year, including quite a few freshmen and redshirt freshman (sophomores at ND).

ND was the youngest team in FBS football last year and returns a ton of experienced talent in 2015.

Also, some of those bad defensive score totals resulted from Everett Golson's 22 turnovers, both a large number of pick 6's and critical turnovers deep in ND territory.

I am definitely of the belief that ND needs to get much better on defense, but since Brian Van Gorder was just hired as DC last year, I hope for improvement from returning starters and freshmen being a year older with experience, rather than a hiring of a defensive guru.

I look at the LSU bowl game as the 2015 template----run the ball a lot more, both with the backs and QB Malik Zaire, control the clock and keep the defense on the sideline.

Which comes back to running the football effectively.

What then happens to Boise State without this OC?

They simply hire a new genius like Harsin and Peters before him.

@BJRains: Boise State and Bryan Harsin have agreed on a new 5-year contract worth $9.35 million...Up for approval by state board Thur.

Anything further on this? I haven't seen any kind of announcement.

(02-16-2015 07:48 PM)ken d Wrote:  Anything further on this? I haven't seen any kind of announcement.

Soon. ND goes into very extensive background checks for hires since George O'Leary.

It is a done deal except for the official announcement.