CSN Article: Why VanGorder failed at ND
In essence, he promised a Don Brown defense but didn't deliver.
http://www.csnchicago.com/notre-dame/notre-dame-what-brian-vangorder-se…
Sorry for the clumsy link--bit of a luddite here.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:10 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 3:10 PM ^
Remind to never visit CSN Chicago ever again. A website seemingly dedicated to the elimination of any and all white space coupled with an auto-play ad you cant shut off and hidden video controls so you cant stop the video once the ad goes away.
I'm sure the content was good but damn that site was tough to take.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:21 PM ^
I agree i had to get off that site, i started having vertigo symptoms.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:13 PM ^
The biggest failure at ND is Brian Kelly. Time for him to go next.
September 27th, 2016 at 4:26 PM ^
I don't know. I kinda like him there. Now that we have Harbaugh, Kelly in no way, shape, or form intimidates me. I think Harbaugh coaches circles around that guy! I'd hate for them to fire Kelly and then they pick up a coach with a pulse.
I hope ND consistently wins just enough games under Kelly so that they achieve zero national prominence yet - simultaneously and akwardly - they can't fire him! 8-win seasons at ND are the best!
September 27th, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 7:28 PM ^
He would have to lose a lot to get fired.
He killed a kid, refused to comply with the investigation and didn't get fired.
September 28th, 2016 at 11:39 AM ^
Brian Kelly went 2-2 against Brady Hoke. With Harbaugh on our sideline, BK can coach at ND as long as he wants as far as I'm concerned.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:14 PM ^
It sickens me that he shut us out in 2014.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:16 PM ^
Don't sell Doug Nussmeier short on that result. Lots of credit to go around for that fiasco.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:24 PM ^
But I thought all of our problems on offense were due to Borges.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:47 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 3:22 PM ^
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September 27th, 2016 at 3:34 PM ^
It led to Harbaugh. It makes me smile.
September 27th, 2016 at 4:40 PM ^
No loss to ND can make me smile. That game (and season) may have been a necessary evil but it was an evil nonetheless.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:47 PM ^
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September 27th, 2016 at 8:48 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 3:15 PM ^
Coordinating a college defense: Not so easy a caveman can do it.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^
His defense at South Carolina was putrid. Auburn was terrible. His defenses in Atlanta were average. His only successful stint as a defensive coordinator came at UGA and that was 15 years ago but he gets hired because NFL looks really shiny on a resume and he won the Broyles Award in 03.
He's like the Al Borges of defensive coordinators.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:16 PM ^
I bet VanGorder wishes he could go back and do things over at ND.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:21 PM ^
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September 27th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 3:51 PM ^
That had not occurred to us, Dude.
September 27th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 6:36 PM ^
And also RIP Mr. Lebowski, David Huddleston
September 27th, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^
Who had also went way overboard on using "Just for Men" coloring on his goatee?
September 27th, 2016 at 3:22 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
A couple of deceptively-good-looking items on the resume surrounded by horribleness.
Dumb head coaches ignore the horribleness and think they're hiring only the good parts.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:27 PM ^
“There's not too much defense,” Kelly said. “There's probably too much analysis maybe, and we're going to streamline it and we're going to keep it fundamentally sound, certainly and we're going to allow our kids to play fast and free, and have some fun at it.”
But fast and free of coverage responsibilities is exactly what VanGorder was trying to run, right? That's what it looked like to me anyway.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:41 PM ^
Same cliches you hear for literally every other DC hire in football.
September 27th, 2016 at 5:09 PM ^
Except Don Brown. I loved his interview last week, and he said it wasn't easy learning his defense but the team was doing their best.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^
Can you imagine anyone having fun playing for Kelly?
September 27th, 2016 at 4:11 PM ^
with Kelly's presser. In times like these, the coach should defer the blame from the players onto the staff. There was no greater attribute on Bo's resume than inspiring passion and desire in his players. His "upset of the century" in '69 was a direct result of his ability to motivate his players to play at their best level always. I cannot even comprehend the thought of him blaming a loss, or worse a trend on his players instead of where it truly belongs. Not a wise move on his part.
September 27th, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
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September 27th, 2016 at 7:02 PM ^
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September 27th, 2016 at 8:31 PM ^
His players hated him and fuck was his word of the day every day.
September 27th, 2016 at 3:27 PM ^
looks like he lives in a van down by the St. Joseph River... (Uncle Rico / Matt Foley Style)
September 27th, 2016 at 3:32 PM ^
September 27th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^
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September 27th, 2016 at 3:56 PM ^
So criteria for the next DC at notre dame are...
- college coaching experience at a power 5 school
- NFL coaching experience
- "Creates chaos" through "decided schematic advantage"
- Not named "Brian"
September 27th, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^
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September 28th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^
Did somebody call for Captain Front Butt?
September 27th, 2016 at 3:58 PM ^
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September 27th, 2016 at 4:51 PM ^
September 28th, 2016 at 10:53 AM ^
Like you said, Kelly just signed a contract extension in January. He has five years left on his contract after this season, and is earning about $4M per year. So assuming most or all of his contract is guaranteed, ND would be looking at a buyout of up to about $20 million.
I know ND has a money hose of their own, but that's still a pretty steep payout. I'd guess that they give Kelly at least one more season. Charlie Weis got three crappy seasons before getting fired, so even if ND goes something like 6-6 this season, they'll give Kelly another shot before just eating his contract.
September 27th, 2016 at 4:50 PM ^
Mr. VanGorder is actually from White Lake and lives there with his family. His boys played football growing up at Lakeland High School and OLSM both in Oakland county. He was always around practice at OLSM, and if I'm not mistaken I believe he's a good friend of Dino. Maybe he will make his way up to EL or a in state Mac school.
September 27th, 2016 at 5:07 PM ^
I guess you reap what you sow.
(From Seth's writeup on the Sound Mind/Sound Body camp in June).
THE COACHES ARE GENERALLY COOL AND COOL WITH EACH OTHER
Dantonio was smiling and joking around; this is his element as much as it is Harbaugh's, and it's a very different side of the guy we've been up against. There were only two coaches who stayed generally aloof from other coaches and players: Urban Meyer, and the guy with Urban Meyer. (Notre Dame DC who looks and acts exactly like Uncle Rico it's uncanny) Brian Van Gorder is a loud and scary man who did about 15 minutes of scouting and spent the rest of the time chatting it up with old friends (he went to Wayne State); spend more than 8 minutes with him and you're in danger of being sucked deep into the 1980s.
September 27th, 2016 at 6:04 PM ^
Every DC says they are going to run an aggressive blitzing scheme. Unfortunately it sounds way cooler than it winds up being. Not everyone can do it . . . .