by Leprechaun Express & Steve Welsh
“#NotreDame football coach #BrianKelly is exploring options through his representatives to possibly leave the Fighting Irish program, a source said Saturday. Kelly’s representatives have had contact with other universities, a source told ESPN. Yahoo! Sports first reported Kelly’s interest in the possibility of leaving Notre Dame. ….”
“….. A season coach #BrianKelly described as a ‘nightmare’ ended unmercifully in the shadows of the Hollywood hills with a 45-27 loss to USC. ….”
“By The Numbers … 2 Losing seasons suffered by Brian Kelly in his 26 years as a college head coach. His first year at Central Michigan in 2004 produced a 4-7 mark, and his seventh at Notre Dame resulted in a worse 4-8. … 3 Teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, since the divisions were established in 1978, that still have never played a Football Champions Series opponent (formerly lower than Division 1-A): Notre Dame, USC and UCLA. …”
“Irish Head West For 88th Meeting With USC; 3:30 p.m. ET; Saturday, Nov. 26; Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (93,607); TV: ABC national telecast … RADIO: IMG College Sports is the exclusive national rights-holder for Irish football radio broadcasts … to 117 affiliates …. This broadcast can be heard live on SiriusXM Satellite Radio (channel 129). The broadcast will be preceded by a one hour pre-game show hosted by Tony Castricone with interviews conducted by Jack Nolan. It will be followed by a national post-game show hosted by Castricone, Criqui and Pinkett.”
“Brian Kelly’s worst season at Notre Dame took an embarrassing turn … the NCAA announced that academic misconduct orchestrated by a student athletic trainer will cost the storied program all 21 victories from the 2012-13 seasons, including the 12-0 run that vaulted the Fighting Irish into the national championship game against Alabama. … just the fourth time the NCAA has cited Notre Dame for a major rules violation. … The school ripped the NCAA for its decision to vacate the wins and immediately said it would appeal. … The Division I Committee on Infractions panel also put Notre Dame on probation for a year and ordered a $5,000 fine, penalties the school agreed with. There were no bowl or scholarship punishments. … Kelly … said he doesn’t believe he has any culpability in the case and has no reason to believe he won’t be back as Notre Dame’s coach next season. …”
“Notre Dame will be forced to vacate victories in the 2012 and 2013 football season due to NCAA violations by a student-trainer.
The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions panel ruled the trainer violated ethical conduct rules when she committed academic misconduct for two football players by completing their coursework. The two players and another also committed individual academic misconduct, and Notre Dame ruled they violated the school’s academic integrity policy.
The student-trainer also provided six other players with impermissible academic extra benefits in a total of 18 classes. …”
“A former University of #NotreDame student athletic trainer violated #NCAA ethical conduct rules when she committed academic misconduct for two football student-athletes and provided six other #football student-athletes with impermissible academic extra benefits, according to a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. One additional football student-athlete committed academic misconduct on his own.
The panel prescribed one year of probation, a two-year show-cause order and disassociation for the former student trainer, and a $5,000 fine for the university. During that time, if a member school hires the former student trainer in an athletically related position, she and the school must appear before a Committee on Infractions panel. ….”
“… The loss clinched a losing season for the Irish, just the 14th time in 128 seasons of playing football and the first since going 3-9 in 2007. They also failed to win back-to-back games for the first time since 1960. …”
“… Twice … Saturday, Notre Dame led Virginia Tech by 17 points. Once again … the Irish couldn’t hang on … in what ended in a 34-31 loss …. The defeat most likely spelled the end of any hopes the Irish (4-7) had of a bowl bid in what has been season stuffed with ‘what ifs’ and seven losses by eight points or fewer. With one game against USC standing between the Irish and a long offseason, Kelly could only rewrite in his head what has been a trying season in South Bend. …”
“Notre Dame … (4-7) could not hold off a second half Virginia Tech (8-3) comeback, as the Hokies escaped with a 34-31 win …. The Irish led by as many as 17 points in the first half but Virginia Tech managed to score 27 of the game’s final 34 points to earn the victory in the first matchup between the two programs. …”