In the spirit of the holidays, here are a couple things all Notre Dame Football fans can agree they want by the start of the 2017 season.
A top-notch defensive coordinator
Without a doubt, defensive coordinator is a top priority for Brian Kelly and the Fighting Irish. At the top of most Irish fans’ wish list is Charlie Strong. Recently fired from the head job at Texas, Strong would be a perfect fit for the Irish.
Personality-wise, Strong fits in to the Notre Dame mission. At Texas, Strong was quick to cite the development of players as people. Having to constantly face questions about his job security, Strong took the high road. It was never his personality that got him in trouble.
From a football standpoint, Strong makes a lot of sense. Strong is well-versed on the defensive side of the football, having served as a defensive coordinator at Florida before he took his first head coaching job at Louisville. In all, Strong has done it all on the defensive side of the football, having coached defensive line and linebackers at a variety of stops. One of those stops was in South Bend: Strong was a defensive line coach at Notre Dame from 1995-1998.
Strong would be a grand-slam for the Irish. Not only does he fill a need on the field, but Strong is known as a great recruiter. He would be a great fit beside Kelly, who is notorious for allowing his assistants to take on much of the recruiting responsibilities.
Whether or not Strong is a likely possibility for the Irish, I can’t tell you. But it’s fun to dream, isn’t it? If the Irish strike out on Strong, Mike Elko from Wake Forest might be a name to keep an eye on for the position.
Stability
Barring something completely unforeseen, Brian Kelly will be back in 2017, so to an extent, the Irish will get this wish. However, it is not just at the head coaching position that the Irish need stability-it’s throughout the program.
The season started with a variety of question marks: Who would be the quarterback? Would the receivers hold up? Will the defense bounce back after a less-than-stellar 2015 season?
The Irish answered those questions in 2016. DeShone Kizer emerged as the quarterback, Equinameous St. Brown and Kevin Stepherson stepped up to catch the passes, and the defense needed a change of leadership to perform anywhere close to expectations.
If there was a silver lining in the 4-8 season, it’s that the Irish were able to allow young players the opportunity to get experience. Donte Vaughn, Troy Pride, Jr., Devin Studstill, and Jalen Elliot are just a few freshmen who got the opportunity to play many meaningful snaps in 2016.
Even off a disappointing season, the Irish are in a better place than they were a year ago. With so many players returning, the Irish know who will be on the field at most positions when Temple rolls in to South Bend to start the 2017 season. The one question mark is the quarterback position, as Irish fans wait to see whether DeShone Kizer will return to South Bend or head for the NFL. If he chooses the latter, Brandon Wimbush likely will be under center for the Irish.
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