One name that could creep into the NFL job openings conversation in the next few weeks is Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. Two media members with strong knowledge on the college and pro football fronts have floated Kelly’s name in recent weeks. With two marquee NFL franchises like the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns having open head coach roles, you have got to believe that Kelly would at least entertain the thought.
Here is what Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote in his Monday Morning Quarterback column last month.
“Speaking of [Chip] Kelly, after he initially said no to the Eagles in 2013, Philly called Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly,” Breer wrote. “And other teams had previously expressed interest. The Irish coach’s star fell when the program slumped, and NFL people have always wondering if he was a little too tough, in a Nick Saban-type way, for today’s pro athlete. But now that Notre Dame has rebounded? It’s not impossible that NFL teams start sniffing around again.”
Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, who is plugged into the college ranks, had this to say about Kelly potentially jumping to the pros.
“Brian Kelly told me three years ago, Notre Dame is not a place you coach at for 20 years. It’s too intense,” Cowherd said. “Three years ago and two years ago Brian Kelly put his name out there and had his agent sniff around the NFL. Nobody was interested. I am told there are a couple of NFL teams that have been really impressed with Brian Kelly this year. That he is getting the most in 2018 out of Notre Dame football. They’ve got tough academics. It’s a small private institution. Religious overtones, tough schedule. This is as good as Notre Dame can be. They’re not Alabama good, they’re not Clemson good. But there are NFL people interested in Brian Kelly. If the job was right he’d tap out at Notre Dame and quite frankly, I think it would be a great move by him.”
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