Brian Polian Is Coming Back To Notre Dame To Coach Special Teams

Coaching staff news for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is just flowing in from all directions right now. Former Nevada head coach and former Notre Dame assistant, Brian Polian, is coming back to Notre Dame to coach the special teams. Brian Kelly is returning to coach the Irish next year, and in doing so, he is making changes we have never seen from him before.

Before this season, Brian Kelly had never fired an assistant coach at Notre Dame. A 4-8 season and the proverbial hot seat that is fueled by the furnaces of hell itself will quickly change what you do and how you go about doing it.

Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder in September and just recently fired special teams and tight ends coach Scott Booker. Spots were open and now Kelly is closing them with recent hires of Mike Elko at defensive coordinator and Brian Polian for special teams.

It is an unconfirmed report that Polian will just coach special teams. This is potentially great news as the special teams have been so bad lately, a coach dedicated to just that unit is probably needed. Also, the addition of Brian Polian means that Notre Dame is getting another ACE recruiter. Remember, Polian was instramental in getting Manti Te’o to Notre Dame- a feat his new coaching colleague Mike Elko would greatly appreciate being repeated.

Brian Kelly is making a huge splash on the staff, and he probably isn’t finished. More unconfirmed reports of strength and conditioning coach, Paul Longo, being shown the door are surfacing, and Kelly genuinely appears to be willing to do all that is required to turn the program around as quickly as possible.

How much of that will actually help the team win more football games in 2017 is uncertain, but Kelly is out there hustling. Hustling every day to make that paper. I can respect that (finally).