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Leading the Irish Forward

No matter the outcome of the Cotton Bowl, 2018 marked a clear reflection of the Fighting Irish legacy forged from the 1960s through the 1980s. For Brian Kelly to truly bring the Irish back to the glory of these years, he needs to consider his own path to South Bend in combination with the coaching style of Notre Dame’s heyday, especially as the players and coaching staff have learned from the 2016 season in particular to become a stronger team. Communication was arguably more critical in determining Lou Holtz’s coaching success than any strategy in the playbook. The same goes for the growth of the team since 2016 as Kelly has worked to shape the culture and relationships of the team into a more cohesive structure.

Breaking From the Bearcats

Kelly has no room to slip up in his enhanced approach to his communication and relationships with coaching staff members and players. His exit from the University of Cincinnati came in the form of press commotion and a poorly timed announcement at the Bearcats’ annual team banquet right before the team’s first Sugar Bowl. No matter the degree of Kelly’s choice in the transition, the mixed messages he sent to players came to be some of the most permanently defining factors in perceptions of him as a leader. He has more in his past to hold him accountable than any other coach would going through the same communicative and cultural transitions with a team.


Lou Holtz: Bringing the Historic Legacy Forward

The man responsible for the nameless jerseys, the iconic locker room sign, and the team’s most recent championship title will be the most effective example for the team’s coaching staff heading into 2019. Lou Holtz led the Irish to their most recent Cotton Bowl win on New Year’s Day 1994. Although the hard work through this past season did not result in a Cotton Bowl victory, Holtz’s influence has been evident through Kelly’s efforts to revamp the team’s culture. In a 2015 Wall Street Journal interview, Holtz recalled meaningful insight from Father Ted Hesburgh as he started his Notre Dame coaching career, "I’m going to announce to the world that Lou Holtz is head coach at Notre Dame… I’m going to give you that title, ‘cause titles come from above. What I cannot do is I cannot name you the leader. Players will determine if you are a leader." Holtz went on to emphasize the need for a vision and a plan for effective leadership. The Fighting Irish who went undefeated in this past regular season have played under a clearly defined vision and plan, but the team will only be able to grow from here if Kelly maintains awareness of his own past and the players’ ownership in his role on the team.

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