Breaking down Notre Dame’s defensive coaches (part 3 of 4 part series)

Below is how the Irish defensive coaching staff stacks up. Each coach is ranked on a five-star scale.

Bob Diaco, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebacks Coach — Two Stars

The soon-to-be 37-year-old Diaco may have the biggest task of all in sorting out a Notre Dame defense that was ranked No. 86 in the country last season.

After spending a season under Kelly at Central Michigan, Diaco worked the defensive sidelines at the University of Virginia before rejoining Kelly last season as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator.

He will likely be under heavy scrutiny, as Kelly defenses historically have yielded many points thanks to his quick-strike offensive philosophy (Kelly’s 2009 Bearcats were last in the country in time of possession, but were first in total points scored).

Diaco will implement the 3-4 defense in South Bend, and it will be interesting to see if he can handle the burden placed on him by Kelly’s offense. He tends to be a poor interviewer, and may have a hard time explaining lackluster defensive performances to Irish Nation.

Chuck Martin, Defensive Backs Coach — Four Stars

Kelly failed to persuade Martin to leave Division 2-powerhouse Grand Valley State University at his previous two coaching stops, but this time the allure of Notre Dame was enough to get him.

Martin served as defensive coordinator under Kelly at GVSU before taking over the reigns upon Kelly’s departure to Central Michigan. In his time as head coach, Martin led Grand Valley to three National Championship games, and won two of them. The Lakers never finished outside of the top 10 under his control.

He is a natural leader with a lot of charisma and should be a great asset on the recruiting trail. While Martin’s main role will be coaching the defensive backs, it is possible he will have some influence on schemes and play calling.

If for some reason Diaco cannot turn around the Irish defense, expect Martin to be next in line.

Mike Elston, Defensive Line Coach and Special Teams Coordinator — Five Starts

Elston is the gem of Kelly’s staff, and he brings a lot to the table for the Irish. He served as an assistant head coach under Kelly at Cincinnati, and was the recruiting coordinator for the Bearcats in 2007 and 2008.

He was responsible for keeping Charlie Weis’ recruits on board during the coaching transition.

This guy can do it all, and he does it all very well. At both Central Michigan and Cincinnati, Elston commanded stellar special teams squads and should being the same expertise to South Bend.

Much like Martin, Elston could be plucked from the ranks if this staff finds success.

Kerry Cooks, Outside Linebackers Coach — Three Stars

After spending the last three seasons as Wisconsin’s defensive backs coach, Cooks is another up-and-comer on the Irish staff worth keeping an eye on.

Cooks will be responsible for grooming Manti Te’o, one of the most talented linebackers in college football, for the next three seasons. Although inexperienced, Cooks should have great chemistry with Diaco, a college teammate of Cooks at the University of Iowa.

It is likely he will be assisted some by Elston, who oversaw the linebackers for Kelly at both Central Michigan and Cincinnati.

Paul Longo, Strength and Conditioning Coach — Five Stars

Longo brings 18 years of strength and conditioning experience at the Division 1 level to the Irish program. He has already developed a reputation after making several players vomit during the opening stretches of offseason workouts.

He announced an ambitious plan to ensure every Notre Dame offensive lineman with have 18 percent or less body fat composition.

The peak physical fitness of Longo’s teams has led to an amazing 42-1 record over the last five seasons when leading after 3 quarters.

Breaking down Notre Dame’s offensive coaches (part 2 of 4 part series)

Only two months into the job, Brian Kelly has completely filled the Notre Dame coaching staff.

Kelly surrounded himself with a young staff of coaches whom he knows and can trust. Several migrated from Cincinnati, and he brought his old friend Chuck Martin in from Division 2 Grand Valley State University as well.

Jeff Quinn’s departure to Buffalo was a definite blow to Kelly’s staff, but he should be very content with the remaining results.

Wide receivers coach Tony Alford survived as the only holdover from the Charlie Weis era. The only big-name assistant from outside the Kelly coaching tree is Ed Warriner — the decorated offensive line coach who previously fueled the high-octane spread offense at Kansas.

Below is how the Irish offensive coaching staff stacks up. Each coach is ranked on a five-star scale.

The Offense

Charley Molnar, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach — Four Stars

It is likely Molnar was originally pegged as the wide receivers coach, but after Quinn took the head coaching position at Buffalo, Molnar became the most logical choice. Molnar is a seasoned veteran who mentored the wide receivers at Cincinnati while also serving as the passing game coordinator.

Molnar has been Kelly’s “eye in the sky” in the past — he typically calls the game from the booth — and that role will probably continue in South Bend. While Kelly has always controlled his offense, but he is occasionally assisted by Molnar.

Molnar is a great strategist and facilitator, and will prove to be an extremely valuable asset for the Irish.

Ed Warinner, Offensive Line Coach — Five Stars

Warinner is the real wild card in the coaching staff as he has no previous ties to Kelly or to Notre Dame. He lead Kansas’ offensive line for the past three seasons, and the Jayhawks run a very similar spread offense to the one Kelly ran at Cincinnati.

During Warriner’s tenure at Kansas, the offense averaged over 35 points per game and the offensive line pave the way for an elite passing attack. His experience will prove to be a very important acquisition, especially considering his strong recruiting ties and fresh perspective.

He was a semi-finalist for assistant coach of the year in 2009 and should shore up the Irish line for years to come.

Tony Alford, Wide Receivers Coach — Four Stars

Alford is the lone holdover from the last staff, but will change roles under Kelly. Notre Dame’s former running backs coach will now be in charge of the talent-filled pool of receivers left behind by Weis.

He is probably the greatest recruiter on the staff. Alford was able to secure a commitment from highly-touted recruit Louis Nix before the Irish had even named a new head coach.

With coaching experience at several different positions, Alford will have a very different, pro-style perspective to share with Kelly and his high-octane spread offense.

Mike Denbrock, Tight Ends Coach — Three Stars

Denbrock’s hiring shocked many Irish fans because of the nine years spent under former Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham (Four at Notre Dame, Five at Washington). He was most likely brought in as a result of his six years spent with Kelly at Grand Valley as both and offensive and defensive coordinator.

Kelly’s vision and philosophies are very familiar to Denbrock, and he will help instill those in South Bend.

Furthermore, Pac-10 ties developed from Denbrock’s time at Washington will make him a great asset in West Coast-recruiting, and having a former Irish staff member return will help Kelly grasp the atmosphere at Notre Dame.

Tim Hinton, Running Backs Coach — Three Stars

Hinton is another hire from the Cincinnati staff, where he served as the recruiting coordinator and running backs coach in 2009. Under his tutelage, Bearcat running backs had the fewest turnovers at the position in all of college football.

He understands the role of running backs in the spread offense and has been successful in grooming backs into versatile, multifaceted weapons. Hinton’s backs can run routes like wide receivers and pass protect like linemen. And, they do not fumble.

Although Kelly’s offense likes to air-it-out more more often than not, the running back position is very crucial to its success and Hinton should continue to do a good job of facilitating that.

Brian Kelly’s immediate impact at Notre Dame (part 1 of 4 part series)

Like a poised presidential candidate, Brian Kelly nonchalantly made his way to the podium in South Bend Dec. 11 to show Irish Nation the new face of their organization. Dare I say he looked good?

Kelly’s pedigree is not in question. He is the son of an old Boston Irish-Catholic politician. He was raised on Notre Dame lore. He established his coaching career in the Midwest. Did I mention he’s a Kelly?

Just five minutes into his opening press conference, Kelly spit out sound bites which will live on for years:

“There’s a football coach, and then there’s the football coach at Notre Dame, because nobody, nobody does it like Notre Dame.

“We don’t have a five-year plan, we have a five-minute plan and we’ll start working on it immediately.

“You do not come to the University of Notre Dame because you want to be average. You want to be the best of the best. That’s why I’m here.

“Our football players will continue to represent the motto of Notre Dame. I want tough gentlemen … I want gentlemen off the field that we all can be proud of.”

Kelly shifted into overdrive during the past month and has significantly reshaped Norte Dame’s ailing program. Will it be for better or for worse? Only time will tell.

He instituted his “Notre Dame Creed,” a motto every Irish player is supposed to learn, recite and live by. Although few details about the creed have emerged, Kelly insists it stresses the core values of not only his team, but also of the university as a whole.

“Camp Kelly,” an offseason condition program, is teaching his players a different definition of being in shape.

Most importantly, Kelly is reviving an old culture — a culture reminiscent of the 80s and 90s when the Irish were the planet’s most respected football team both on and off the field.

Back when Notre Dame meant something. When Notre Dame was still Notre Dame.

Kelly understands what the Irish faithful mean when they want a return to glory. It is more than winning football games. It is doing it the right way. Doing it Notre Dame’s way.

South Bend houses more lore than any other college campus in the country. The tradition, the legends and the mystique that floats around that campus are still enough to send shivers down the spines of opponents and excitement up the spines of recruits.

The last 15 years, however, have seen Notre Dame’s mystical power slowly fading away. The Irish may not withstand another mediocre coach without falling into irrelevance.

Kelly knows. Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick knows. Most importantly, the fans know.

If Kelly can muster a turnaround while working his “dream job,” it will be a very happy and fulfilling marriage for years to come. The weight on his shoulders may be heavier than any other coach in the country.

Failure is not a road Irish fans care to venture.

2009 Heisman went to the wrong running back

Archie Griffin, Reggie Bush, OJ Simpson, Barry Sanders, Mark Ingram.

Which name doesn’t seem to fit?

In the line of great Heisman running backs and Heisman Trophy winners in general, Alabama’s Ingram simply doesn’t stack up.

The winner of the Heisman is supposed to be the best college football player in the country.The best player in the country must be the best player at the position and the best player on his team.

Ingram is not the best running back in the country

The Thursday before the Heisman presentation, Stanford’s Toby Gerhart was given the Doak Walker award signifying him as the nation’s No. 1 running back.

Ingram may only be the country’s third best running back, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to call him the fifth or six best. Five running backs who could be placed in front of Ingram:

1) Gerhart

Little needs to be said here. Coming down the stretch run, Gerhart carried a mediocre Stanford team on his back for victories against Oregon, USC and Notre Dame by averaging 202 yards and three touchdowns per game (not to mention a passing touchdown against the Irish). Gerhart thrived on the big stage and shattered records while doing so.

2) LaMichael James

After the infamous “Blount Punch,” the 5-foot-9-inch James took the Pac 10 conference by storm. The true freshman do-it-all back fueled the most high-octane offense in college football. In 10 games as the starter he rushed for 1,468 yards and 14 touchdowns.

3) CJ Spiller

The Clemson senior racked up 1,212 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Add in 506 yards and four touchdowns through the air, and he accounted for half of Clemson’s offense. Sprinkle in 965 more yards and five more touchdowns in the return game, and you have the biggest home run threat in college football.

4) Deon Lewis

Pittsburgh’s true freshman is the only player the author has ever said reminds him a little of Sanders. Lewis, a nightmare for defensive coordinators all year, rushed for 1,799 yards and 17 touchdowns. He performed well on the big stage, rushing for 194 yards and three touchdowns in the Big East championship game against Cincinnati.

5) Jahvid Best

Before his season-ending injury, Best was easily leading the Heisman race. In nine games, the Cal back had totaled 838 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and had 217 yards and 4 touchdowns receiving. Dennis Dixon received Heisman votes in 2007, and the same case could have been made for Best.

6) Ingram

Ingram was the leading rusher on the best team in the country. His 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns held defenses in check and protected a freshman quarterback all year. He thrives on contact and is very difficult to bring down one-on-one in the open field.

While Ingram is not getting a whole lot of love on this list, the rankings really are not all that crazy.

Ingram is not Alabama’s best player

Ingram may be the most logical choice as the Crimson Tide’s best player. However, it would not be out of the question to make a case for quarterback Greg McElroy, receiver Julio Jones or linebacker Rolando McClain.

While Ingram was a very strong, consistent back throughout the season, he ran behind one of the best offensive lines in all of college football and played in a run-happy offense. In big games, Ingram rarely led the Alabama offensive charge.

Against LSU, the game ball went to Jones who had 102 yards receiving and a touchdown. The rest of the offense struggled, and Ingram did not score.

Terrance Cody received the game ball against Tennessee. Cody blocked two field goals to help keep Alabama’s undefeated season alive as the offense failed to reach the end zone. Ingram, meanwhile, did not score and coughed up a costly fumble.

McElroy grabbed the game ball against Auburn by putting up 218 yards and two touchdowns through the air. One of the touchdowns came on “The Drive.” Ingram did not score and put up only 30 yards.

Ingram finally nabbed a game ball against Florida by rushing for 113 yards and three touchdowns. That is a great night by any measure, and his statistics alone earn him some respect. However, to continue playing devil’s advocate, Ingram’s longest run was 15 yards, and the three touchdowns were just goal-line punch-ins. Averaging 4 yards per carry on 28 touches is not a dominating performance by any means. McClain deserved the game ball just as much for effectively shutting down Tim Tebow.

Again, all this is not to say Mark Ingram isn’t a great football player. He is, and is one of the top 10 in the country. He is just not deserving of the Heisman Trophy.

The trophy could have gone to a number of deserving candidates this year, as there was no obvious choice. This factor made for the most interesting Heisman race in years. No matter who won the award, criticism was sure to follow.

With so many players able to make a case for the trophy this year, who should it have gone to?

Gerhart.

For those readers who think the author is nothing more than an Ingram hater, ask yourselves a question. If you having a fantasy draft for college football, who would you take with the first overall pick? Would you take Ingram? He’s not worthy of being in the top 5.

After Spiller was snubbed and we were down to the five finalists, this is how the voting for the Heisman should have gone:

1) Toby Gerhart
2) Ndamukong Suh
3) Colt McCoy
4) Mark Ingram
5) Tim Tebow

Photo courtesy Core37 on Flickr. It is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic license.