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.
No comments:
Post a Comment