Now that the regular season is complete, Notre Dame’s search for a new head football coach goes into overdrive with athletic director Jack Swarbuck poised to interview candidates as soon as today. And he will have a recommendation for university president the Rev. John Jenkins as early as the middle of the week, sources told The Post.
Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly, who has said he would “entertain” overtures from Notre Dame, will do so. Kelly, because of his remarkable success as a head coach, his foundation in the Midwest and his engaging personality, make him a strong candidate.
Swarbuck said last week that success as a college head coach was an important factor. Kelly’s Bearcats just completed a 12-0 season capped by Saturday’s remarkable 45-44 come-from-behind win at Pittsburgh.
Kelly might have competition from within the Big East Conference. Other sources said that Connecticut’s Randy Edsall impressed several Notre Dame boosters with the way he handled the tragic mid-season stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard.
The Huskies then put on a very impressive performance by rallying for a 33-30 overtime victory at Notre Dame. Edsall has gained a reputation from getting the maximum out of his players. He also took UConn from the I-AA to I-A (FBS) level.
Other college head coaches who might be considered are Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh, North Carolina’s Butch Davis, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Houston’s Kevin Sumlin.
East Carolina’s Skip Holtz, the son of former ND coach Lou Holtz, has received some conversation. Florida’s Urban Meyer and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops have stated they will return to their respective jobs next season.