Will Brian Kelly be able to get Notre Dame back to being a contender?

Are you just asking ND fans? And if so, why?

I mean, I am starting to wonder the same thing. I don't think the admissions factor has to be a big deal. To me, if you are a great coach, you can coach up any guy whom you recognize potential in. Look at what Harbaugh is doing at Stanford. I thought that because of Kelly's prior success, he'd be able to get ND on track, no question. But three games in it...it seems like mixed reviews, but I come down on the side of I don't see a lot different about ND yet. I know it's year one, but, frankly, I would have thought that they'd at least be able to beat some team from the state of Michigan.

Right now, the biggest issue I see with ND is the same one seen last year--defense. If Kelly and his staff can do something about that, then maybe they have a shot. I'm also starting to wonder if what it really will take to get ND back on track is joining a damn conference. I think their schedule is actually more ridiculous than it'd be in the Big Ten and definitely in the Big East, and then they are trying to play teams like Miami in the future, too? They are playing teams like Michigan, USC and now Stanford is good, and they have a lot of semi-decent teams like BC, Michigan State and Navy and like Washington was last season with no real cupcakes like teams in major conferences play at least in 3 of their games a season and often 5 games of their season. For other teams, cupcake games are where they get a chance to work on some of their issues and get backups playing time, and ND doesn't get this. And those semi-decent teams get an edge against ND just because they still act and play like beating ND would be a big deal. Plus, these kind of teams are getting better than they used to be, which is not the case for ND. Right now, with who ND is and the struggles they have, their schedule is too challenging for them. It adds to the issue of their not being a contender and people not seeing them as a powerhouse vs a team like Ohio State playing teams like Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Marshall...you can't be outside of the Big Six and get away with playing teams like that, so ND might really need to consider joining a conference.

As a son of a USC fan and a pretty big follower myself even I have to say he will. It's his first year and it's stupid to judge him now. ND is still the most prestigious school in the country and he'll be able to get players in no time. Look at it this way Brian Kelly had no trouble getting players at a Big East school in a pro football town with a stadium with 35.000 fans. He's always coached up under-achievers and is a very under-rated special teams coach. AS soon a he gets some players in he'll do pretty good I believe. Cause us Trojans fans want to upset a great Notre Dame team soon.

Notre Dame will be back, but I don't know if Brian Kelly will be the one to do it. ND will make the nation remember they are one of the greats again in the future. Just like Alabama did last season. Their time will come again.

Notre Dame hasn't been a contender for about 20 years.

The jury is still out, but he already appears to be an improvement over Weis.

you need to give kelly a year to get his feet wet, but right now he seems WAY out of his league...you look at his face during the game it looks like hes thinking 'why the hell did i leave the big east'