Notre Dame Football Coach: Not So Great Of a Job Anymore

Notre Dame is a shell of its former self.

Sure they have a stud quarterback that can put points on the board with the best of them. But the tradition in South Bend is fading faster than the value of the dollar. It isn't prestigious to go to Notre Dame anymore.

As the Fighting Irish wrap up another disappointing season; the status of Charlie Weis continually is questioned. If he were to be fired, Cincinnati's Brian Kelly and ESPN's Jon Gruden have been mentioned as a successor (along with Urban Meyer, but he would be straight loony to leave the swamp).

My question is why?

Why would Kelly leave a program right as they are peaking? Kelly is quickly achieving a tremendous reputation in the Cincinnati area and the fans think the man turns everything into gold. He can do no wrong in the Queen City, turning into one of the biggest figures in the whole state of Ohio in 2009. Why leave the throne?

With quarterback Jimmy Clausen possibly leaving after this year, whomever takes over will have to enter the dreaded "rebuilding stage." The backup quarterback is saddled with an ACL injury that will keep him out of next year's spring practice.

It will be rocky for whomever takes over. So if you're Kelly, why piss off the same people that worship you and willingly be placed under a gigantic microscope of second guessing and criticism?

Jon Gruden has settled in nicely as an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst. He brings strong passion and valuable insight to the table every week.

Lots of swirling rumors report that a return to coaching in 2010 is eminent for Gruden. But will he have the patience to deal with college kids after being in the NFL for so long? Not to mention the lack of recruiting experience he brings to the table.

Think about football in the Fighting Irish's heyday under Lou Holtz, and think about it now. Back then, being on TV every game was a huge deal. Now every BCS conference team has games on T.V. The Big Ten even has its own channel.

The team hasn't won a championship in 21 years and hasn't had a Heisman winner in 22, yet the ridiculously high expectations from the fan base continue. The tradition of a school is a non-factor for kids today, that used to be a major selling point at Notre Dame.

It's not a great place to go to school in terms of hot girls or campus/town life either. That is a major reason why the Florida schools, Texas, and USC are flourishing. They have the "extras" that ND can't provide. The weather stinks, lots of rain and wind. Why deal with that when you can go to school next to a beach?

While everyone else is battling for conference titles, Notre Dame is on an island as an independent. As a player, if you lose three games, you have nothing to play for. And playing USC every year doesn't help.

So what is appealing about the Notre Dame job? Money. It's a fat pay check that can rarely be matched. And unfortunately in college football, the coaches follow the money. So even if Gruden or Kelly read this article, the endless money symbols will cloud their judgement. This is how Notre Dame stays relevant ... $$$.

As you listen to the never ending debates about Charlie Weis getting fired just remember that the same debates will continue to ring, regardless of the head coach. But when the $$ is right, most coaches can handle that juuuust fine.