Notre Dame AD: Kelly will 'lead this team out of the tunnel' next year
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick iterated Friday that head coach Brian Kelly will return next season, regardless of how the club closes out the season.
"Brian will lead this team out of the tunnel opening day next year," Swarbrick told Matt Fortuna of ESPN.
Murmurs of a potential split between Kelly and the Fighting Irish have grown during the season, as Notre Dame has sunk to a 2-5 record and endured several controversies on and off the field.
A few weeks ago, Kelly called his center Sam Mustipher's snapping "atrocious," feeding the perception that Kelly blames his players for his shortcomings as a coach.
However, Swarbrick said Kelly has a "great" relationship with his team, and hasn't overstepped any boundaries with players.
"I guess I'd say I wish the perception matched the reality a little better," Swarbrick said. "I understand the perception, but we've got to work to alter that perception because it creates noise and gets in the way. But the reality couldn't be further from it.
"I'm not going to reveal the nature of the postgame discussion between Brian and the team after Stanford, but that was a discussion between a coach and a team who really care about each other and have a great relationship, and that's what I get to see every day. What we have to do is try to avoid the situation, which creates a different perception because that perception doesn't reflect the reality. We have to figure out how to be better at it."
Kelly's other controversial moments this season include briefly benching quarterback DeShone Kizer in last week's loss to Stanford, and later exchanging words with an opposing staffer at the end of the game. Kelly also fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder earlier in the season.
Kelly, in his seventh year at Notre Dame, has never lost more than five games in a season, but will have to run the table to avoid picking up a sixth wrong decision this year.
The Irish have a bye this week, and face Miami on Oct. 29.