Brian kelly burnt ends is a legend at Division II Grand Valley State. The coach didn’t have a losing record during his first decade on the job and won 4 national titles in 2 seasons.
During his time at GVSU, Kelly developed Mardy Gilyard into a star WR. Connor Barwin was shifted to DE and became an NFL draft pick. He also pushed QB Tony Pike from fifth on the depth chart to an NFL starter.
He got the best out of players and turned them from good to great
There are plenty of reasons why brian kelly was the most successful coach in the history of Notre Dame, but one that stands out among all the rest is his ability to turn underachievers into stars. It’s not a strategy that everyone can buy into, but it is an important one.
He was able to do that because of his ability to find where players fit. He did this at Grand Valley State where he was known for defense, but he embraced the spread offense and brought it to a new level.
The spread offense was a huge part of the success that Kelly had at Cincy and it helped him get the best out of Mardy Gilyard, Tony Pike, Connor Barwin and Jason Kelce. These guys were all underachievers before Kelly came to GVSU, but once they started playing the spread offense they went from being good to great.
That ability to make the most out of players was a big reason why he was so successful at Notre Dame, but it is an important one for any college football coach to have. It will be a challenge for him to do that at LSU, but he is ready and willing to do it.
