Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick issued a vote of confidence for head coach Brian Kelly last Friday.
As votes of confidence go, Swarbrick's was about as strong as you can get: "Brian will lead this team out of the tunnel opening day next year," he said at the time.
Swarbrick continued: "I can tell you I continue to have complete confidence in Brian. I think you really see what you’ve got in a coach with how they manage times like this, and I think he has done a great job of it."
On Tuesday, Kelly explained that he was disappointed in Swarbrick's statement. He wasn't disappointed in Swarbrick for saying it or for the words that he used, but that his AD felt compelled to give one in the first place.
"Well I was disappointed actually," he told ESPN.com. "But anytime that your athletic director has to come out and say that, as a head coach you're disappointed that any kind of comments like that have to be made. So I didn't ask him, that was his decision, but I clearly understand what he was doing. He was probably sick and tired of being sick and tired, too. But for me it's disappointing, certainly, that you have to make those comments."
Kelly is 57-28 at Notre Dame, including marks of 55-23 leading into this season and 39-13 from 2012-15. He's the most successful coach Notre Dame has had since Lou Holtz's 100-30-2 run ended in 1996. He's embraced and adapted to the unique demands of the job.
To think Notre Dame would usher him out after a 2-5 start is sheer lunacy.