[Goose]

As to administration antipathy towards him it's hard to imagine that being an issue as long as he kept winning 10-11 games each year.

Really? Trust me, even at Stanford there is significant (though not overwhelming) antipathy to sports in general and to football in particular. Lots of people just don't believe athletics belongs at a University. Add to that the cost of sports and the (perceived at least) inordinate power of the Athletic Department its is a big issue to many people. It is in the mix at many schools, Kal being an example where it has significant effect. Probably it is a very, very small minority at LSU. Notre Dame has always existed in tension between what the administration wants to be true and what it takes to win. To what degree that bothered Kelly is anybody's guess, but it for sure exists.

I interpreted your post to mean that he was feeling pressure to move on from some parts of the administration. In any case, while I am sure it's true that there are faculty who are bothered by the importance of the football program at Notre Dame it's even more true that the football program is a big part of their brand and that university presidents there have historically been heavily invested in the program's continuing success for obvious reasons.

As I posted there indeed was tension in terms of Kelly not getting everything he asked for there, which surely played some part in his decision.

I think we actually agree. I don't think there was pressure to move on. I think there was significant pressure to not recruit players that might reflect unfavorably on the University and to maintain at least defensible academic standards. The presidents of Notre Dame are in a unique bind. They are supposed to reflect a certain value system that is even more restrictive than most schools, but yet the success of the program brings alumni money, which they need. At LSU, Kelly will be virtually free of that constraint/pressure, which I think is a big advantage in the pursuit of a National Championship.

[Goose]

As to administration antipathy towards him it's hard to imagine that being an issue as long as he kept winning 10-11 games each year.

Really? Trust me, even at Stanford there is significant (though not overwhelming) antipathy to sports in general and to football in particular. Lots of people just don't believe athletics belongs at a University. Add to that the cost of sports and the (perceived at least) inordinate power of the Athletic Department its is a big issue to many people. It is in the mix at many schools, Kal being an example where it has significant effect. Probably it is a very, very small minority at LSU. Notre Dame has always existed in tension between what the administration wants to be true and what it takes to win. To what degree that bothered Kelly is anybody's guess, but it for sure exists.

I interpreted your post to mean that he was feeling pressure to move on from some parts of the administration. In any case, while I am sure it's true that there are faculty who are bothered by the importance of the football program at Notre Dame it's even more true that the football program is a big part of their brand and that university presidents there have historically been heavily invested in the program's continuing success for obvious reasons.

As I posted there indeed was tension in terms of Kelly not getting everything he asked for there, which surely played some part in his decision.

I think we actually agree. I don't think there was pressure to move on. I think there was significant pressure to not recruit players that might reflect unfavorably on the University and to maintain at least defensible academic standards. The presidents of Notre Dame are in a unique bind. They are supposed to reflect a certain value system that is even more restrictive than most schools, but yet the success of the program brings alumni money, which they need. At LSU, Kelly will be virtually free of that constraint/pressure, which I think is a big advantage in the pursuit of a National Championship.