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Cincinnati players upset about Kelly's decision

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The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: Receiver Mardy Gilyard said Cincinnati players were upset about the Brian Kelly-to-Notre Dame situation.

"I feel like there was a little lying in this thing, I feel like he's known the whole time. I kind of had a gut feeling that he was going to stay because he told me he was going to be here. But it is what it is. He made a business decision," Gilyard said.

Gilyard said that Kelly told the players before the Dec. 5 Pittsburgh game that he wasn't going anywhere.

"It ain't cool to lie. I'm hot about that. But I respect BK, and everything he did for the program here. We know whoever the coach is, the players know we're going to take care of business (in the bowl game). We're already looking ahead."

Get the full story on cincinnati.com.

24 Comments

This move by BK was kind of expected. Lets face it Cincinnati is not Notre Dame and it never will be. I can live with that, but the real question is can brain kelley live with what he did to his ex football team. He is sending a good team into a bowl game without a leader. I think it is best summed up like this, if you remove the head from the beast the body will surely follow.
This was such a dick move by Kelley. He helps take UC to a bowl game agianst Florida and says to his teammates, who he has previously told, "I'm staying", a week before by the way, screw it; im jumping ship for ND because they are gonna pay me more.
Brian Kellley showed his true colors today and if he can lie right to his players faces and abandon them right before they play the biggest game, probably in UC's history, for a storied program that in recent years has been mediocare at best, who has won one bowl game in the last ten years, and whos last National Championship was won in 1988, well then I say UC is better off with out his bitch ass anyways and I hope Notre Dame and that dam golden dome goes right down the shitter and BK gets sucked down with it.

Cincinnati will never be that "big program". This is a different time now. When those programs were built you didn't have the big money rolling in like you do now.

The way the NCAA is now makes it impossible to make a program advance to the elite level. You either are or you're not.

The system now is designed to make the big programs stay big and keep the mid schools from achieving this. Just look at how the BCS decides (picks) their championship.

There seem to be 2 kind of coaches out there: those who will always be looking for the next big opportunity at a "better" program and those who instead find their satisfation in builing a program where they are. How do the JoePas, Coach Ks, Pete Carrolls and Bobby Bowdens of the world get to be as respected as they are? Longevity. They stay in one place and build the program to the point where they are one and the same with the program. Tom Izzo has chosen to do this at MSU rather than hop off to another college or pro job. Kirk Ferentz is working on doing this at Iowa. Brian Kelly could've done this at Cincy but instead those to hop to what is perceived as a "better" program and opportunity. In the end, he will just be one in a long line of head coaches at ND instead of being THE head coach at Cincy. His loss.

I know most of you haters lack common sense so let me inject some. Could the possibilty exist that at first he was insistant that he was going to stay in Cincinnati but was offered a deal even bigger than what he imagined?

Second, don't talk about loyalty and keeping your word. These coaches are promised are given these long term deals only to be fired. The NCAA is a business. PERIOD. Like it or not that's what it is.


Also is there one person out there that would turn down a career advancement with more money?

Just asking. Remember keep it real.

So you wouldn't take a better job for more money? hypocrite. Save us from hearing the talk about morals where you are no better.

Also Charlie lost because he failed to correct problems on the defensive side of the ball. I would suggest you learn something about the game before you post again.

Anabelle on December 11, 2009 9:27 AM
Kelly has shown his true colors - he is a greedy P-I-G who sold his soul and sold out his team for money. This is the problem with sports - it's all about money now and not about sports or the prestige of being good sports anymore. Win - at any cost and the thing that cost Charlie Weiss his job is the dishonesty embraced by his players - they are cheaters, pure and simple, and deserve every loss they got.

matt o'daniels on December 11, 2009 11:42 AM

Coach 'em up Bri. Come Nov.27th the Trojans will own the Irish once again. Fight ON!

Kevin L. Warmack on December 11, 2009 11:23 AM

I'm cheering for those kids at Cincinnati that Kelly left behind to take the ND job. Those kids gave their all for him and all he did was just trash their hearts and desire. Like someone stated earlier, the NCAA should make it a rule that no meetings or negotiations should take place with a coach until that coach's season is over including any bowl game that the team is playing in.

GO Bearcats!!!

now N D is ripe for a big scandal in a year--- B K is nothing but a politician coach lying---lying---lying what you see is what you get---ZERO

Kelly has shown his true colors - he is a greedy P-I-G who sold his soul and sold out his team for money. This is the problem with sports - it's all about money now and not about sports or the prestige of being good sports anymore. Win - at any cost and the thing that cost Charlie Weiss his job is the dishonesty embraced by his players - they are cheaters, pure and simple, and deserve every loss they got.

I have no opinion one way or the other on Notre Dame, but I heard for weeks how the next ND coach needed to be a defensive guy. How does this hire help?

Why do I feel a Kelvin Sampson type situation brewing at the Golden Dome?

Southside_Carlo on December 11, 2009 7:26 AM

And this is 1 of the reasons why I say these kids should be paid.

Now all his young recruits are stuck there or have to lose a year to transfer.

Poor Cincy, it's tough realizing even when you put on your best dress, you still aren't the girl all the guys really want. Success at Cincy isn't success at ND. Nothing is going to change that. Not a knock on Cincy, just the way things are. Calling Kelly classless etc etc only tries to mask these truths. When he called that meeting and told his players he was staying, he meant it, but like any recruitment effort the recruiter raised the ante. Each and everyone of your so-called professional integrity can be purchased in this manner.

Cincinnati would not be undefeated and number 3 in a decent conference. I doubt he ever makes it that high at ND (see MSU and Colorado).

The Capitalist on December 10, 2009 11:18 PM

"To coach at Notre Dame is an honor any football coach would cherish."

Really, Mrsly? How much did Urban Meyer cherish it? Bob Stoops? Oh wait, they weren't that interested, were they? Spoken like a true Domer . . .

The Capitalist on December 10, 2009 11:13 PM

@ bob: no "bob," it's you that's an arse. Kelly called a team meeting approximately one week ago and told his players he was not going to leave Cincinnati. Sure he may have gotten his dream job, but he gave his players a fist-job on the way out. Very classy of him to lie to them, knowing full well he was trying his best to get the heck out of there. He should fit in perfectly with you delusional ND fans -- he's a liar, and you're too big a fool to admit it.

ITS NATURAL TO WANT TO PROGRESS IN YOUR CAREER SO I CAN'T BLAME KELLY FOR TAKING ON THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL ON THE BIGGEST STAGE...ITS HIS DREAM JOB.

ND will regret hiring another egomaniac--yes he can win and yes he could care less how he does it-----

"I once complained of having no shoes, until I met a man who had no class."

Don't fault him on the move. MANY MANY negatives on the move before the end of the season. Lacks integrity. I don't care how "accepted" it is to do that based on past history... it lacks integrity.

Congratulations Coach Kelly. You deserve the honor to coach at a great school and bring back glory to one of America's best schools. To coach at Notre Dame is an honor any football coach would cherish. It's an opportunity to play on the national stage and show your stuff. Love or hate Notre Dame, you have an opinion. Anyone with your talent would have taken this job. Coach Weis had his opportunity. As good as a man as Coach Weis is, he wasn't a good head football coach. You will bring your strong work ethic and hopefully, as your career has shown, a winning spirit back to Notre Dame. The critic's who say Notre Dame can't recruit should look at your teams. You take underrated high school players and make them winners. The key to a great coach isn't play calling as much as bring the best out of every kid. You have shown you know how to coach any young man who want's to play. Go get them. I can see you taking Notre Dame to the next level. Go IRISH!

Hopefully the kids he recruits at Notre Dame remember his dishonesty when he starts making them promises. Once a liar, always a liar.

Its for reasons like this that the NCAA needs to make a policy of coaches waiting to talk to schools until after bowl season. Its the way it is in other professional sports, should be the same here.

Tom Bergeron on December 10, 2009 7:59 PM

I doubt Notre Dame will ever get to #3 in the nation under his watch. Seems like a pretty dumb move to abandon Cinncy right now instead of waiting. But then again, I could see Nick Saban pulling a move like this. Just wish Lovie Smith had a Notre Dame to go to.

actually the players learned a valuable lesson in life. Better to learn it now. Its the me me im gonna git mine while im here generation.. Always always always always follow the money.

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