Irish’s Kelly AP coach of the year
Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly was named The Associated Press college football coach of the year Monday, becoming the third coach to win the award twice since it was established in 1998.
Kelly received 16 of 58 first-place votes from AP college football poll voters and 81 total points. Alabama’s Nick Saban was second with 16 first-place votes and 66 points, and Central Florida first-year coach Josh Heupel was third with 33 points (five first-place votes).
Twelve coaches received at least one firstplace vote, and eight received at least three for the award announced Monday. Washington State’s Mike Leach finished fourth with 26 points (three first-place votes) and Syracuse’s Dino Babers was fifth with 25 (five first-place votes).
Kelly joins Saban and TCU’s Gary Patterson as two-time winners. Kelly was also coach of the year in 2012.
As he did in 2012, Kelly has guided the Fighting Irish to a12-0 season and a chance to compete for the national championship. Notre Dame played Alabama in the BCS championship game after the 2012 season and lost, 42-14. The third-ranked Irish will face No. 2 Clemson in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29 in their first College Football Playoff appearance.
This undefeated season for Notre Dame seems very different than that one, and it comes just two seasons after Notre Dame finished 4-8. Kelly overhauled his staff and his approach after that debacle, bringing in new coordinators on both sides of the ball. He made a concerted effort to be more involved with all aspects of the team.
“I think I’m a better leader of our program,” Kelly said. “The organization has gotten so much bigger. The ability to create the right energy and day-to-day culture is difficult. I think I’ve gotten a lot better a leading that large group on a day-today basis.”
Alabama coach Nick Saban says quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is “probably ahead of schedule” in recovering from ankle surgery. The Heisman Trophy runner-up has been practicing for the top-ranked Crimson Tide, which began preparations Friday for an Orange Bowl semifinal matchup with Oklahoma. Tagovailoa had surgery on his left ankle shortly after being injured in a game Dec. 1.
Stanford running back Bryce Love will skip the Sun Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft. Love announced his decision Monday to sit out the bowl game for the Cardinal (8-4) on Dec. 31 against Pittsburgh (7-6). Love says he wants to be completely healthy for the 2019 draft.