Kelly: Shakeup of ND football staff is significant improvement

You play musical chairs with your coaching staff.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly not only welcomes three new members to the 2012 staff — Scott Booker, tight ends and special teams; Harry Hiestand, offensive line and running game coordinator; and Bob Elliott, safeties — but also announced significant position shuffles with his current coaches.
Every single coach on the offensive side of the ball has a new title, though the change isn’t as drastic among defensive coaches.
“After this season, I think we’ve made some significant improvements in our staff to allow us to move towards the goals that we have set for ourselves at Notre Dame,” Kelly said. “And that is to be a BCS football team and continue to work towards that end.
“We did not reach the goal we had set offensively so it was important that we put the pieces together and started with the coaching staff.”
One of the biggest moves comes from Chuck Martin, who is switching from safeties coach to offensive coordinator.
“I’m excited about that move,” Kelly said of Martin. “Chuck and I have a shared vision and he knows the offensive system I want to run. Chuck is experienced and knows what I’m looking for.”
Bob Diaco moves up to assistant head coach and will fill in for Kelly when the situation calls for it, Kelly said. Mike Denbrock moves from tight ends coach to outside wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.
Tony Alford will wear several hats as running backs and slot wide receiver coach as well as the recruiting coordinator. The duality of his role comes from Kelly’s latest effort to use tailbacks as both running backs and receivers.
Kelly isn’t wasting any time focusing the newly-adjusted staff on the latest quarterback dilemma. Gunner Kiel’s decision to enroll at Notre Dame enters the four-man race for starting honors with Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson.
“It’s pretty obvious that we have four quarterbacks that can compete at the BCS level,” Kelly said. “That’s what our meetings are about now. We’re designing a plan to go out and attack that.”
For more on Notre Dame’s new coaches, read tomorrow’s edition of The Elkhart Truth or online at www.eTruth.com
Notre Dame football coaches
Complete list of the Notre Dame coaching staff:
Brian Kelly, head coach
Bob Diaco, assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers
Kerry Cooks, co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks
Chuck Martin, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Tony Alford, running backs and slot wide receivers/recruiting coordinator
Scott Booker, tight ends/special teams coordinator
Mike Denbrock, outside wide receivers/passing game coordinator
Bob Elliott, safeties
Mike Elston, defensive line
Harry Hiestand, offensive line/running game coordinator
Josh Reardon, graduate assistant for defense
Pat Welsh, graduate assistant for offense
Bill Brechin, intern for offense
David Grimes, intern for defense














