Kelly has tough road ahead

The search for Notre Dame's new head football coach supposedly had names like Florida's Urban Meyer, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and other major players on the national recruiting scene on it. But after all the rumors and speculation, the Fighting Irish named Brian Kelly as their coach. The Northeast native has been successful everywhere he has been a head coach and it is hard to dispute the choice. While Kelly has proven he can win championships (two at the Division II level), coach quarterbacks, and a run high-powered offense, a big question here is his ability to recruit at a program like Notre Dame.

That's not to say Kelly can't recruit -- he has way too many wins next to his name to make that argument. It doesn't matter how good of a coach you are, if you do not have good players it is impossible to win consistently. His recruiting experience includes time at the Division II level, in the MAC at Central Michigan, and most recently in the Big East at Cincinnati. He displayed a good eye for talent and an ability to develop players, and is also known as a recruiter who can connect with people and sell his program. While his background indicates he can get the job done, he is venturing into new territory. Notre Dame is different from most places.

Here are some issues that Kelly will need to deal with on the recruiting trail for Notre Dame:

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