How unprecedented would Brian Kelly's move be?

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly interviewed withe Philadelphia Eagles after losing to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)

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  • University of Notre Dame
  • Alabama
  • Brian Kelly
  • Philadelphia Eagles

    "Leaving is not an option. I don't even think about it," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Saturday, when he was holding court at the BCS media day at Sun Life Stadium. "I think from my perspective I've got the best job in the country, NFL, college, high school, whatever," he added.

    Five days later – and two days after his Fighting Irish were dismantled by Alabama in the championship game – USA TODAY Sports confirmed reports that Kelly had met with the Philadelphia Eagles about its vacant head coach position.

    EAGLES: Kelly meets and talks with Philadelphia

    If Kelly does leave Notre Dame for the NFL, it would mark one of the most unprecedented coaching moves in college football history. Consider:

    Kelly would be the first Notre Dame coach to leave voluntarily for another position in nearly 70 years. The last was Ed McKeever, who traded in the Fighting Irish for Cornell after the 1944 season. From a report in the St. Petersburg Times on Feb. 28, 1945:

    McKeever apparently elected to leave an insecure berth at Notre Dame in favor of a regular vacancy at Cornell. Last August, Notre Dame officials announced that (Frank) Leahy, who is now in the South Pacific but then was in the United States, had signed a long-term contract to begin with his release from the service.

    Every other Notre Dame coach from McKeever through Charlie Weis has left either through retirement (like a Dan Devine or Ara Parseghian) or was fired for below-average results (Weis, Willingham, Davie, Faust and others).

    Kelly would be only the seventh coach to accept another position after competing in a BCS bowl. The others: Butch Davis (Miami) in 2000, Steve Spurrier (Florida) in 2001, Bobby Petrino (Louisville) in 2006, June Jones (Hawaii) in 2007 and Randy Edsall (Connecticut) and Jim Harbaugh (Stanford) in 2010.

    NFL QUESTIONS: Kelly elusive on NFL questions at BCS media day

    While many coaches have taken another position before a BCS game – even Kelly did so prior to the 2010 Sugar Bowl, when he left Cincinnati for Notre Dame, and Northern Illinois' Dave Doeren did so in 2012 – he would join a short list of coaches who went through the game itself before accepting another offer. (Several coaches have taken another job but still coached through the BCS game.)

    Kelly would be the first coach to leave a school immediately after coaching in the BCS National Championship Game. While other coaches who reached the BCS title game have eventually moved on (Larry Coker, Jim Tressel, Frank Solich, even Saban), none have done so immediately after the game itself.
    Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/10/brian-kelly-notre-dame-philadelphia-eagles/1823761/