Top 10 most hated head coaches in college football heading into 2017
By Zach Bigalke
There wasn’t nearly as much hatred for Brian Kelly at his earlier coaching stops with Division II Grand Valley State, the MAC’s Central Michigan, and Cincinnati when it was in the Big East. And it is hard for fans of those teams to hate Kelly too much for moving up the coaching ladder. His Chippewas and Bearcats teams ended up winning conference championships, but Kelly wasn’t around at either spot long enough to draw too much ire from opposing MAC or Big East fan bases.
But coaches at Notre Dame are inevitably going to be hated. That alone would be enough to push Kelly into the top 10 of this list. Kelly, though, has done plenty since arriving in South Bend to bolster his credentials as one of the most hated coaches in college football. One could mention the way he handled the Lizzy Seeborg situation, or the way he put Declan Sullivan in a position to die on the practice field. He has also drawn the ire of Notre Dame traditionalists for his changes to the program.
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And operating as an independent with deep history means there are plenty of rival fan bases to hate Kelly as well. What has put Kelly on the hot seat, in recent years, is mainly his inconsistent results. Kelly led Notre Dame to the 2013 BCS national championship game, where the Fighting Irish were blown out by Alabama. Only one other time in Kelly’s seven seasons in South Bend has Notre Dame won 10 or more games.