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Tony Dungy Could Take Over The Notre Dame Coaching Job?

By Evan Massey
Published on: 02:44 PST, Oct 5, 2016

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish could be looking at a parting of ways with head coach Brian Kelly at the end of the 2016 college football season. Notre Dame has gotten off to a 2-3 start this season and the fans and school is beginning to become frustrated with the downward spiral over the last couple years.

Kelly has been an excellent head football coach for the Fighting Irish, but sometimes changes of scenery are necessary. He has coached Notre Dame to a 57-26 record during his tenure with the school. Notre Dame could keep him on for another season, but there have already been rumblings that he could be on his way out of town.

We have previously mentioned here at the Inquisitr that Les Miles could be a potential candidate for the Notre Dame job should Kelly head out the door.

Looking at current football coaches who might consider a prestigious job like the Fighting Irish can offer, there are a few names that pop out. NBC Sports has brought up quite possibly the most intriguing name of any speculation that has been seen to this point.

Former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy was mentioned as a possible candidate for the Fighting Irish to consider.

Dungy put together an impressive NFL head coaching career before retiring following the 2008 season. He compiled a 139-69 record in his career in the National Football League while boasting an 85-27 record as the head coach of the Colts. Indianapolis also won a Super Bowl under his leadership in 2006.

Notre Dame may not seem like the type of job that Dungy would come back for, but it is interesting, to say the least. He has likely received quite a bit of interest from NFL teams in search of a new head coach, but returning to the college level may be exactly what he needs to do. Dungy has already reached the highest level of success at the NFL level and going down to a big name college could seal his legacy.

Dungy is also known as the type of coach that builds a player off-the-field as well as on-the-field. That would be exactly what Notre Dame could use at this point with the issues that they are struggling with.

Perhaps Dungy could help bring the passion back to the Fighting Irish football program that they once had.

At 60-years-old, there is no telling whether Dungy is seriously interested in returning to coaching or not. He would likely consider any option that comes his way, especially a lucrative opportunity like the one that Notre Dame can offer him.

If the Fighting Irish are serious about moving on from Kelly, they need to bring in a big name to replace him. Dungy would fit that bill, as would Miles. Notre Dame is still one of the powerhouse football teams in the nation, and it could be exactly what lures Dungy out of retirement.

Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what ends up happening with the Fighting Irish throughout the remainder of the 2016 college football season. Kelly still has a chance to save his job, but it could very well take winning out to do that. Notre Dame can’t afford to sit around and hope that things fix themselves, which could force a coaching change.

Could Dungy end up being the head coach that the Fighting Irish target to replace Kelly? It certainly makes sense from the outside looking in, but there are other factors at play. Convincing Dungy to come out of his cushioned analyst job won’t be easy.

All of that being said, expect to hear plenty more about the Notre Dame coaching situation in the coming weeks. There is no telling which coaches would be on the Fighting Irish list if they move on from Kelly, but Dungy would be a huge step in the right direction for them.

Do you think the Notre Dame Fighting Irish should target Tony Dungy? Will the Fighting Irish move on from Brian Kelly or let him stay one more season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[Featured Image by Jack Dempsey/Invision for NFL/AP Images]

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