For the first time since 2009, Notre Dame is looking for a head football coach.

Brian Kelly has informed Notre Dame he plans to leave the program after 12 seasons in charge, BlueandGold.com can confirm. He is heading to LSU.

Who might athletic director Jack Swarbrick turn to as his replacement? Here are some potential candidates, listed in alphabetical order.

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Age: 50

Head coaching record: 57-39

Notable Jobs: Louisville assistant head coach (2007-2008), Western Kentucky head coach (2014-2016), Purdue head coach (2017- present)

Why he fits: He hails from a great football family, has played and coached at the Power Five and NFL levels. He has seven years of head coaching experience and is in Year 4 at Purdue, where he has led his team to an 8-4 season in 2021.

At Purdue, he has twice beaten the No. 2 team in the nation, Ohio State in 2018 and Iowa in 2021. He also defeated No. 3 Michigan State this year. Brohm was 30-10 in three years at Western Kentucky.

Why he doesn't: Can Brohm recruit at a national level and beat the super powers like Ohio State, Clemson, and Alabama? Recruiting at Purdue is a far cry from recruiting at Notre Dame. His best season there is also just 8-4.

Age: 42

Head coaching record: 77-48

Notable Jobs: Toledo head coach (2012-2015), Iowa State head coach (2016-present)

Why he fits: He played at and coached for Division III powerhouse Mount Union after spending one year at on the staff at Pittsburgh. He has led the Cyclones to five straight winning seasons, including a Fiesta Bowl win following last season. Prior to his current tenure at Iowa State (2016-2021), he served as head coach at Toledo, compiling a 24-8 overall record.

Why he doesn't: Aside from a great year in 2020, Campbell's record at Iowa State is good, but not great. He is 31-23 overall in Ames. The Cyclones are just 7-5 this year following a preseason top 10 ranking.

Age: 42

Head coaching record: 33-4

Notable jobs: Philadelphia Eagles (2015) and San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach (2016), Ohio State offensive coordinator (2017-18), Ohio State head coach (2019-preset)

Why he fits: It’s an admitted extreme long shot. At the same time, this offseason has already brought unforeseen head coaching hires. USC coaxed Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma. LSU, of course, filched Kelly. If Notre Dame takes a similar swing, Day makes a lot of sense.

Day is making $7.6 million, which is reportedly about the same as Kelly’s annual salary. He’s seemingly due for a raise given his success and other high-profile coaches landing mega-deals. Notre Dame can afford to offer him one and hope he’s intrigued enough by the job or has an ounce of desire to start anew.

Why he doesn’t: Much like Kelly heading to LSU and Riley heading to USC, there’s a stun factor that you have to actually see it to believe it. Ohio State head coaches don’t make moves to other colleges on their own volition. Then again, neither do Notre Dame’s or Oklahoma’s.

Age: 47

Head coaching record: N/A

Notable jobs: Notre Dame defensive line (2010-14, 2017-21) and linebackers coach (2015-16)

Why he fits: Elston has worked with Kelly since 2004 and is the only assistant remaining from his original 2010 Notre Dame staff. If the goal is to continue what Kelly built in the way he built it, his right-hand man has as strong a pulse on it as anyone.

Why he doesn’t: He’s a first-time head coach who hasn’t been a coordinator since 2005 at Central Michigan. It would be a massive step up.

Age: 48

HC Record: 53-21

Notable jobs: Ohio State co-defensive coordinator/linebackers (2005-10, 2012-16), Ohio State interim head coach (2011), Cincinnati head coach (2017-present)

Why he fits: A former Ohio State player and longtime assistant, Fickell has Midwest roots and has built the steadiest Group of Five program over the last few seasons. Cincinnati is 43-6 over the last four seasons, 12-0 this year and the No. 4 team in the College Football Playoff top 25.

He comes from the Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel coaching trees. It worked out pretty well for Notre Dame the last time it hired a Cincinnati coach who just led his team to an undefeated regular season.

Why he doesn’t: As impressive as Fickell’s Cincinnati body of work is, it would be a significant step up. Cincinnati isn’t nearly the high-profile job with the immense pressure that Notre Dame is.

Age: 41

Head coaching record: 64-45

Notable jobs: Western Michigan head coach (2013-16), Minnesota head coach (2017-present)

Why he fits: Fleck has elevated two middling programs that aren’t easy places to win and hit the 10-victory mark once at both. He took Western Michigan to the New Year’s Six in 2016 and led Minnesota to an 11-2 season in 2019. He’s a Midwest native who has spent his career in the region with a strong recruiting reputation in the area.

Why he doesn’t: Fleck is just 30-22 at Minnesota and 21-22 in the Big Ten with two losing seasons. There have been notable vacillations within his successes.

Age: 35

Head coaching record: N/A

Notable jobs: Cincinnati defensive coordinator (2017-20), Notre Dame defensive coordinator (2021-pressent)

Why he fits: He is regarded as one brightest up-and-coming stars in the business, beloved within the program and with recruits, and just engineered an impressive in-season development of Notre Dame’s defense. He built Cincinnati into one of the country’s elite defenses before that. He has experience at Notre Dame and under Kelly and Midwest roots. He’s a former Ohio State player for Tressel and worked with Fickell.

Why he doesn’t: Like Elston, he would still be a first-time head coach. There have been successful first-time head coaches in major programs lately, but it is still a gamble.

Age: 42

Head coaching record: 12-11

Notable jobs: Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs (2013), Cleveland Browns defensive backs (2014-15) San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach (2016-18), Ohio State defensive coordinator (2019), Boston College head coach (2020-present)

Why he fits: Hafley hasn’t had a breakthrough season as a head coach, but his work so far at fellow Catholic school Boston College is well-regarded. He is on the cusp of signing the program’s highest-rated class in nearly 20 years. Prior to taking the job, he oversaw arguably the nation’s best defense in 2019 at Ohio State.

There’s a reason Boston College just extended him through 2026 after this season after two seasons. Hafley would be more about his reputation, entire coaching career and perceived ceiling more than his first two years at Boston College.

Why he doesn’t: He has been a head coach for just two years, and the average record is still what it is.

Age: 46

Head coaching record: 47-43 college, 10-18 NFL

Notable jobs: Temple head coach (2013-16), Baylor head coach (2017-19), Carolina Panthers head coach (2020-present)

Why he fits: Rhule ushered in arguably the greatest two-year stretch in Temple history, which included a 20-7 record and an American Athletic Conference division title. He then took over a scandal-mired Baylor program and led it to an 11-3 season by Year 3. He’s a proven program builder. His Panthers tenure hasn’t started smoothly. If he’s seeking a fresh start, Notre Dame provides an ideal path.

Why he doesn’t: On paper, this makes a lot of sense, though it’s not at all a given Rhule wants to return to college. A high salary, and no requirement to recruit teenagers, is appealing to many coaches. He is also known most for his ability to rehab programs from the grave to very good. Notre Dame isn’t in need of that.

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