Going into his first season as head coach of the Notre Dame football team, everyone knew that Brian Kelly would face a number of challenges on the field. We knew that he not only had to get a team adjusted to a new system, but he had to whip his new team into shape, both physically and mentally.
What none of us could have foreseen were the challenges Kelly would have to face off the field. Less than a year after the tragic passing of promising recruit Matt James, Kelly and the whole Notre Dame family suffered the loss of another loved one after the accident that took the life of Declan Sullivan on October 27.
During the days following the accident, the upcoming game against Tulsa took a back seat to the countless questions concerning what had happened and whose fault it was. People began demanding answers almost immediately. Some people demanded more than answers, including that the game against Tulsa be canceled and that school officials from Kelly all the way to university president Father Jenkins resign.
Amidst all of these questions and demands, cooler heads prevailed. The football game continued as scheduled, preceded by a touching ceremony that paid tribute to Declan. No one has resigned or been fired.
Following the accident, the state of Indiana began an investigation into the proper use of lifts at practice. An investigator from the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration traveled to campus to investigate the matter, but has yet to say when the investigation will be complete.
The university is also conducting its own investigation. In a press release to the students and Notre Dame community, university president Father Jenkins stated that the goal of the investigation is assess exactly what happened and make recommendations that will ensure future safety of students and personnel.
In the interests of being “thorough, unbiased, and accurate,” the university has hired Dr. Peter Likins as a third party to review the results of the investigation. Dr. Likins, who received his doctorate in engineering mechanics from Stanford, has served as president of University of Arizona and Lehigh University, and provost at Columbia University.
While the investigations of the accident are still underway, both Kelly and Father Jenkins have taken a share of the responsibility. In interviews after the accident and the loss to Tulsa, Coach Kelly took responsibility for deciding to have practice outside on that day, a decision he thought was “productive and safe.”
When asked about the decision to have practice outside despite the high-speed winds, Kelly admitted the standards in place for ensuring safety had failed, and needed to be evaluated.
But Father Jenkins is not allowing his first year head coach to take all of the blame. In his press release about the accident, he acknowledged the university’s and his own failure to ensure the safety of its students. Father Jenkins made it clear that “Declan Sullivan was entrusted to our care, and we failed to keep him safe. We at Notre Dame – and ultimately I, as President – are responsible.”
Father Jenkins concluded his release by affirming his confidence in Brian Kelly both on and off the field. He said Kelly was hired “not only because of his football expertise, but because we believed his character and values accord with the highest standards of Notre Dame,” and that everything he has done while a member of the Notre Dame family has “confirmed that belief.”
The tragedy of the accident that took the life of Declan Sullivan is already impacting schools across the country. Schools like the University of Wyoming and University of North Carolina had begun looking at their own practice policies concerning lifts at practice.
Until the results of the investigations are released, no permanent changes have been implemented in Notre Dame practices. In the meantime, Kelly has said that lifts “would not be used (at practice) until the investigation is complete,” and that he and his staff are working to be more aware of safety at practice.
While it is too early to guess how Notre Dame policy will change in regards to safety at practice, there are a number of examples they can look at. Schools like Penn State and the University of Michigan ground their lifts or keep them at lower heights if winds exceed 28 mph. Other schools, like Ohio State and Ole Miss have permanent video towers, but still check the wind conditions before practicing outdoors.
