Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly On Losing Weight, Staying Healthy

Great article By Tom Prister, Senior Editor, IrishIllustrated.com about Brian Kelly, the new head football coach at the University of Notre Dame

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When Brian Kelly was introduced as the new head football coach at Notre Dame in December, his waistline had expanded in proportion to his winning percentage.

Well, maybe not quite that much. The Cincinnati Bearcats were, after all, 12-0 during the 2009 regular season.

So in addition to making sure that Paul Longo and Co., whipped his new team into shape over the winter, spring and summer months, Kelly addressed his own weight issues and returned to fall camp in fighting shape.

Or is that Fighting Irish shape?

“I’ve taken off a few pounds since the last time I had a press conference in this room,” said Kelly Tuesday from the auditorium of the Guglielmino Athletics Complex – the same venue where he was introduced as the new Irish head coach on Dec. 11.

“I didn’t want to work 20 years to get to Notre Dame and then have a heart attack and die. So I lost some weight working out virtually every day, and really just tried to lower the chance of all those things that come with the stress of being a head football coach, especially at Notre Dame.”

This guy thinks of everything.

Demanding excellence and asking his players to make the ultimate sacrifice for the betterment of the team is easy. Cracking the whip is the head coach’s job.

But what better way to prove to your players that not only will you talk the talk but walk the walk right along with them than to put yourself through your own physical transformation.

“I’ve got a personal trainer,” Kelly said. “(I do) a lot of stretching. I’ve changed my diet, which is very difficult for football coaches because we’re non-traditional with the hours (we work).

“I’ve really tried to be disciplined, and it’s worked so far. We’ll see how it goes when we get into the thick of the season.”

The challenge truly comes during the football season when the work hours expand and a coach’s nutrition tends to go out the window. There’s little time for exercise once the season begins, and eating becomes a race to finish before moving on to the next football-related task. (Read More…)

http://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1117881

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Read a few Coach & Athletic Director exclusives with Brian Kelly from the January 2010 issue…

“Breaking Down A Few of Brian Kelly’s Big Run, TD Pass Plays”

“Xs & Os With Brian Kelly: Botched Field Goal Turns Into Touchdown”