This past offseason, before Steve Sarkisian took the offensive coordinator job at Alabama, it was rumored that Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long was going to take that position. Obviously, he didn’t. Still, it would have been a sign of Notre Dame’s current position in the landscape of college football. It would have indicated that the Irish continue to be a step behind the top tier of modern college football. Long didn’t leave, though, and that self-reflection was avoided.
Rumors, seemingly unsubstantiated, also swirled about Long and head coach Brian Kelly having a falling out.