Irish Illustrated and 247Sports have learned from a source inside the Gug that Texas head coach Tom Herman will be in South Bend on Thursday to sit down with Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly.

From what we're told, the meeting, as first reported by OrangeBloods' Anwar Richardson, is related to Texas' struggles this past year. The team finished 8-5 on the year including a win in the Alamo Bowl and landed at No. 25 in the final AP Poll of the year. For Herman, the staff, the players and everyone associated with the program, it's clear that does not sit well with anyone. That record, the play on the field, it's not up to anyone's standard and the expectations are much higher than those results. Changes were necessary and that's exactly what took place in Austin this offseason. It's very similar to what occurred in South Bend a few years ago.

Notre Dame went 4-8 back in 2016 and changes were made. By the time the 2017 season came around, the Fighting Irish had a new offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, as well as new position coaches running things with quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends, linebackers, safeties and special teams. With the changes, improved play on the field quickly took place. Notre Dame finished 10-3 in 2017 and was No. 11 in the final AP Poll that year. In 2018, Notre Dame made the College Football Playoff after an undefeated 12-0 season and was the No. 5 team in the final poll that year. This past year, Notre Dame finished the season No. 12 nationally after an 11-2 season. Kelly made plenty of changes after that difficult 2016 season and things improved drastically on the field and in recruiting. The changes were necessary and the buzz around the Fighting Irish program is as high now as anyone can remember.

Herman wants to do something similar heading into the 2020 season and immediate results could absolutely take place with such a loaded roster currently on campus. According to Horns247 insider Jeff Howe, the Longhorns replaced seven of 10 full time assistant coaches this offseason. The running backs coach, defensive ends coach and offensive line coach remain, but Texas has a new coach running the show with the quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends, cornerbacks, linebackers, defensive tackles and safeties, along with new offensive and defensive coordinators.

This type of overhaul is never easy for anyone connected to the program. The coaches need to gel quickly and the most importantly, the players need to as well. That is the key. Everyone has to buy in to the new mentality and direction, while embracing the change and understanding that this was necessary to improve the program as a whole. Herman will talk with Kelly about what took place at Notre Dame a few years ago and surely instill some of that in his program heading into an extremely important 2020 season.

Horns247 insider Jeff Howe contributed to this report.