Kelly is an interesting coach since he has combined spells of extreme competence with periods of plain old mediocre football. He isn't a lovable sort, doesn't aspire to be one. Irish fans four decades from now won't be waxing poetic about their beloved Kelly. His no-nonsense approach is in vogue, however. If his job is on the line, it's because 8-5 has been his most popular record and that's not the kind of record that made the Irish matter, even if he also played for a national title and has another 10-win record on the books.