Six coaches who could replace Brian Kelly at Notre Dame

This wouldn't be Notre Dame's first coaching search of the last decade, but it would be the school's strangest — and least expected. While the Fighting Irish have hired three coaches since 2002, Brian Kelly would be the first to leave on his own accord and the first to leave the program on an upward climb.

He would leave Notre Dame in a better place than when he arrived. Who's the last Notre Dame coach who could say the same? Lou Holtz?

But should Kelly leave to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he would force the Fighting Irish to enter a wholly unexpected coaching search. The bad news? It's late in the game, meaning that many available coaches have already left for other positions. The good news? It's already easy to sell Notre Dame; it's easier after you've played for the national title.

Here are six coaches Notre Dame could consider if Kelly leaves (and count me among those who don't think he's going anywhere):

—Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chuck Martin or Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, two of Kelly's chief assistants. Diaco was on the short list for several FBS openings this past offseason before deciding to return to South Bend. Martin has past head coach experience at Grand Valley State, where he replaced Kelly in 2004 (and even built upon his predecessor's success). If Notre Dame aims for continuity, it'll go with one of these two current assistants.

—Louisville coach Charlie Strong. Unlike other top candidates — Urban Meyer, for example — Strong would be a viable candidate for the Fighting Irish. Why? Because he's gettable, basically. Meyer would be impossible to reel away from Ohio State; likewise, if to a slightly lesser degree, for other big-name coaches like Gary Patterson, Chris Petersen and David Shaw. In addition to doing a marvelous job at Louisville, Strong was a defensive assistant at Notre Dame from 1995 to 1998.

—Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. His stock has continued to rise since 2009, when Fitzgerald was a sort-of-but-not-really candidate for Notre Dame's open position. Now, after leading Northwestern to 10 wins and its first bowl victory in more than 60 years, Fitzgerald should come under closer consideration.

—Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. There's always been some connection between Stoops and Notre Dame, whether in 2002, 2005 and 2010, when Notre Dame hired Ty Willingham, Charlie Weis and Kelly. That Stoops has remained at Oklahoma (even when teams like the Cleveland Browns and Florida inquired) is a testament to the relationship he's developed with athletic director Joe Castiglione and President David Boren. But would Stoops view a potential Notre Dame opening as his last shot at one of the premier jobs in college football?

—Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements. I'm not sure if there's a current NFL head coach who would leap at the opportunity to take over at Notre Dame. (I thought about New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin, but he may not have the energy to start anew more than 15 years after his last college job.) Clements, a former Notre Dame quarterback who interviewed with the Fighting Irish in 2004, would have to weigh the opportunity to return to his alma mater against a chance to be a head coach in the NFL. Clements recently interviewed with the Chicago Bears about its opening. That Clement also interviewed with Penn State last winter shows a willingness to work in the college game.