“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘Good job.’ ”



Understanding what worked for former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long, what didn’t and why he no longer has an office in the Guglielmino Sports Complex is complicated. A three-year run of 32 wins should represent an unqualified success, one more likely to warrant extending the multi-year deal Long signed last winter than to set up his awkward departure last week. The news that broke Wednesday, that Long was out one year after he finished second in the voting for the Broyles Award, actually came down three days earlier from head coach Brian Kelly.



But a move that felt abrupt on the surface had been building for months around a program working through a good season that rarely felt great. Somehow, Notre Dame’s 10-2 record warranted celebration and consternation at the same time, weighing a five-game win streak to close the year and an unbeaten...