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Just like that he is gone.  Brian Kelly jumped ship and is headed to South Bend to coach the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  A man who single handedly turned the Cincinnati football program around in three years went for the bait and took his dream job.  While the way he exited may not have been textbook the fact that he left is no surprise and honestly who can blame him?

If Kelly had stayed he would have been the King of the Queen City for years to come.  He was already a Cincinnati legend after posting a 34-6 record in his three seasons as Bearcat head coach.  He gave the Bearcats more in his three years as coach than anybody ever had.  When it came down to it though, Kelly had two choices: stay in Cincinnati and be a King, or chase his dream and the green in South Bend.  It goes without saying he chose the latter.  

It was no shock to see him go, but 24 hours later, it has finally hit me.  Thinking about what Cincinnati football could have been if Kelly had stuck around makes me wonder even more what they will be without him.  He has certainly put the program in the best position it has ever been in.  With new facilities and talk of adding seats, AD Mike Thomas has a very important decision to make on who will be the next head coach.  If his hire is a good one Cincinnati can prove that it is more than a coach, it is a program.

If given the option three years ago to be where UC is now without a coach I would have taken it in a heartbeat and that is why I am forever grateful to have had Brian Kelly around the past three seasons.  

The mistake Kelly made prior to his departure was not telling his players first.  While that may be difficult to do with the media leaking out stories, he should have been more upfront with them this week about his interest in the job.  Most of his players were naive enough to believe every word he said.  Players walked out of the team meeting last night when Kelly gave them the news.  That is clearly not the way to end a magical three years, but it is now time to move on.  

With the Sugar Bowl only three weeks away, the remaining coaches and their players must now regain focus and prepare for the biggest game of their lives.  The bitterness and resentment toward Kelly needs to shift to the Florida Gators.  

Originally I thought the departure of Kelly would leave the Bearcats in disarray and unable to adequately prepare for the Gators.  The reaction from the players has led me to believe the opposite.

"I got us, the seniors got us.  We've got 16 seniors that are going to lead us," said wideout Mardy Gilyard.  "Cincinnati is still Cincinnati without BK."    

When asked about how the underclassman would handle the situation Gilyard responded without hesitation.  "I have to go in there and fix those underclassmen now, so that's what I'm worrying about now.  

In a perfect world maybe Gilyard could coach the Sugar Bowl.  

After showing initial frustration, players admitted that they would have done the same thing if placed in Kelly's situation.  

"I wouldn't have one negative thing to say about him (Kelly)," said senior linebacker Andre Revels.  "He's a great guy, he had to do what's best for his family."  

It is now time to move into a new era for Bearcat fans.  I believe over the next three years and beyond, Cincinnati will prove to be more than a coach as was exemplified yesterday.  Despite the news Brian Kelly was leaving, Cincinnati sold out their 17,500 allotted tickets for the Sugar Bowl in less than two hours.  The players are playing for themselves and their city.  The support is still there as Gilyard asked for.  Cincinnati football is here to stay.

Gilyard said it perfectly after winning the Big East Title Saturday.  "This is for the city, the whole '513'.  We love our city."  And the city loves their Cincinnati Bearcats.    

Tags: brian kelly, florida gators, mardy gilyard, mike thomas, notre dame, south bend, sugar bowl