Foxsports.com columnist Jason Whitlock took the first major shot at Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly following the tragic death of 20-year-old videographer Declan Sullivan, asking for the school to fire him.
Sullivan was filming practice on a hydraulic scissor lift that stood 50 feet above ground, when a wind gust knocked over the tower. Wind guests on Wednesday were over 50 mph.
Whitlock puts the blame not on Sullivan or Notre Dame’s video coordinator, but squarely on the shoulders of Kelly:
In recent years, Notre Dame dismissed Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis for failing to win enough games. The school canned George O’Leary for exaggerating on his resume.
Those “crimes” pale in comparison to allowing student managers to go up in 50-foot-tall lifts to film practice in hazardous wind conditions.
Mitigating circumstances do not matter. Notre Dame’s video coordinator should not be held responsible. Declan Sullivan, who tweeted before and during practice the weather conditions were terrifying and life threatening, certainly isn’t to blame.
The head football coach has final say over everything that transpires on the practice field. Everything. That’s why Ohio State’s Jim Tressel moved the Buckeyes’ practice inside on Tuesday when wind gusts made conditions unsafe.
Strong words from Whitlock, but considering the lifts aren’t recommended for use in winds above 25 mph, someone has to take the fall.
That person should ultimately be Kelly.