18 Comments

• maaahty | Nov 04, 2010, 06:00 PM EDT

  Sorry ... This does fall under The Coach's responsibility. The same way a coach tells a groundskeeper to keep the grass long if facing a speedy team. He is responsible for everything that happens with the team on his watch. There were whether advisories everywhere!! Even Rich Rodriquez had the common sense to NOT ALLOW his video scissors to be fully deployed that day. IT IS NOT AN ACT OF GOD that a videographer - eager to please the coach - braves the elements to try to get the footage. IT IS AN ACT OF STUPIDITY OF COACH'S PART FOR NOT SAYING, 'I like your dedication, but we are not gonna risk your life for some tape!' THIS DEATH FALLS DIRECTLY ON KELLY'S SHOULDERS FOR NOT HAVING THE SENSE TO WATCH FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM DURING A STORMY PRACTICE WITH NO FAILSAFES IN PLACE. I think criminal negligence at a maximum, and at a minimum A HUGE CASH PAYMENT FOR BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS YOUNG MAN'S DEATH should come to this young man's family from UND.

• Liamkeyes | Oct 31, 2010, 05:34 PM EDT

  No way should the Coach be blamed for this horrific accident. My prayers are with the family of the young man. Let's hope they get rid of that scissors lift. I feel it's dangerous in the best of conditions. May the young man rest in peace.

• Lucky14 | Oct 31, 2010, 12:40 PM EDT

  The people saying this was a sudden wind that came up unexpectedly are misinformed. That was not the case. There were wind warnings posted. Declan tweeted about the winds. Other coaches cancelled or moved practices because of the winds. I spoke with a student on campus up there who said it was extremely windy all day. The only person I have heard the "sudden gust of wind" story from is Swarbrick. That seems like a poor attempt at a CYA to make this sound like something nobody could have predicted. Nonsense. It was not intentional but it was absolutely stupid beyond belief to have that kid in that position.

• jamieLM | Oct 31, 2010, 12:12 PM EDT

  I agree with SouthBendNative. It was obvious that day that there were high winds with the possibility of gusts higher than 48 mph. A total lack of common sense by those in charge led to this young man's needless death. Don't blame this preventable tragedy on God.

• SeamusMor | Oct 31, 2010, 12:02 PM EDT

  Declan Sullivan's death was a terrible tragedy. Witnesses on the scene described a huge gust of wind, unlike the prevailing conditions, which suddenly occurred, blowing away towels and other equipment that had been unmoved prior to the freak blast of wind. Brian Kelley did not send Declan up to film the practice in 48 mile an hour winds; they came up in an instant without warning. Attorneys and insurers can argue it was an "act of God", but it was just bad luck. My heart goes out to the Sullivan and Notre Dame families, and I pray that the lad has seen the face of God and will reside with him for eternity. Rest in peace!

• SouthBendNative | Oct 31, 2010, 08:18 AM EDT

  This is perhaps your dumbest article to date..and that is quite an accomplishment. Brian Kelly is a highly paid member of ND's hierarchy. He is the CEO of the Football Program. Only an idiot would allow anyone to go up in a scissor lift in that situation. I have been in one of those lifts indoors and was quite nervous because they don't give you the feeling of stability. It doesn't take a genius to see that, regardless of the manufacturer's instruction not to use it in winds exceeding 25 mph, that nobody should have been up there in such conditions. Athletics Director, Attorney Jack Swarbrick should also resign. He was present at the time of the tragic incident and too, should have demanded that the photographers be brought down immediately. This incident shows a complete lack of common sense on Kelly and Swarbrick's part. This tragedy was entirely preventable and any decent manager would have recognized the dangers.

• murphy66 | Oct 30, 2010, 10:06 PM EDT

  After losing to Tulsa, Kelly SHOULD resign.

• jeanne72 | Oct 30, 2010, 07:14 PM EDT

  An "act of God" would have been the lift falling ON Declan Sullivan while Declan was standing NEXT TO IT. It's an act of incredible irresponsibility and stupidity when someone sends him up into the lift during high winds, for which the scissor lift's instruction even state it isn't supposed to be used in. Brian Kelly may not be "responsible for everything," but it would appear that he is definitely responsible for the death of Declan Sullivan. Maybe we should call for you too resign too since your commentary seems to be what's really ridiculous.

• collegewalker | Oct 30, 2010, 04:45 PM EDT

  Sean, you are correct; it was a senseless accident. Commen sense would dictate you don't send anyone, in any condition, into a blustery wind high off the ground. Commen sense tells you if God had been acting in the same manner for the past 48 hours, you don't question his actions. Common sense provides the reason and rationale why you don't subject someone to these conditions. You're correct, it was senseless. Responsible people, who were supervising their employees, didn't act responsibly, that's the reality of the situation. Someone asked this student to get up on the lift; as an employee, he followed instructions. The resulting accident is easily explained. It's called Logic 101. You might want to take the class...

• sinclairville | Oct 30, 2010, 03:06 PM EDT

  sometimes we need to take responsibility for our own actions...not alwaysblame someone else. It was a tragic "accident". I'm sure all concerned will carry their own PRIVATE sense of fault.

• Rebelforce | Oct 30, 2010, 01:41 PM EDT

  Be careful how you throw the term around, "an Act of God". That is the same phrase the British used in the nineteenth century to wash their hands of responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Ireland during the, ahem, "Great Famine".

• gates3293 | Oct 30, 2010, 01:39 PM EDT

  ok first off sean have you ever been around a football team? for you to say what you said about being responsible for the players from soup to nuts in practices and games and then not responsible for everything elsse is way more absurd. The Head football coach at any football level makes every decision. Brian kelly is fully responsible for this and anyone who has been around a team knows like beanie20 said there is always a sense of "suck it up" and in football that is what coaches preach. we obviously dont know the facts, whether declan asked to not go up or what that situation was. the biggest evidence that shows that even the university knows kelly was mostly at fault is how they have made sure he hasnt spoke to anyone. they have canceled his press conferences and his radio show. who else is there to blame but the head coach, even declans boss answered to KELLY i guarantee it. so yes coach kelly, who i know is more than hurting over this and never wanted this to happen, is responsible and if he isnt then the AD is and then if the AD isnt the the President is. foolish article you wrote here should be taken down

• PhelanClan | Oct 30, 2010, 12:52 PM EDT

  This is tragic for the young man & his family and my prayers go out to them. I feel for Coach Kelly because I'm sure he feels terrible about what happened & he probably feels somewhat responsible. I agree with Beanie20, this was absolutely preventable. Act of God? No way, this was a case of not following basic safety procedures or worse, not having basic safety procedures. When you bring that piece of equipment on campus, you've got to train the operators and follow OSHA Fall Protection regulations. If ND had, Declan Sullivan would be enjoying today's game. I’m not convinced Coach Kelly should resign or even be dismissed, but he is all about preaching accountability. Someone at ND is responsible for what happened to Declan Sullivan & it sure as heck isn’t God.

• Lucky14 | Oct 30, 2010, 12:40 PM EDT

  Ajreaper has it nailed here. I'm sure Brian Kelly is a great guy. I'm sure this tragedy has hit him very hard and will for many years. He is under enormous pressure to win. So it was understandable that he would want practice outdoors. But this is a case of an employee in a vulnerable position being placed in danger by a lack of fundamental common sense. Did he really think this would happen? No. But like it or not, Coach Kelly was responsible for those at that practice. He made the call to hold it outdoors when other coaches (Ohio State, etc.) made a different call noting concerns over student safety. Holding people accountable for poor leadership in no way diminishes Declan Sullivan's life. Frankly, it underscores that the safety and well-being of the average student is more important than a game, a coach or a win.

• Beanie20 | Oct 30, 2010, 11:00 AM EDT

  This is an entirely preventable tragedy. If a 20 year old student knew winds were gusting up to 60 miles per hour, why were the lifts up? Were any other workers at ND working on ladders or lifts that day? I bet there was no elevated outdoor work on any of the construction projects on campus. Assigning and owning responsibility for this tragedy is not a blame game. Brian Kelly and the football staff are responsible for putting this young man in harm's way, leading to his death, so that they could have film of a practice. A final point - did the lift have hand controls in the bucket - in other words, could he have lowered the bucket? If so, then i bet there were macho calls to 'gut it out' and stay up there.

• friend06 | Oct 30, 2010, 10:58 AM EDT

  Whats silly is that you compared it to murder. What happened is SO SAD, and tragic, and I know that Brian Kelly is the FIRST PERSON to admit that! He is an extremely loving caring person and he appreciates everyone around him and would be the last person to put someone in danger. Things happen, some good and some so very tragic, but to think that Coach should lose his job is sad and pathetic. Truly shows that most people have no idea what goes into the workings of a real football program. Most people dont even know true facts because the media has misrepresented 99% of the facts of this awful event. Not one person related to the ND football program would EVER have wished just a terrible thing, but things happen, and not everything is in our control. So yes, but sitting here blaming others in for sure taking away from Declan. SO everyone who is wasting air time and blog space bashing on Coach Kelly, you are sad, because instead, go pray from Declan's family.

• Ajreaper | Oct 30, 2010, 10:21 AM EDT

  The simple truth is a leader can delegate his authority but never his rsponsibility- that true with a president, CEO or a head football coach. My question is: if winds were gusting upwards of 50mph why were the lifts up? My guess is the manufacturer has specific recomendations for there use in high winds and if those were not followed then someone is to blame and ND's insurance compnay will be writing a big check.

• bayouplato | Oct 30, 2010, 08:35 AM EDT

  What!!! Are you serious??? What does it mean that blaming someone for a death diminishes someone's life? So, when we blame an assassin for killing a president, we diminish the president's life and accomplishments?? Do you mean we should not prosecute murder in order to maintain the deceased's reputation? HOW SILLY!